Late yesterday, following the death of Emperor Claudius, Nero was hailed as emperor by the Praetorian Guard.
Nero, being not yet 17 years old, will answer to his mother, Agrippina, as regent. Also assisting the young emperor through his first few challenging years of reign will be his former tutor Seneca, and the Praetorian Prefect, Sextus Afranius Burrus. It is thought that having a diverse and well rounded set of advisers will assist the young emperor in not only making the challenging decisions for which he may not have experience, but also help guide him in the manner in which the Roman people would prefer him to rule.Several sources, however, are concerned that his mothers strength of will may overshadow Nero's ability to lead at such a young age. Many are fearful that without an older and wiser counterbalance such as Claudius, Agrippina will manipulate the throne to do her bidding. With her track record and reputation, the prospect of Agrippina ruling unabated is a frightening one to many Romans.
