Phaon was an imperial

freedman A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...

and confidant of the Roman emperor

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

. He, with Epaphroditus, Neophytus and

Sporus Sporus (died 69 AD) was a young slave boy whom the Roman emperor Nero had castrated and married during his tour of Greece in 66–67 AD, allegedly in order for him to play the role of his wife, Poppaea Sabina, who had died under uncertain circ ...

, took Nero to his own

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...

in the suburban area of Rome where the emperor would commit suicide subsequently. An

amphorae An amphora (; ; English ) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storage rooms and packages, tied together with rope and delivered by land ...

stamp was found with the inscription ''"Phaontis , Aug(usti) l(iberti) a rat(ionibus)"'', which could mean he was the

rationibus The ''a rationibus'' was the secretary of finance in the Roman Empire and in charge of the imperial treasury, the ''fiscus''. His responsibilities involved monitoring the state's revenues and expenditures and maintaining the accounts of the ''fiscus ...

of Nero. It is unclear if he was a freedman of Nero or of

Domitia Lepida Minor Domitia Lepida (c. 5 BC – AD 54) was a Roman aristocrat, related to the imperial family. She was mother of Valeria Messalina, wife of the Emperor Claudius. Lepida was a beautiful and influential figure. Like her sister, she was also very wealth ...

, whose properties and patronal rights were transferred to Nero after her execution in 54. A ''"L. Domitius Phaion"'' is mentioned in an inscription.

In fiction

Phaon appears in the film ''

Quo Vadis ''Quo vadis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you going?". It is commonly translated, quoting the KJV translation of John 13:36, as "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Peter's fi ...

'' (1951) as an architect of Nero, played by D. A. Clarke-Smith.

Bibliography

References

1st-century births 1st-century Romans 1st-century deaths Emperor's slaves and freedmen Nero {{AncientRome-bio-stub