Changes

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, 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 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.

For more information see: [[Nero]]

For more information see: [[Nero]]

[[category:Ancient Rome]]

[[category:Ancient Rome]]