It was July 18th, 64 A.D. In the night a fire broke out in the merchant area of the city of Rome. The summer winds fanned the fire, and allowed it to spread quickly to the dry, wooden structures of the Imperial City. For six days and seven nights the conflagration scarred Rome. Seventy percent of the city was left in smoldering ruin. Rumors arose of Nero ordering the torching of Rome, and these accused him of standing on the Palatine Hill and watching, playing his lyre, as Rome burned. These have never been proven true, but Nero did look for scapegoat, and found one in the Christians in the city, who he had fed to the lions.
From these ruins of Rome rose a more spectacular Rome, with marble, stone, wide streets, pedestrian arcades, and ample water supply for any future fires. Also, much of the debri was used to fill in marshes around Rome that had plagued the city with malaria for generations.
Picture: http://www.30giorni.it/foto/1098263943630.jpg
