
STEPHEN PHILLIPS
CHARACTERS
SLAVE TO NERO.
ACT I - SCENE.—The scene is in the Great Hall in the Palace of the Caesars. At the back are steps leading to a platform with balustrade opening on the air, and beyond, a view of the city.
ACT II - SCENE.—The same, but signs of excessive luxury and profusion. Rich carpets, gilded pillars, etc. As the scene opens, strange oriental music is heard, with singing. GIRLS enter slowly and place wreaths round the various statues of NERO, who is depicted now as Apollo singing, now as a charioteer.
ACT III - SCENE I - SCENE.—NERO'S private chamber. Enter NERO hastily and perturbed, followed by SENECA, BURRUS, and TIGELLINUS, his privy-councillors.
ACT IV - SCENE I - SCENE.—A tower overlooking Rome
In the marble halls of the imperial palace, the death of Emperor Claudius triggers a frantic scramble for power. A nervous Claudius lies dying while his ambitious mother, Agrippina, silently summons astrologers and trusted allies. She plots to conceal the emperor’s passing, fearing that the young heir Britannicus might rally opposition to her son, Nero.
As trumpets sound the grim announcement, the Praetorian Guard moves in, ready to crown the next ruler. Agrippina enlists the philosophical Seneca and the shrewd Burrus, promising gold and marriage alliances to secure Nero’s claim. A veiled prophecy warns that the new emperor may one day turn against his own mother, hinting at the dangerous love‑hate bond that will shape Rome’s future. The opening scenes pulse with conspiracies, whispered vows, and the flicker of destiny that will test every player in the court.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (94K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2008-03-08
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1864–1915
Remembered for lyrical verse and ambitious stage dramas, this English writer rose quickly to fame around the turn of the 20th century. His work drew on classical and legendary subjects, and for a time he was one of the best-known literary dramatists in Britain.
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