Great Fire of Rome



The Magnum Incendium Romae, or Great Fire of Rome, occurred in 64. According to Tacitus, the fire lasted for five and a half days and spread quickly throughout the city. There were fourteen districts in Rome, and of these, four were not burned, three were entirely destroyed, and seven were seriously damaged. After the fire, the emperor Nero developed a new plan for the city, completely revamping the urban plan it had had. Houses and roads were changed and Nero built a new palace in an area that the fire had cleared called the Domus Aurea. In order to pay for these things, the provinces of the empire were taxed greatly.