One of the great historical novels of modernity. Raised as a boy by Seneca, crowned emperor at sixteen after his mother poisoned his stepfather Claudius - Nero's career began unusually and continued spectacularly: Initially popular, Nero soon ruled with increasing cruelty and unpredictability. Passionately, he indulged in art and luxury. Dezsö Kosztolányi, the founding father of Hungarian literature, narrates the life of the tyrant as a lush, captivating panorama of ancient Rome while simultaneously depicting the timeless, forward-looking psychological profile of a dictator.