Emperor Nero: The Splendour Before the Dark - Margaret George

Nero's ascent to the thrones was only beginning... His epic story concludes as ancient Rome's most infamous emperor cements his place in history.

With the beautiful and cunning Poppaea at his side, Nero Augustus commands the Roman Empire, ushering in an unprecedented era of artistic and cultural splendour. Although he has yet to produce an heir, his power is absolute.

But in the tenth year of his reign, a terrifying prophecy comes to pass and a fire engulfs Rome, reducing entire swathes of the city to rubble. Rumours of Nero's complicity in the blaze start to sow unrest among the populace - and the politicians...

For better of worse, Nero knows that his fate is now tied to Rome's - and he vows to rebuild it as a city that will stun the world. But there are those who find his rampant quest for glory dangerous. Throughout the empire, false friends and spies conspire against him. Can he be the first in his family to escape the web of betrayals that is the Roman court, or will he be ensnared and remembered as the last emperor of the greatest dynasty the world had ever known?