| − | The '''Great Fire of Rome''' was a massive [[fire]] which started on July 19, 64AD. The fire destroyed the [[Circus Maximus]] as well as a large portion of the city. Rumors that the [[Roman Emperor]] at the time, [[Nero]], started the fire himself and fiddled as the city burned are unsubstantiated, but were spreading across the populace. Nero found a [[scapegoat]] to blame. | + | The '''Great Fire of Rome''' was a massive [[fire]] which started on July 19, A.D. 64. The fire destroyed the [[Circus Maximus]] as well as a large portion of the city. Rumors that the [[Roman Emperor]] at the time, [[Nero]], started the fire himself and fiddled as the city burned are unsubstantiated, but were spreading across the populace. Nero found a [[scapegoat]] to blame. |
| − | The Great Fire became the catalyst for the first wave of state sponsored persecution of [[Christians]] in the Roman Empire when Nero claimed that local Christians started it. It was the first widespread recorded persecution of Christians. According to the Roman historian [[Tacitus]], apart from being killed in the arena, their bodies were also used as lamps to help light the city at night. | + | The Great Fire became the catalyst for the first wave of state sponsored persecution of [[Christians]] in the Roman Empire when Nero claimed that local Christians started it. According to the Roman historian [[Tacitus]], apart from being killed in the arena, their bodies were also used as lamps to help light the city at night. |