Emperor Nero, often remembered for his madness and tyranny, is closely associated with the Great Fire of Rome, one of history’s most notorious disasters. Contrary to popular belief, Nero wasn’t responsible for starting this catastrophic fire. He didn’t give the order, nor did he infamously play the fiddle (or lyre) as Rome was engulfed in flames.
Despite his innocence in causing the fire, Nero seized the opportunity it presented. In the fire’s aftermath, he launched ambitious construction projects, including the lavish Domus Aurea palace. This extravagant rebuilding, rising from the charred remains of the city, sparked fury among his political adversaries, notably the Roman Senate. After Nero’s suicide in 68 CE, these senators, many of whom were historians, leveraged the Great Fire to further sully Nero’s legacy, ensuring his infamy would endure through the ages.
The Great Fire burn Rome to Ash
The Great Fire of Rome, a catastrophic event in the city’s history, occurred during the tenth year of Emperor Nero’s reign. On the night of July 18, 64 CE, the fire ignited in Rome’s eleventh district, home to the Circus Maximus, the renowned chariot-racing arena. Historian Tacitus, our most reliable source, reports that the fire started in shops near the arena. Fueled by strong winds and the dry summer season, the flames spread rapidly.
This disastrous fire burned for six days and seven nights, devastating ten out of Rome’s fourteen districts. It caused immense loss, claiming hundreds of lives, rendering thousands homeless, and leaving two-thirds of the city in ashes. The Great Fire of Rome stands as a grim chapter in the ancient city’s storied past.
Blames on Nero
Nero’s adversaries seized the Great Fire of Rome as a means to discredit him. They accused him of either orchestrating the fire or failing to address it, and of being indifferent to the victims’ suffering. The most dramatic claim suggested that Nero, safe in his palace, played the lyre and sang about Troy’s fall as Rome burned, drawing parallels with ancient tragedies. However, this vivid story, appealing as it is for its dramatic imagery, is likely more myth than fact, a product of the era’s political intrigues and storytelling.
Nero’s Responsibility
Contrary to popular belief, Emperor Nero wasn’t even in Rome when the Great Fire started; this is confirmed by the credible historian Tacitus. At the time, the 26-year-old emperor was at his seaside villa in Antium (now Anzio), about 50 km (31 miles) away from the capital. Learning of the disaster, Nero rushed back to Rome and took an active role in leading the relief efforts. This response is hardly what one would expect from someone responsible for starting the fire. His actions suggest a leader concerned with the welfare of his city, rather than the villain he’s often portrayed as.
Support the People
Emperor Nero’s response to the Great Fire of Rome showcased a level of compassion and leadership that often goes unrecognized. As Tacitus records, Nero provided substantial aid to the victims. He opened up public spaces like the Campus Martius and various public buildings to shelter those who had lost their homes, even allowing them to use his own private gardens.
In the wake of the inferno, Nero didn’t just stop at immediate relief; he implemented measures to rebuild and rejuvenate Rome. He offered financial incentives to accelerate the city’s recovery. Furthermore, Nero introduced and enforced new fire safety regulations, a significant move considering the frequency of fires in Rome at the time. With no less than six fires recorded in the first half of the 1st century alone, the 64 CE fire was the most devastating. Nero’s actions following this tragedy played a pivotal role in safeguarding Rome against similar future disasters.
Great Rebuilt
Despite Nero’s considerable efforts in the aftermath of the Great Fire of Rome, many still pointed fingers at him, suspecting he was responsible for the blaze. His ambitious construction projects in the fire’s wake did little to dispel these rumors. The most extravagant of these projects was the Domus Aurea, or “Golden House.” This majestic palace, erected on the land ravaged by the fire, was not just a residence but a sprawling complex of buildings set amid beautifully landscaped gardens, orchards, vineyards, and even an artificial lake. The interiors were lavishly adorned with gold, precious stones, and gems.
This opulence provided the perfect ammunition for the senators, Nero’s political adversaries, to further their agenda against him. They used the grandeur of the Domus Aurea to undermine Nero, painting him as self-indulgent and extravagant. However, recent findings challenge this narrative, suggesting that the Domus Aurea was not a private luxury, but a public space open to Rome’s citizens. This aligns with Nero’s popularity among the common people, indicating that his legacy might be more complex than the image of a tyrant burning his city.
Christianity Accusing
In an effort to quell the rumors and avoid unrest, Nero felt compelled to identify a culprit for the devastating Great Fire of Rome. He turned his attention to a relatively new and unpopular religious group seen as troublemakers by the Roman establishment – the Christians. Tacitus recounts that, under Nero’s orders, Christians were subjected to brutal persecution: crucifixions, being thrown to beasts, or even burned alive as human torches to light up the night.
However, the historical accuracy of Tacitus’ account is debatable. It appears that the extent of Nero’s persecution of the Christians might have been exaggerated by early Christian historians. They were writing in a later era under the reign of Constantine the Great and his successors, where Christianity had gained favor. In this context, Nero, a pagan emperor, was an easy target for vilification. This suggests that while Nero did target Christians, the scale and nature of the persecution may have been amplified by those who wrote history with their own biases.
Nero Demonized with the Fire
The Great Fire of Rome, likely an accident, presented a prime opportunity for Emperor Nero’s many adversaries. His ambitious reconstruction, including the lavish Domus Aurea, built amidst the still-warm ruins, fueled his rivals’ efforts to undermine his rule. This ultimately contributed to Nero’s downfall and subsequent suicide.
Following the turmoil of a bloody civil war, the newly established Flavian dynasty used the Great Fire to further disparage Nero and the preceding Julio-Claudian dynasty. Historians like Suetonius and Cassius Dio, writing under the Flavians, played a significant role in shaping Nero’s legacy. Their accounts cast him as a tyrant and arsonist, a narrative that only intensified under Christian rule. As Christianity grew dominant in the Roman Empire, Nero’s persecution of Christians added another layer to his infamy, transforming him into a figure akin to the Antichrist.
This situation underscores a timeless truth: history is often written by the victors. Nero, despite being the most powerful man in the Roman Empire, ultimately fell to the entrenched senatorial elite. His defeat extended beyond his lifetime, with his reputation continually tarnished by the narratives of successive rulers and religious shifts. Over time, Nero’s image was transformed into that of a tyrant, murderer, Antichrist, and the alleged mastermind behind the Great Fire of Rome.
