Nero's Nature

Before reading about Nero, I would have leaned more towards power corrupting him. I am reluctant to entertain the notion that someone can be born evil. However, after learning more about Nero I cannot help but feel that a predisposition towards wickedness was already present within him. Power most certainly corrupted him, as we see his rule slowly crumble due to his increasing paranoia and inappropriate actions. Still, his reign was made cruel early on when he poisoned his stepbrother Britannicus. Also, his reported actions of mugging people, attacking women, and the like were completely unnecessary and demonstrate a vile and cruel personality. Nero's bad nature was also likely influenced by outside forces while he was growing up, such as his power-hungry mother. All in all, I feel that Nero was born with an inclination toward badness that was only further progressed by his mother and the power he obtained early on.