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All it took to start a fire and, often burn down the entire building, was for someone to have an accident while cooking a meal. Starting in one apartment, the blaze could spread through the insula within a few minutes and then threaten neighboring buildings. This was why there were teams of vigiles, or watchmen, who patrolled the streets of Roman cities. Their primary job was to deal with any sort of trouble—including fights or murders—but they were also the firefighters who dealt with blazing buildings, putting out the fires and rescuing people trapped by the flames. There were 7,000 vigiles in ancient Rome itself. Unfortunately, the vigiles were not always successful. Certainly, they were unable to handle a really big fire, like the huge conflagration that destroyed two-thirds of ancient Rome in CE 64. It started on July 18 in the Circus Maximus, a place of public entertain- ment where chariot races were held, and it burned for more than a week. Ten of Rome’s 14 districts were completely destroyed, as temples, public buildings, and thousands of homes went up in flames. There were terrible scenes as Romans ran out of the city, screaming in panic.

Nero, the Roman Emperor, was not in Rome when the fire started, but 33 miles (53 km) away to the south, at Antium, modern Anzio. He seems to have done his best to help, organizing food supplies and setting up tempo- rary homes. All the same, a rumor spread that he was the one who had set Rome alight. It was said he wanted to build himself a larger palace and thought that Rome was so run-down it deserved to be destroyed. Accord- ing to the gossips, Nero stood on the roof of his palace and “fiddled,” or played, his lyre while Rome burned. No one knows if any of this was true, but after the fire, Nero set about rebuilding Rome as a much more splen- did city, with fine buildings and a grid system of roads.

A Fireman’s Prayer When I am called to duty, God Wherever flames may rage Give me the strength to save some life Whatever be its age Help me embrace a little child Before it is too late Or save an older person from The horror of that fate Enable me to be alert and Hear the weakest shout And quickly and efficiently To put the fire out . . . And if according to Your will I have to lose my life Please bless with Your protecting hand My children and my wife (Anonymous)

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