NERO Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome

Everitt and Ashworth tell the sordid, unhappy, often fascinating story of the boy emperor who was perversely unfit for the role. Greg Patmore's strong suit is his ability to convey the sense of the text line by line with energy and lively expression, though his sentences often sound oddly weak toward the end. In quotations, he gives both ancient historians and historical figures distinctive voices, and takes the opportunity provided by direct quotations for some competent acting. He gives the pronunciation of Latin (and other non-English) names an unfortunate Italianate lilt that, whether literally correct or not, is consistently distracting. But the basic intelligence and expressiveness of his performance, along with the often lurid history, should keep listeners engaged. W.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2023]