Lucius Domitius Paris

Who was Lucius Domitius Paris?

Paris was a slave of Domitia Lepida who became wealthy enough to buy his freedom from her, adding her praenomen and cognomen to his own name to make his citizen name Lucius Domitius Paris. In return, she influenced him via Atimetus to use his favour with Nero himself to convince him of her fabrication that his mother Agrippina was plotting to depose him.

However, Paris stood so high in the theatre-loving Nero's favour that, even when the plot failed, he alone among the conspirators was not punished and was even declared freeborn by the emperor soon afterwards, forcing Domitia to hand back the sum she had accepted to free him. However Nero later saw Paris as a rival actor to himself, and in 67 AD, displeased that Paris had refused to teach him mime, Nero had him put to death.