This Week: Rome burns to the ground, but did Nero really fiddle?

Posted by Robin Fowler Jul 16, 2006

July 18, 390 B.C. - The Battle of Allia began on this date. It was a battle fought during the first invasion of Italy by the Gauls (who occupied modern-day northern Italy, France Belgium, western Switzerland, the Netherlands, and parts of Germany). The Allia River is a stream that flows into the Tiber River of Rome, and Rome's defeat here led to the Gallic sack of Rome in 387 B.C.

July 18, 64 A.D. - The Great Fire of Rome erupted on the evening of this date, somewhere near the Circus Maximus. Because Roman insulae (apartment buildings) were constructed mostly of wood (and were highly flammable), the fire spread quickly, raged for over a week, and caused widespread destruction. 2/3 of Rome became tinder.

Though the rumor still persists that Emperor Nero "fiddled" happily while Rome burned, it is unlikely that he actually did. The rumor that he did so, along with the rumor that he started the blaze was likely as a result of his massive unpopularity. After the fire, Nero played a key role in rebuilding Rome, and even established fire codes. How the fire started and who started it is still not known.