Returning Power — Nero Redivivus
"Do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed. The bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass. And dictators die. And the power they took from the people, will return to the people. And so as long as men die, liberty will never perish."
— Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator, 1940
Power and Abuse
Comparisons between Roman emperors and American presidents are not new. Among the most common is one made between Nero and Donald Trump, arguably the most notorious dictators of their kind. Both men are renown for their shameless disregard of the rule of law, a cornerstone of any civilisation, old and new. Trump’s attacks on the freedom of the press, the independence of the judiciary and the autonomy of the justice system are disturbingly similar to Nero’s attacks on all forms of opposition, real or imagined, and anyone who stood between him and his ambitions, including friends and family. While the parallels between Nero and Trump are uncannily clear, they also appear to be karmically connected. Nero allegedly returned as Benito Mussolini and, once again, rose to become a tyrant and megalomaniac urban developer. Both abused the citizens of Rome. Nero was despised for his flagrant cruelty and the persecution of Christians, committing suicide after the Senate declared him an enemy of the State. He died fearing he would be torn to pieces. In turn, Mussolini was hated for his denial of human freedoms and, trying to escape, was shot and killed — his mutilated body given no rest for the next ten years. Both despots left their mark on the Eternal City.
If this bellicose soul is indeed emperor Nero returned — as the legend of Nero Redivivus once proclaimed — then making America great again is a New Rome in the making. Significantly, the image of Trump 'revisiting' the Colosseum was posted on social media by The White House and also shared by President Donald Trump on 26 July 2025.
"The United States and Italy are bound together by a shared cultural and political heritage dating back thousands of years to Ancient Rome."
— President Trump, Joint Press Conference with President Mattarella of Italy, 16 October 2019
Return of the Praetorians
The Praetorian Guard was an elite and loyal corps of legionaries under the command of a Prefect with direct access to the emperor, the imperial family and the palace retinue. They were stationed around Rome as a permanent cohort and, over the three hundred years of their existence, renown for their intrigues inside the royal household; notably under emperors Claudius (Bill Clinton) and Nero (Donald Trump). They were well paid and widely feared by the influential and powerful elite, and when swayed by Prefects of the Guard they could topple or replace an emperor. Most prefects were of equestrian rank by birth and, under Claudius and Nero, enjoyed elevated seniority and increased pay (three times that of ordinary legionaries). While not the best trained fighters, their privileged position of power was feared by senators and patricians alike, since their very existence depended on the will of the Emperor to whom they were solely loyal. Unto death. However, there were exceptions, Agrippina the Younger (Hilary Clinton) demanded the Guards loyalty for herself, claiming as Empress that she was a "partner in the empire". (Tacitus, Annals 12.37) ​ After marrying her uncle Claudius, Agrippina tried in every way to secure the throne for her own son, Nero, using every other way to exclude Britannicus as heir. For more family background see the Claudians.
Sextus Afranius Burrus (Bernie Sanders) became Prefect of the Guard under Claudius. His promotion to this position came at the behest of Agrippina (Hilary Clinton) and, immediately following the death of her husband two years later, Burrus persuaded the Praetorians to transfer their allegiance to her and Nero. And so, in return for his promotion, Burrus now proclaimed her son emperor of Rome. As an ironic twist of karma, Burrus knew about Agrippina's plot to poison Claudius and, four years on, helped Nero murder his own mother. The relationship between Sanders and Clinton is therefore fraught with issues today. Seen in context, her scathing remark belies a long-held resentment: "Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done." — Hillary Clinton, 17 January 2020 Nevertheless, Burrus is credited for having had a positive influence on Nero during the first eight years of the emperor's reign, 54–62CE, ending when he himself died, possibly poisoned.
Afranius Burrus was succeeded by Faenius Rufus, an eques Romanus, who also drew close to Agrippina while serving as co-prefect under Claudius and Nero (62–65CE). Tacitus reports that he did not profit from his Prefecture. In turn, he was replaced by Nymphidius Sabinus who also served (65–68CE) together with hedonist Ofonius Tigellinus. Both Rufus and Nymphidius served until their deaths. They returned to serve again as Vice Presidents of the United States (2017–2021 and 2025– ). Tigellinus persecuted his two co-prefects, Rufus and Nymphidius, in order to position himself as Nero's closest and most trusted advisor. He rose to power by encouraging Nero's shameless vices, becoming senior advisor with significant influence over the palace (62–68CE). Tigellinus is "notorious for the influence his cruelty and debauched behaviour had upon the emperor." — Encyclopaedia Britannica
While Tigellinus played a leading role in Nero’s reign of terror and led the suppression of the Piso conspiracy (65CE), he was also suspected of starting the great fire that led to the first persecution of Christians in Rome (64CE). He seems to monopolise others in the same way today. To read more about Elon Musk's past involvement with Tump, please see From Capitolium to Capitol Hill.