The Roman emperor Nero committed suicide near the villa of his freedman Phaon in June of 68 AD. Between the autumn of 69 AD and the reign of the emperor Domitian, some people appeared and claimed they were Nero. These impostors were known as Pseudo-Nero. Most scholars believe there were either two or three Nero impostors. St. Augustine wrote of the popularity of the belief that Nero would return in his day, which is known as the Nero Redivivus legend. Suetonius writes that imperial edicts were forged in the name of dead Nero. These edicts encouraged his followers and promised that he would soon return to avenge himself on his enemies.