Great Fire of Rome : Did Nero Watch Rome Burning?
In the year 64 AD, a particularly violent fire devastated most of the city of Rome for more than a week. The magnitude of the disaster gives rise to rumors: the Emperor Nero is designated as the instigator of the great fire. Rumors say Nero fiddled while rome burned.
The Great Fire of Rome : A tragedy of incredible violence
It’s a real national drama that happens when the Roman metropolis is destroyed by the flames. If the magnitude of the Great Fire of Rome justifies the notoriety of this disaster, its posthumous fame is also due to the serious charges brought against the Emperor Nero.
During the night of July 18-19, 64, the warehouses located near the Circus Maximus caught fire for an unknown reason. Fanned by a strong wind, the flames quickly rise towards the Palatine then descend in the districts along the Quirinal, Viminal and Esquiline. Awakened in full sleep, the panicked inhabitants spread through the city in an indescribable rush, each trying to save his life, his family or his property.
The vigilantes, soldiers responsible for preventing and putting out fires, cannot stop the disaster, as the darkness of the night and the disorder of the crowd constitute major obstacles to their work. Far from subsiding, the fire unleashes its rage for seven days and seven nights. Then, when authorities finally believe they have it under control, the flames are reborn in another district. Finally, on the ninth day that lasted the Great Fire, it goes out. Rome is nothing but ruins.
Rome is destroyed
Only four regions, among the 14 in Rome, were spared. The other 10 are completely or partially destroyed. No figures exist on the number of victims. 200,000 Romans, without a doubt, homeless, find themselves on the street. The working-class neighborhoods, with large rental buildings, are among the most affected. Many of the buildings, revered by the Romans because of their age, are nothing but rubble. The works of art, brought back from Greece and the Orient to decorate public places, are irretrievably lost, as are all the manuscripts in public libraries.
The craziest rumors
From the get-go, people were looking for those responsible: the Great Fire of Rome had spread with such rapidity that, for many, it could not be attributed to chance alone. Some say they saw men throw torches against the houses. But very quickly, the Roman people appointed as prime suspect for this spectacular disaster Nero himself. For some, the Emperor, wishing to rebuild his capital from top to bottom, would have found this expeditious means to raze the old districts; for others, it was in order to find inspiration for the composition of his epic, The Sack of Troy, that he would have given the order to burn down his city!
Nero saves his skin
When he learns of the rumors circulating about him, Nero becomes afraid. The crowd needs a scapegoat. Nero realizes that a culprit must be designated in order to fully release him of his responsibility in the Great Fire. Indeed, popular revenge subsides when an official accusation is launched against a small religious sect, the Christians, whose mysterious rites may have displeased the tutelary gods of Rome. About 200 of them are arrested and executed. Their martyrdom becomes a spectacle since, transformed into living torches, they illuminate the festivals offered by Nero to his people…
A pyromaniac Emperor?
No one today can prove with certainty the Emperor's guilt. Rather than designating this or that category of individuals, we must return to the most likely and least spectacular explanation: the fire caught on the oil and wheat reserves contained in the docks and it propagated very quickly because of the wind. As the accident occurred in the middle of summer, the guards remained almost powerless, because they could only access very limited water supplies ...
The fires of Rome
Easy prey for the flames
The city of Rome, with its many wooden buildings and its narrow and crowded alleys, makes the spread of fires particularly fast. The fire, whether accidental or criminal in origin, or in connection with street fighting during civil wars, finds no obstacle and spreads throughout the city.
Many fires
From the beginning of the reign of Augustus (in 27 BC) to the end of the Empire (476 AD), nearly forty disasters ravaged Rome. Four of them are particularly violent: that of 64 and those of 80, 190 and 283 AD. They consume many living quarters as well as temples, monuments and works of art.
