18 July 64 A.D.: The Great Fire of Rome
The Great Fire of Rome: Life and Death in the Ancient City
by Joseph J. Walsh
Pages: 192
Series: Witness to Ancient History
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press (2019)
Recommended for: Rhetoric students/adults
Let's begin by debunking a couple of myths. No, Emperor Nero did not set the fire (he was in Antium, not Rome). No, Nero did not fiddle while Rome burned (Antium, remember?). Nero was certainly one of the nastier characters in the history of ancient Rome, but these are myths that have arisen out of his well-earned dastardly reputation. In fact, in the immediate aftermath of the fire, he really did do some things that were somewhat out of character. He personally got grubby, assisting in efforts to dig out and rescue possible survivors, and he contributed a sizable chunk of his (albeit ill-gotten) personal fortune to help rebuilding efforts. Despite the way Nero is remembered, he did actually have a soft spot for the lower classes.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say the fire turned the tyrant into a benevolent ruler. Not by a long shot. One thing that isn't a myth is that Nero tried very hard to influence public opinion towards laying the blame for the fire on the Christians. The fire proved to be the beginning of the end for Nero; he committed suicide four years later.
What ruined the emperor and caused untold suffering for the cities inhabitants, however, ended up being the making of the city. The city of Rome rose anew from the ashes, reborn, a modern city with a whole new history waiting to be written (the Roman Empire, not so much; let's just say it had more in common with Nero). The book which highlights this post chooses this as its focus. Joseph J. Walsh focuses on the civic disaster aspect in his telling. The reader is introduced to the old Rome, like many towns of its time a tinderbox in the making. Why the city's architecture and planning made it so prone to conflagration and available firefighting methods are discussed. Along the way, readers will learn a fair amount about urban life at the time.
The Great Fire of Rome: The Story of the Most Famous Fire in Roman History
by Charles River Editors
Pages: 38
Publisher: Charles River (2014)
Recommended for: Dialectic students
Thoughts: As with most Charles River offerings, this is a short account of the event that is perfect for slotting into a Dialectic--or even Rhetoric--curriculum. Drawing on the writings of Tacitus and, to a lesser extent, Pliny, this account focuses on Nero and the Christians he set up as the fall guy.