ROM A N E M P I R E. 



413 



Jtaaan city, it extended with astonishing rapidity to the higher 

 r - parts. All attempts to stop the progress of the flames 

 * ~1~~ ' were prevrnted by persons that seemed stationed on 

 purpose, and the.-e same persons were seen to throw 

 lighted firebrands into the houses, and did not scruple 

 to declare that they had authority for doing so. Alter 

 raging six days, the progress of the conflagration was 

 at last stopped at the foot of the Esquiline Mount, by 

 pulling down n number of buildings. Nero, who was at 

 Antiurn during the fire, is said to have mounted his pri- 

 vate stage, and to have sung the destruction of Troy on 

 account of its supposed resemblance to the present 

 calamity. When he heard, however, that the flames 

 were approaching his palace, he came to Rome, but 

 just in time to witness the destruction of the palace. 

 Nero appeared to feel some compassion for the poor 

 Romans whom this desolation had left houseless and 

 distressed. He laid open the field of Mars, and even 

 his own gardens to receive them. He ordered tents 

 to be erected ; he lowered the price of corn, and had all 

 sorts of furniture and necessaries brought from Ostea. 



While provision was thus making for the forlorn 

 populace, another conflagration broke out ; but it was 

 chiefly confined to the spacious part of the town oc- 

 cupied by public buildings and ornaments, and there- 

 fore did not occasion such distress to the inhabitants. 

 Only four out of the fourteen quarters of Rome re- 

 mained entire. Among the public buildings which 

 perished was the temple dedicated to the Moon by 

 Servius Tullius, the temple and altar which Evander 

 erected in honour of Hercules; the chapel to Jupiter 

 Stator, built by Romulus ; the Court of Numa, and 

 the Temple of Vesta. Along with these superb mo- 

 numents of antiquity, there were destroyed many of 

 the treasures acquired in war, the finest paintings and 

 sculptures of Greece, and the writings of many illus- 

 trious authors. 



After the destruction of the city, Nero's first care 

 Nero's was to provide for his own accommodation. Severus 

 poWen pa- an d Cekr designed a palace of huge dimensions, which, 

 **<* according to Pliny, extended quite round the city. 



It embraced within its circle hills, wildernesses, lakes, 

 forests stocked with wild beasts, green and spacious 

 fields. The galleries consisting of three rows of lofty 

 columns, were each a mile long, and at the entrance 

 of the palace was a colossal statue of Nero 120 feet 

 high. The walls of the palace were covered with gold, 

 and it was roofed with the same metal, from which it 

 got the name 'of the Golden House; and the interior 

 was adorned with a profusion of golden ornaments, 

 precious stones, and mother of pearl. The wood work 

 was inlaid with gold and ivory, and the dome of one 

 of the banqueting rooms had a diurnal motion like the 

 heavens. Having found Nero enter so warmly into 

 C anal from the projected palace, Severus and Celer proposed to 

 lake Aver- n j m to CU a cana l f rO m the Lake Avernus to the 

 mouth of the Tiber ICO miles long and ten broad, that 

 two galleys of five banks of oars might pass abreast. 

 Nero entered keenly into the project, which had the 

 merit of being useful, as it opened a free communica- 

 tion between Rome and Campania. Convicts from 

 all parts of Italy were collected, and incredible sums 

 expended on the work ; but the labour of cutting 

 through the hard rocks and steep mountains which 

 intervened rendered it necessary to abandon the un- 

 dertaking. 



In rebuilding the city, a regular pLn seem* to h*ve 

 adopted. The streets were straight and spacious, 

 and regularly disposed; the I.- i J.t <>t the house* was 

 fixed at about seventy fctt, the < ourts were enlarged, 

 and Nero, at his own cost, added large porticos to the 

 great houses which stood by themselves. In order to 

 prevent fire, the houses were raited to a certain height 

 without wood ; they were arched with props of stone; 

 the common springs were not allowed to be diverted for 

 private use ; no mutual walls were allowed, and every 

 citizen was compelled to have a machine for extin- 

 guishing fires. 



After the city was burnt, Nero attempted to cast the 

 blame on the Christians, who had begun to increase 

 rapidly in Rome ; and he thus excited against them a 

 dreadful persecution, of which we have given an ac- 

 count in another part of our work.* The cruelties 

 which Nero exercised against the Christians were soon 

 extended to all ranks of the community. These atro- 

 cities took* their rise in a conspiracy which was organ- 

 ised by Piso, a man of great integrity and influence, 

 and which seems to have embraced some of the leading 

 men in the state. Through the rash zeal of a woman, 

 named Kpicharis, the plot to which he was a party was 

 allowed to transpire. Confessions were extorted from 

 some of the inferior agents; but Epicharis could not 

 be brought, either by scourging or burning, to disclose 

 a single name. In consequence, however, of the infor- 

 mation which was obtained, Piso, Vestinus the consul, 

 Lateranus, Fennius Rufus, Subrius Flavius, and Sulpu 

 cius Asper, with many other persons of distinction, suf- 

 fered death. Seneca, who had retired into private life, 

 and his nephew Lucan the poet, were also accomplices, 

 and fell victims to their hatred of Nero. The suspi- 

 cions of Nero fell upon persons of all ranks, and in 

 all parts of the neighbourhood of Rome; am 1 everyday 

 groupes of victims were dragged to the palace, to re- 

 ceive their sentence from the tyrant himself; who, ac- 

 companied by his favourite and profligate minister Ti- 

 gellinus, presided personally at the torture. The pro- 

 vinces did not escape from these scenes of cruelty ; and 

 the governors seem to have tlone homage to the impe- 

 rial tyrant, by an imitation of his atrocities. The cruel- 

 ties exercised in Judea by Florus, a bloody and avari- 

 cious ruler, excited a revolt among the Jews, which set 

 an example that was speedily followed. 



His general Corbulo, who had carried on a successful 

 war against the Parthians, during the greater part of 

 Nero's reign, and who finally subjugated that people, 

 fell a sacrifice to the cruelty of Nero; and his empress 

 Poppsea, whom he kicked in her pregnancy, miscar- 

 ried and died by the blow. 



The detestation which these actions excited, prepar- 

 ed the public mind for the overthrow of Nero's power. 

 Julius Vindex, who commanded the Roman legions in 

 Gaul, impelled only by his hatred of tyranny, openly 

 raised the standard of revolt; and when he heard that 

 Nero had offered a reward of ten millions of sesterces 

 for his head, he boldly replied, " Whoever brings me 

 Nero's head shall have the possession of mine." This 

 daring and disinterested leader proclaimed Sergius 

 Galba emperor. Galba, venerable by his age, and 

 pre-eminent for wisdom and courage, was then gover- 

 nor of Spain; and though he was at first unwilling to 

 occupy such a dangerous elevation, yet he was induced 

 to join his forces with those of Vindex. 



Rebuilding 

 of Home. 



Ft 



taoo of the 

 Christian*. 



fptre* 

 againtt 

 Nero, 

 A.D. Ci. 



Revolt of 

 Vindex and 

 Galba- 



Sec F.ccitsiASTiCAL HISTOBT, Vol. VIII. p. 305. 



