Great Fire of Rome

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According to the historian Tacitus, the Great Fire of Rome started on the night of 18 July in the year 64, among the shops clustered around the Circus Maximus.^[1] As many Romans lived in wooden houses without masonry, the fire spread quickly through these areas.^[1] The fire was almost contained after five days before regaining strength.^[2] Suetonius claims the fire burned for six days and seven nights in total.^[3] The fire completely destroyed four of fourteen Roman districts and severely damaged seven.^[4] Also destroyed were Nero's palace, the Temple of Jupiter Stator and the hearth in the Temple of Vesta.^[5]

Contents 1 The fire and Rome's reconstruction 2 A rumor of arson and the persecution of Christians 3 Historical accounts 4 The Great Fire in popular culture 5 References 6 External links 7 Notes

[edit] The fire and Rome's reconstruction

The actual size of the fire is the subject of some debate. According to Tacitus, who was nine years old at the time of the fire, it spread quickly and burnt for five days.^[6] It completely destroyed four of fourteen Roman districts and severely damaged seven.^[6] The only other historian who lived through the period and mentioned the fire is Pliny the Elder who wrote about it in passing.^[7] Other historians who lived through the period (including Josephus, Dio Chrysostom, Plutarch, and Epictetus) make no mention of it. The only other account on the size of fire is an interpolation in a forged Christian letter from Seneca to Paul: "A hundred and thirty-two houses and four blocks have been burnt in six days; the seventh brought a pause".^[8] This account implies less than a tenth of the city was burnt. Rome contained about 1,700 private houses and 47,000 apartment blocks.

It was said by Suetonius and Cassius Dio that Nero sang the "Sack of Ilium" in stage costume while the city burned.^[9] However, Tacitus' account has Nero in Antium at the time of the fire.^[10] Tacitus said that Nero playing his lyre and singing while the city burned was only rumor.^[10] Popular legend remembers Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burned, but this is an anachronism as the instrument was invented a thousand years later.^[11]

According to Tacitus, upon hearing news of the fire, Nero rushed back to Rome to organize a relief effort, which he paid for from his own funds.^[10] After the fire, Nero opened his palaces to provide shelter for the homeless, and arranged for food supplies to be delivered in order to prevent starvation among the survivors.^[10] In the wake of the fire, he made a new urban development plan. Houses after the fire were spaced out, built in brick, and faced by porticos on wide roads.^[12] Nero also built a new palace complex known as the Domus Aurea in an area cleared by the fire.^[13] The size of this complex is debated (from 100 to 300 acres).^[14][15][16] To find the necessary funds for the reconstruction, tributes were imposed on the provinces of the empire.^[17]

[edit] A rumor of arson and the persecution of Christians

It is uncertain who or what actually caused the fire— whether accident or arson. According to Tacitus, some in the population held Nero responsible.^[18] To diffuse blame, Nero targeted the Christians.^[18] Christians confessed to the crime, but it is unknown if these were false confessions induced by torture.^[18] Also, the passage is unclear what the Christians confessed to— whether arson or being Christians. Suetonius and Cassius Dio favor Nero as the arsonist with an insane desire to destroy the city as his motive.^[19] However, major accidentally started fires were common in ancient Rome. In fact, Rome burned again under Vitellius in 69^[20] and under Titus in 80.^[21].

Nero ordered Christians to be thrown to dogs, while others were crucified or burned to serve as lights.^[18]

Tacitus described the event:

Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.^[18]

[edit] Historical accounts

The varying historical accounts of the event come from three secondary sources — Cassius Dio, Suetonius and Tacitus. The primary accounts, which possibly included histories written by Fabius Rusticus, Cluvius Rufus and Pliny the Elder, did not survive. These primary accounts are described as contradictory and gross exaggerations.^[1] At least five separate stories circulated regarding Nero and fire:

• Motivated by a desire to destroy the city, Nero secretly sent out men pretending to be drunk to set fire to the city. Nero watched from his palace on the Palatine Hill singing and playing the lyre.^[22]
• Motivated by an insane whim, Nero quite openly sent out men to set fire to the city. Nero watched from the Tower of Maecenas on the Esquiline Hill singing and playing the lyre.^[23]
• Nero sent out men to set fire to the city. Nero sang and played his lyre from a private stage.^[24]
• The fire was an accident. Nero was in Antium.^[25]
• The fire was caused by Christians.^[26]

[edit] The Great Fire in popular culture

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• The optical disc authoring program Nero Burning ROM is a play on words for the Great Fire, and the logo is an image of the Colosseum in flames. However, this is historically inaccurate as the Colosseum was not built until 70-80 AD.
• The comedy duo of Wayne and Shuster spoofed the affair - Shuster (as the fire chief of Rome) came to Wayne (as Flavius Maximus) with his suspicion of arson. At one point, a fireman reports that the shopping center has caught on fire.
• Italian power metal band White Skull open their 2000 album Public Glory, Secret Agony, a concept album on ancient Rome, with a 2 minute instrumental called "Burn Rome, Burn"
• The Polish death metal band Behemoth's song "Rome 64 C.E" from their latest album The Apostasy is a date reference to the event.
• The American metalcore band Unearth's song "March of the Mutes" refers to the event.
• In David Wishart's historical novel Nero, members of the Roman Senate set the fire to discredit Nero.
• In the 1964 Doctor Who episode, "The Romans," the Doctor accidentally gave Nero the idea of setting the great fire by setting a model of Rome on fire. In the 2008 episode, "The Fires of Pompeii," the Doctor says that he had been to Rome before, and that, "that fire was nothing to do with me!". He then hints that some of the responsibility for it may have been his. Both episodes end with him and his companion watching the cities burn from nearby hillsides.
• The song, "Nero's Decay" on the album On Frail Wings Of Vanity And Wax by Alesana

[edit] References

• Cassius Dio, Roman History, Books 62 (c. 229)
• Suetonius, The Lives of Twelve Caesars, the Life of Nero, 38 (c. 121)
• Tacitus, Annals, XV (c. 117)

[edit] External links

• "Secrets of the dead": PBS series investigates clues that Nero circumvented the Senate by burning Rome
• Tacitus describes the great Fire: (in English)

[edit] Notes