In
48 BCE, Caesar had defeated Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus and had returned
to Rome in order to celebrate his victory. Caesar had transformed Rome into a prosperous
city where there were many large basilicas and temples being constantly built.
During this time, Nero Aelius was born to a wealthy equestrian family. The
Aelius family owned land that surrounded the Aventine Hill for several
generations where they farmed and grew crops. However, his family had recently
decided to move to the Palatine hill in order to be closer to the expanding city.
Nero wanted to scourer Rome so that he could understand where all the temples,
shops, and basilicas were; however, his mother would only allow him to wonder
the Forum Romanum if he took Avitus, the house slave.
The
sun was scorching down its red sunlight rays as Nero and Avitus walked out of
the house into the hot summer day. As Nero stepped out of his house, he could
also see down below into the forum where the basilica lulia was brightly
shinning due to the shiny gloss on the marble. Nero and Avitus headed toward
the stairs of the Palatine hill which had built since the Latins had inhabited
Rome. They slowly made their way down the sloped stairway toward the Velia hill
where they would descend upon another flight of stairs. Once Nero and Avitus
reached the bottom, Nero was in awe at the amount of people he saw in the forum
but one young girl had caught his attention the most.
