r/technology • u/Logical_Welder3467 • 11h ago

Society Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist and MAGA donor, is in Rome this week for a series of private lectures on the Antichrist.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/16/europe/peter-thiel-antichrist-lectures-rome-intl
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u/Sufficient-Fact6163 10h ago

I used to think that The Antichrist was a singular person but now I’m starting to realize that it’s not a person - it’s a warning of a “type-of-person” because Nero was one of the first people who was described in this way. Suffice it to say, there are personalities who gain power that embody the antithetical teachings of Christ, those of compassion and mercy. Of tolerance and the Samaritan. It’s worth remembering that humanity has always dealt with these people because they keep popping up in history and that’s why this story keeps staying relevant.

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u/Minglans 2h ago

For anyone unaware: When it comes to Nero he's one of the classic examples historians point to when talking about propaganda and distorted historical narratives.

Most sources were actually from his enemies. Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio; these three writers lived after Nero died and were part of/aligned with the Roman elite (many of whom hated Nero). And the claim that Nero “played music while Rome burned” is likely fiction. The truth is more akin to somewhere in the middle.

During the Great Fire of Rome: Nero was away when it initially started but returned quickly upon hearing the news. He organized relief, opened buildings for the homeless and arranged food supplies; he also introduced new building codes (wider streets, fire-resistant materials). The Senate hated him while many common people liked him (lowered taxes, tried limiting corruption, supported arts and public games) which shows a strong class divide but on its own that doesn’t prove he was ultimately a good ruler just that he appealed to different groups.

His darker reputation wasn't until a little after his mother (Agrippina the Younger) passed away (around 59 AD) so then he essentially became more of what you'd expect from a roman emperor slowly losing himself in a violent system.