Fidelity

As Rome burned, Nero sat in his estate over the city plucking his lire. This event went down in infamy as one of history's most disastrous examples of inept leadership and megalomania. The region burning was to become an expansion of Nero's living space. The guy executed his own mother. History has little good to say about Nero.

This gentleman was an excellent example of weakness and poor judgment. His unflattering legacy gives us a powerful and useful disincentive to repeat his mistakes. It makes me wonder...when a person has faltered enough, is there a time to accept the fact that his life is not an example to be followed, but one to be learned from? At some point, I wonder if Nero knew he would go down in history as a negative example. With honor, his last words "This is fidelity," just might suggest this is the case ("fidelity" can also translated as "faithfulness"). Was he really saying: "I have shown you a true example of the worst in human kind."

It begs the question...did he one day wake up and say to himself: "I am going to be the world's most potent example of evil, and in so much, of value to future generations"? Did he decide: "I will show how one person, if given the power, can cause unheard of strife and destruction. I will use my power to pillage the people for my own glory to the greatest extent possible. I will do so until death...until they garner the will to stop me..."

But, in his last words, historians believe he was referring the the soldier who was trying to stop the profuse bleeding from his neck (after his death was inevitable)...a sign he went to his grave convinced of his own greatness.

Yes, a truly evil man would say such a thing...

Such vice is fidelity bound to illusion, fallacy, and ignorance. This word should probably be reserved for two things...truth and love. We might be able to ignore the former, but can't help the latter.