Nero had become the fifth emperor of Roman Empire in A.D.54. (Augustus – Tiberius – Caligula – Claudius). Nero was one of the most accused Emperors (King or Sultan) in the history. Though there were several examples of murderer Emperors, Sultans and Kings, Nero is the most famous one. He killed his mother who poisoned Claudius to make his son Nero Emperor. According to many scholars, he did it to get rid of his mother authority.
However, Nero is famous because of the Great Fire of Rome.
Nero was an artist Emperor he loved to sing, play lyre and act. He spent a lot of money to build new Imperial Palace and reconstruction of Rome. Treasure had been almost empty because of these expenditures. So he was not favourable emperor during his reign and because of that many of his contemporary historians blamed him.
In the late night of 18 July 64 AD The Great Fire of Rome started in some shops beside the Circus Maximus where did not exist any temple (large stone buildings) or open area moreover the night was windy and as a result flames spread easily. The flames were stopped at the foot of the Esquiline after destroying the north part of Palatine hill where houses and the part of Imperial Palace was existed. It took nine days to take under control the fire. 3 districts were completely destroyed and only 4 of 14 districts were escaped damage.
It had not been known the exact reason of fire. However, the most known possible reason related to Nero. According to Suetonius and Cassius Dio, Nero was the arson (or sent out men to set fire to the city) and the reason of his sabotage was to destroy his own palace in order to rebuild it. Moreover, Nero sang the song and played the lyre during the fire.
On the other hand, Tacitus claimed different scenario that Nero was out of the city in his villa in Antium when the fire started. He came to city when he heard the news and opened his imperial house to citizens. This theory is more popular than the other among modern scholars since there is a distance between the starting point of fire and the place that Nero would later built his palace.
The other neglected theory is, it was set by Christians. (Nero blamed them according to Tacitus)
As a result of the Great Fire, Rome was ready for rebuilding and Nero did not seize this chance. Street were to be made wider, with large open squares, buildings were to be of limited height and use as little wood as possible and to be protected by outer walls of Alban or Gabine stone; Imperial funds paid for porticoes along the facades of the new apartment blocks, so that fire fighters could have swift access to upper floors.
