Anciently, he appeared in fine robes (4)
I believe the answer is:
nero
'anciently he appeared' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.
'in fine robes' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates a hidden word.
'NERO' can be found hidden inside 'fine robes'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for nero that I've seen before include "Matricidal emperor" , "Tyrannical Roman emperor" , "Ancient Roman emperor" , "Roman Emperor notorious for vice and luxury" , "Roman emperor on the fiddle?" .)