Coming up to an election, it’s remarkable how very nice many of the candidates appear to
be. Approachable, generous, principled, passionate, caring and, above all,
sincere. Being easy on the eye certainly helps, although once enthroned - either
in politics or religion – people with power are automatically imbued with the charisma
to match. An airbrush of fame works wonders for the complexion!
And because ordinary mortals desperately want leaders they
can trust and admire, years may elapse before those feet of clay poke out from
under the mantle.
Take Nero, for instance.
Believe it or not, before starting to barbecue
Christians, Nero seemed a decent young cove, a promising ruler who would
unite the people and help Rome to flourish. His first five years as emperor were
marked by modesty, generosity, compassion, and help for the poor, enhanced by
his strong sense of justice. In The Lives
of the Twelve Caesars, historian C Suetonius Tranquillus described Nero as
a man of good intentions who abolished or reduced taxes, gave the Praetorian
guard a monthly allowance of free grain (on top of their wages, no doubt!) and
subsidised senators of little means with an annual salary.
“He
let slip no opportunity for acts of generosity and mercy, or even for
displaying his affability”
Nero was affable, greeting men of all walks of life,
even remembering their names! So approachable; he allowed common people to watch
him exercising in the Campus and to listen to his poetry recitals both in
private or at the theatre. If he lived today, he'd probably be a boozer schmoozer; blokily propping up a bar, downing pints with the lads and slapping a few backs!
He was a generous patron of the arts and provided plenty of distractions with drama, spectacle, sports, chariot races and gladiatorial combat, much to the delight of the bloodthirsty crowds. The populace also benefited from his generous hand-outs in times of need - bread and circuses kept them happy.
He was a generous patron of the arts and provided plenty of distractions with drama, spectacle, sports, chariot races and gladiatorial combat, much to the delight of the bloodthirsty crowds. The populace also benefited from his generous hand-outs in times of need - bread and circuses kept them happy.
And, believe it or not, for a God-Emperor Nero was surprisingly modest. When the senate proposed thanks to him, he replied, "When I shall have deserved them." Merciful too: ‘When asked according to custom
to sign the warrant for the execution of a man who had been condemned to death,
he said: "How I wish I had never learned to write!"
Of his outrageous treatment towards Christians later in
his reign, no more needs to be said. Yet despite his descent into paranoia and persecution,
he remained popular with the poor until his suicide at the age of 31.
OTHER
RULERS WHO SEEMED ‘NICE’
Absalom
Gilded youth is a fair description of King David’s
astonishingly handsome son who would stand at the gates of the city, hugging
and empathising with every citizen nursing a grievance. He definitely had the 'Princess Diana' factor!
A consummate politician, Absalom feigned deep concern for the people while inferring that his father was disinterested in them. In this way, he quickly won hearts and a formidable following which led to civil war.
A consummate politician, Absalom feigned deep concern for the people while inferring that his father was disinterested in them. In this way, he quickly won hearts and a formidable following which led to civil war.
Pride, ambition, murderous hatred and treachery
were Absolom's hallmarks……and his undoing!
Herod
the Great
Early in his rule, Herod rid Judea of robbers and set
up remarkable building projects, including the reconstruction of the Temple in
Jerusalem, along with theatres, amphitheatres and hippodromes. In common with
Nero, he was an enthusiastic patron of the arts and instituted Greek and Roman
games at the amphitheatre in Caesarea.
He must have had great charm and awesome diplomatic
skills; having started as a supporter of Julius Caesar, he managed to align
himself with the emperor’s assassin Cassius, yet later won over Caesar’s avowed
avenger, Mark Antony. Switching allegiance yet again, he sided with and was
forgiven by Antony’s enemy, Octavius (Augustus) Caesar and became his friend, likely
with the aid of generous bribes!
He referred to the Jews as “my countrymen”, despite being
a proselyte with no interest in the religion – in fact; he was hated by Jewish
religious leaders. He did, however, manage to appease ordinary people by
lowering their taxes, providing relief in times of famine, and persuading
Augustus to grant privileges to Jews throughout the Roman Empire.
All in all, a solid, all-round politician. Had he not murdered
his beautiful wife Mariamne, 3 of his sons, his brother-in-law, grandfather,
several former friends and all the under-2-year-old boys in Bethlehem, he could
have gone down in history as a rather ‘nice’ chap!
Henry
VIII
Another ‘paragon’ who fell short of his early promise.
Tall, handsome, athletic, artistically gifted, pious and charismatic, Henry could
have had the world at his feet – well, England anyway. But his persecution of
Catholics and abysmal marriage record went against him in the end. And, like so
many privileged people who are continually fawned over and made to feel
omnipotent, power went to his head - losing many people theirs in the process!
Hitler
Hailed as a saviour, it seemed Adolf could turn Germany’s
fortunes round, and be a real force for change. Sadly, it was another kind of ‘force’
he had in mind entirely!
TODAY'S CANDIDATES
With modern media and spin doctoring, politics in the 21st
century is ever more reliant on outward show - the charisma, charm and graciousness of viable candidates. Let’s hope the next world leaders will truly be as ‘nice’
as they appear!
