Joe Mattson, age 13, of Orlando, Fla., for his question:

WAS NERO ONE OF THE BAD GUYS?

Nero was a Roman emperor and the last relative of the Caesars. He is remembered most for his mistreatment of Christians and his neglect of government affairs while he pursued a musical career. History definitely records Nero as one of the bad guys.

Nero's mother was Agrippina, the great granddaughter of Augustus and the sister of_Caligula. While Nero was still a child, his father died and his mother then became the fourth wife of Emperor Claudius.

Mother Agrippina pushed aside Emperor Claudius' son by a previous marriage and had her son adopted by the emperor. She had her son renamed Nero Claudius.

Then Emperor Claudius died in A.D. 54, reportedly poisoned by his wife, Agrippina. Agrippina immediately had Nero proclaimed the new emperor.

Nero's personal life, history tells us, was disgraceful. He was vain, cruel and dedicated to pleasure and self indulgence. Somewhat interested in the arts, he thought he had great ability in music and dramatics.

Nero feared that his mother would plot against him, so he had her and his half brother murdered. Nero became a tyrant. He had his wife, Octavia, murdered and then married Poppaea, who encouraged his vices.

In A.D. 64 much of Rome was destroyed by fire. Nero, guilty or not, came to be charged with having started the fire and enjoying it while reciting poetry. They say that Nero fiddled as Rome burned.

Apparently to turn suspicion from himself after the fire, Nero began persecuting Christians, whom he crucified, threw to wild beasts and lit as torches.

Nero rebuilt Rome in a magnificent manner. He took art treasures from other cities to redecorate Rome. He collected heavy taxes throughout the empire to pay for the rebuilding program.

When he was young, Nero studied under Greek teachers who encouraged his tastes in music, poetry and sports.

Nero's mother chose Seneca, the philosopher, and Burrus, a military officer, to serve as her son's teachers. In A.D. 62 Burrus died, perhaps poisoned. Seneca withdrew from the court. Nero accused him and various prominent men of conspiracy and sentenced them to death.

History does say that in some ways Nero was a good administrator. He brought peace to the province of Britain after a revolt. He sent a fleet to protect Roman ships on the Black Sea and chose excellent military commanders for wars in Armenia and Judea.

Also, most historians doubt Nero's guilt in the famous Rome fire.

Late in his reign, Nero left Rome to sing in festivals in Greece. He returned to find the provinces in revolt and the Senate and his guards in Rome plotting against him.

Nero died in A.D. 68. He is reported saying as he died: "What an artist perishes in me."