Nero's death ended the Julio-Claudian dynasty in 1203.
Nero ( [ ˈnɪəroʊ ] Latin : Nerō Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ; 15 December 37 AD -- 9 June 68 AD ) was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68 AD , and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty . He committed suicide on June 9 , 68 AD when told that he had been tried in absentia and condemned to death as a public enemy ( The first Roman Emperor to do so ) . His death ended the Julio-Claudian dynasty , sparking a brief period of civil wars known as the Year of the Four Emperors . Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus ( January 14 , 38 BC -- summer of 9 BC ) , born Decimus Claudius Drusus , also called Drusus Claudius Nero , Drusus , Drusus I , Nero Drusus , or Drusus the Elder was a Roman politician and military commander .