I examined Nero's debasement in the literary sources; the possible reasons for it, the consequences of it, and other details of it. Following, I examined the techniques that have been used over the last 150 years in attempts to discern the exact nature of the debasement, and the problems those techniques have faced. I used one of these problematic techniques (x-ray spectroscopy) to see if I would run into the same problems that the earlier scholars ran into.

The Minoans left an indelible mark on the Aegean during the height of their power in the Bronze Age. Just north of the coast of Minoan populated Crete sits an island called Thera where a port town, named Akrotiri, has been found that bears remarkable compatibility with Minoan culture. In this paper I explore the potential relationship shared between Crete and Akrotiri and conclude that the site of Akrotiri is representative of a snapshot of assimilation in progress.