Research Catalog

Title

Rome is burning : Nero and the fire that ended a dynasty / Anthony A. Barrett.

Author

Barrett, Anthony, 1941-

Publication

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2020]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xii, 347 pages : illustrations, maps; 25 cm.

Summary

"Nero became Emperor in A.D 54. On the evening of July 18, 64 A. D., it seems that a lamp was left unextinguished in a stall still heaped with piles of combustible material. Whether this was accidental or deliberate we cannot now determine, and normally it would not have led to anything that would have attracted even local attention. But there was a gusty wind that night, and the flickering flame was fanned onto the flammable wares. The ensuing fire quickly spread. Before the onlookers could absorb what was happening one of the most catastrophic disasters ever to be endured by Rome was already underway. It was a disaster that brought death and misery to thousands. In Nero and the Great Fire of Rome, Anthony Barrett draws on new textual interpretations and the latest archaeological evidence, to tell the story of this pivotal moment in Rome's history and its lasting significance. Barrett argues that the Great Fire, which destroyed much of the city, changed the course of Roman History. The fire led to the collapse of Nero's regime, and his disorderly exit brought an end to Rome's first imperial dynasty, transforming from thereto, the way that emperors were selected. It also led to the first systematic persecution of the Christians, who were blamed for the blaze. Barrett provides the first comprehensive study of this dramatic event, which remains a fascination of the public imagination, and continues to be a persistent theme in the art and literature of popular culture today."--

Series Statement

Turning points in ancient history

Uniform Title

Turning points in ancient history.

Subject

• Nero, Emperor of Rome, 37-68
• 54-68
• Great Fire, Rome, Italy, 64
• Rome > History > Nero, 54-68
• Italy > Rome
• Rome (Empire)

Genre/Form

History.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

Fires in Ancient Rome -- The Great Fire -- Responsibility -- The Christians and the Great Fire -- The New Rome -- The significance of the Great Fire -- The Great Fire as an enduring cultural phenomenon.

Call Number

JFE 21-1468

ISBN

• 9780691172316
• 0691172315
• 9780691208503 (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

2020017929

OCLC

1151064834

Author

Barrett, Anthony, 1941- author.

Title

Rome is burning : Nero and the fire that ended a dynasty / Anthony A. Barrett.

Publisher

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2020]

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Turning points in ancient history

Turning points in ancient history.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Chronological Term

54-68

Other Form:

Online version: Barrett, Anthony, 1941- Rome is burning Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2020 9780691208503 (DLC) 2020017930

Research Call Number

JFE 21-1468