David Woods: ‘Two Misunderstood Visual Puns in Public Protests Against Nero in A.D. 68 (Suet. Nero 45.2)’ C&M 72 (2023) 289-303. TWO MISUNDERSTOOD VISUAL PUNS IN PUBLIC PROTESTS AGAINST NERO IN A.D. 68 (SUET. NERO 45.2) By David Woods Summary: Suetonius records a short list of four different examples of public protest against Nero at Rome during early A.D. 68 (Nero 45.2). One allegedly involved the adorn- ment of a statue of Nero with an inscription and a lock of hair (cirrus), the other the adornment of his statue with an inscription and a leathern canteen (ascopa). It is argued here that the true significance of these two protests has been lost because the key terms used to describe the objects placed on the statues were altered during the transmission of the accounts of these events resulting in the obscuring of the puns that had been central to their understanding. Introduction Suetonius opens the section of his biography of the emperor Nero de- voted to that emperor’s deposition and death (Nero 40-50) with a the- matic sub-section describing the omens that had allegedly foretold his deposition and death (Nero 40.2-3). He then begins his narrative with an account of Nero’s reaction to the revolt of Julius Vindex, the governor of Gallia Lugdunensis (Nero 40.3-41). He next describes Nero’s reaction to the news that Servius Sulpicius Galba, the governor of Hispania Tarra- conensis, had also revolted against him (Nero 42-44). He concludes this account with a description of the new exactions imposed by Nero upon the inhabitants of Rome as he strove to collect funds to pay for a military expedition against Gaul (Nero 44.2). These exactions provoked resent- ment against him which was increased both by his apparent profiteering at a time of grain shortage and by the arrival of a ship from Alexandria which was full of sand for the court wrestlers rather than grain (Nero