The Tel Dan Inscription

[Minimalist]

Indeed. There are 3 rulers that spring instantly to mind about whom the only writings we have are by their enemies. Nero, Caligula and Herod. In each case we are told they are the scum of the earth.

Yet. In both the cases of Nero and Caligula we have rulers who apparently understood the need to keep the mob happy but when they needed money it was the senatorial class they went to. Unlike modern republican scumbags these emperors did not try to get money out of the urban poor but instead went after the rich senators and equestrians. Like Willie Sutton said, "I rob banks because that's where the money is."

Herod the Great ruled for 37 years. In that time he was a renowned builder and his projects doubtlessly kept money flowing to the lower classes who did the work. He was a convert to Judaism and the upper classes always wanted a Hasmonean ruler rather than him.

In both cases, it was the literate upper classes who wrote the so-called histories we have today, the same classes who resented these rulers the most. The fact that there were not popular uprisings against these rulers suggests that things were a little less extreme than the authors make them out to be.

[Justtristo]

Indeed. There are 3 rulers that spring instantly to mind about whom the only writings we have are by their enemies. Nero, Caligula and Herod. In each case we are told they are the scum of the earth.

Yet. In both the cases of Nero and Caligula we have rulers who apparently understood the need to keep the mob happy but when they needed money it was the senatorial class they went to. Unlike modern republican scumbags these emperors did not try to get money out of the urban poor but instead went after the rich senators and equestrians. Like Willie Sutton said, "I rob banks because that's where the money is."

Herod the Great ruled for 37 years. In that time he was a renowned builder and his projects doubtlessly kept money flowing to the lower classes who did the work. He was a convert to Judaism and the upper classes always wanted a Hasmonean ruler rather than him.

In both cases, it was the literate upper classes who wrote the so-called histories we have today, the same classes who resented these rulers the most. The fact that there were not popular uprisings against these rulers suggests that things were a little less extreme than the authors make them out to be.

Indeed, for example the Colosseum was named after the giant statue that Nero erected of himself on that site. It's official name was the Flavian Amphitheatre. That might very well mean Nero was quite liked by the plebs in Rome.

[Minimalist]

A good example.