1949 years ago, a terrible fire broke out in Rome.2 photos

On the night of July 18th to 19th, 64 AD, one of the most devastating fires in Rome’s history broke out. The flames began spreading from shops located on the southeast side of the Great Circus. By dawn, a large portion of the city was engulfed in flames. Many magnificent temples, palaces, and public buildings were reduced to ruins; hundreds of citizens lost their lives, and panic gripped the entire city. At that time, rumors began circulating that the fire had been set on orders from Emperor Nero, who intended to “clear” the capital in order to carry out massive reconstruction projects. According to legend, when Nero was informed of the fire, he drove to a safe distance and watched it unfold while wearing a theatrical costume, playing the lyre, and reciting a poem about the fall of Troy. The fire raged for five days. In its wake, four out of Rome’s fourteen districts were completely destroyed, and seven others suffered severe damage. Nero opened his own palaces to those who had lost their homes and took every necessary measure to ensure that the city would not face famine among the survivors. However, the enraged population demanded that those responsible for the disaster be punished. Without hesitation, Nero blamed the newly emerging Christian community in Rome for the incident, thus triggering the first persecutions of Christians within the Roman Empire. Rebuilding the city required enormous funds. The provinces of the empire were forced to pay a special tax, which allowed the capital to be reconstructed relatively quickly. In memory of the fire, Nero ordered the construction of a new palace—the “Golden Palace of Nero”—but it was never completed. To this day, this palace complex remains the largest royal residence ever built in Europe, second only to the “Forbidden City” in China in terms of size.