Great Fire of Rome

The Great Fire of Rome began on the evening of 18-19 July 64 AD. It started in the merchant shops near a big sports area called the Circus Maximus. The fire burned for a long time—first for six days, then it started again and burned for three more days.

After the fire, almost three quarters of the city of Rome was destroyed. Ten out of the fourteen parts of the city were damaged or gone. This was a very hard time for the people living there.

Some historians, like Tacitus, said that the Emperor Nero tried to blame the Christians for the fire. Others thought that Rome was just too crowded and not ready for such big disasters. Today, many believe that because the city was so crowded, a fire like this was probably going to happen sooner or later.

Background

Fires happened often in Rome, especially in homes. Some big fires in the past had damaged important buildings. For example, a fire in AD 6 led to the creation of a group called the Cohortes Vigiles.

Nero became the Roman emperor in AD 54 when he was just 17 years old. Many people liked him, though some leaders did not. After a big fire in Rome in July AD 64, some people said Nero started the fire, but others think he was away at the time.

Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a writer who told stories about what happened in the Roman Empire. He wrote about the fire many years later, using old records to help him remember.

Rome had groups of people called Vigiles whose job was to watch the city at night and help stop fires. During the big fire, they tried to save the city by pouring water into buildings, moving things away from the fire, and taking down some buildings to stop the fire from spreading further.

Outbreak and progress of fire

The fire started in some shops near the Circus in Rome. Strong winds made the fire spread fast through the narrow streets and close buildings. People ran away to stay safe. The fire burned for six days before it stopped, but it started again and burned for three more days. Big fires can sometimes make their own wind, which might have helped the fire spread farther.

Aftermath

When the fire happened, the Roman leader Nero was not in the city. He returned and helped bring food and find places for people who had to leave their homes. Ten out of Rome’s fourteen parts were damaged by the fire. Some buildings were destroyed, like the Temple of Jupiter Stator, the House of the Vestals, and Nero’s old palace called the Domus Transitoria.

Nero made new rules for rebuilding the city to make it safer and better planned. He built a huge palace called the Domus Aurea to live in. After the fire, some people were unfairly blamed.

Varying historical accounts

See also: Tacitus on Jesus § The passage and its context

There are different stories about what happened during the fire, told by writers like Cassius Dio, Suetonius, and Tacitus. We do not have the original accounts written by people who were there, such as Fabius Rusticus, Marcus Cluvius Rufus, and Pliny the Elder.

Some of the stories say:

• Nero wanted to destroy the city and sent people to start the fire.
• Nero sent people to start the fire and watched from a tower.
• There were rumors that Nero sang during the fire.
• Nero wanted to rebuild the city in his own style.
• Some people blamed the Christians for the fire.
• Others believe the fire started by accident while Nero was away.