Nero’s Rome Burns

This series has nine easy 5 minute installments. This first installment: The Fire Begins.

Introduction
The dynasty which began so gloriously under Julius and Augustus Caesar ended ignominiously with Nero. While Rome did in fact accomplish great things during his reign, Nero frittered away his time in debauchery and frivolity. Blaming the fire of 64 AD on the Christians passed the lines of credibility and honor.

For this topic, we make an exception to our normal rule of excluding works of fiction because Sienkiewicz’s story is so famous and so well researched.

The selections are from:

• Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz published in 1896.
• Annals by Tacitus published in .

For works benefiting from the latest research see the “More information” section at the bottom of these pages.

There’s 7 installments by Henryk Sienkiewicz and 2 installments by Tacitus.

We begin with Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916). He was a Nobel Prize winning writer of historical fiction.

Time: 64 AD
Place: Rome

The fire began at the Circus Maximus, in that section which touches the Palatine and Caelian hill; it rushed on with inconceivable rapidity and fastened upon the whole center of Rome. Since the time of Brennus never had the city witnessed such an awful catastrophe.

A freedman of Caesar’s, Phaon by name, ran panting into Nero’s presence, shrieking: “Rome is in flames! the conflagration is great.”

All Caesar’s guests arose from their recumbent attitude. “Ye gods! I shall see a burning city; now can I finish the Troyade,” exclaimed Nero, placing his lute aside. “If I go at once, can I view the fire?”

“My lord, the whole city is as a sea of flame; the smoke is suffocatingly heavy and is destroying the people. The inhabitants faint away or rashly cast themselves into the fire, maddened with terror. All Rome perishes.” And Nero raised his hands and cried, “Woe, woe to thee, thou sacred city of Priam!”

Fires were frequent enough in Rome; during these conflagrations violence and robbery were rampant, particularly so in those sections of the city inhabited by needy half-barbarian peoples, a folk comprising rabble from every part of the world. The fear of servile rebellion was like a nightmare, which had stifled Rome for many years. It was believed that hundreds of thousands of those people were thinking of the times of Spartacus, and merely waiting for a favorable moment to seize arms against their oppressors and Rome. Now the moment had come! Perhaps war and slaughter were raging in the city together with fire.

It was possible even that the praetorians had hurled themselves on the city and were slaughtering at command of Caesar. And that moment the hair rose on Vinicius’ head from terror. He recalled all the conversations about burning cities which for some time had been repeated at Caesar’s court with wonderful persistence; well he recalled Caesar’s complaints that he was forced to describe a burning city without having seen an actual fire; his contemptuous answer to Tigellinus, who offered to burn Antium or an artificial wooden city; finally, his complaints against Rome, and the pestilential alleys of the Subura.

Yes; truly Caesar has commanded the burning of the city! Only he could give such a command, as Tigellinus alone could accomplish it. But if Rome is burning at command of Caesar, who can be sure that the population will not be slaughtered at his command? The monster is capable of just such a deed. Conflagration, a servile revolt, and slaughter! What a horrible chaos, what a letting loose of destructive elements and horrid, universal frenzy!

The night had paled long since, the dawn had passed into light, and on all the nearer summits golden, rosy gleams were shining, which might come either from burning Rome or the rising daylight. Vinicius ran to the hill, the summit was reached, and then a terrible sight struck his eyes.

All the lower region was covered with smoke, forming, as it were, one gigantic cloud lying close to the earth. In this cloud towns, aqueducts, villas, trees, disappeared; but farther beyond this gray, ghastly plain the city was burning on the hills. The conflagration had not the form of a pillar of fire, as happens when a single building is burning, even when of the greatest size. That was a long belt, rather, shaped like the belt of dawn. Above this belt rose a wave of smoke, in places entirely black, in places looking rose-colored, in places like blood, in places turning in on itself, in some places inflated, in others squeezed and squirming, like a serpent which is unwinding and extending.

That monstrous wave seemed at times to cover even the belt of fire, which became then as narrow as a ribbon; but later this ribbon illuminated the smoke from beneath, changing its lower rolls into waves of flame. The two extended from one side of the sky to the other, hiding its lower part, as at times a stretch of forest hides the horizon. The Sabine hills were not visible in the least.

It seemed at the first glance of the eye that not only the city was burning, but the whole world, and that no living being could save itself from that ocean of flame and smoke. The wind blew with increasing strength from the region of the fire, bringing the smell of burnt things and of smoke, which began to hide even nearer objects. Clear daylight had come, and the sun lighted up the summits surrounding the Alban Lake.

But the bright golden rays of the morning appeared reddish and sickly through the haze. Vinicius, while descending toward Albanum, entered smoke which was denser, less and less transparent. The town itself was buried in it thoroughly. The alarmed citizens had moved out to the street. It was a terror to think of what might be in Rome, when it was difficult to breathe in Albanum.

He met increasing numbers of people, who had deserted the city and were going to the Alban hills; they had escaped the fire and wished to go beyond the line of smoke. Before he had reached Ustrinum he had to slacken his pace because of the throng. Besides pedestrians with bundles on their backs he met horses with packs, mules and vehicles laden with effects, and finally litters in which slaves were bearing the wealthier citizens. The town of Ustrinum was so thronged with fugitives from Rome that it was difficult to push through the crowd. On the market square, under temple porticos, and on the streets were swarms of fugitives.

Here and there people were erecting tents under which whole families were to find shelter. Others settled down under the naked sky, shouting, calling on the gods, or cursing the Fates. In the general terror it was difficult to inquire about anything. New crowds of men, women, and children arrived from the direction of Rome every moment; these increased the disorder and outcry. Some, gone astray in the throng, sought desperately those whom they had lost; others fought for a camping place.

Tacitus begins here.

More information here and here and below.

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