English professor Rich Enos will present a lecture on "Finding the 'Good' in Nero: The Emperor as Performer and Patron of Rhetorical and Literary Contests" at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Reed Hall, rm. 125. Admission is free. Phone ext. 6890 for more information.

 

By all accounts the Roman Emperor Nero was insane. Yet, during his rule (54-68 A.D.), Nero had the wealth and power of the Empire at his disposal. Nero was also an ardent patron of the arts and even fancied himself a gifted performer. This study examines the implications and consequences of how the literary and rhetorical arts are influenced under such tumultuous and precarious conditions.

 

The talk also highlights the acquisition of primary evidence, including a rare inscription from Nero discovered in Thebes while doing fieldwork in Greece.

 

Dr. Enos holds the Lillian Radford Chair of Rhetoric and Composition in the Department of English and is a participating faculty member in the Classical Studies Program at TCU. He also serves on the Managing Committee for The American School of Classical Studies at Athens.