64: Great Fire of Rome

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  Educator Family PreK

  On July 19, 64 CE, a fire started in the enormous Circus Maximus stadium in Rome, now the capital of Italy. When the fire was finally extinguished six days later, 10 of Rome’s 14 districts were burned.

   

  Ancient historians blamed Rome’s infamous emperor, Nero, for the fire. One historian said Nero was playing the fiddle while his city went up in flames. Other historians say Nero wanted to raze the city so he could build a new palace. Nero himself blamed a rebellious new cult—the Christians.

   

  Most modern historians don’t blame Nero for the Great Fire of Rome. Ancient Rome was a city of more than two million people, with thousands living in slums. These slums were filled with poorly constructed wooden apartment buildings. A fire in one apartment could quickly engulf the entire block. 

• Term	Part of Speech	Definition	Encyclopedic Entry
  ancient Rome	Noun	civilization founded on the Mediterranean Sea, lasting from the 8th century BCE to about 476 CE.
  capital	Noun	city where a region's government is located.	Encyclopedic Entry: capital
  Christian	Noun	people and culture focused on the teachings of Jesus and his followers.
  construct	Verb	to build or erect.
  cult	Noun	system of spiritual or political devotion, usually derided by more mainstream organizations.
  destroy	Verb	to ruin or make useless.
  emperor	Noun	ruler of an empire.
  engulf	Verb	to surround or submerge.
  enormous	Adjective	very large.
  extinguish	Verb	to put out a fire or flame.
  fiddle	Verb	to play a stringed instrument, or the stringed instrument itself.
  historian	Noun	person who studies events and ideas of the past.
  infamous	Adjective	having a very bad reputation.
  palace	Noun	large home or mansion, often the home of a leader or dignitary.
  raze	Verb	to destroy completely, especially by tearing down.
  rebel	noun, adjective	person who resists the authority of government.
  slum	Noun	area of a city that is crowded, often lacking basic services such as electricity or sewage, and inhabited by poor people.
  stadium	Noun	large structure, often used for sports or other entertainment events, with a central event area surrounded by raised seats for viewers.
  temple	Noun	building used for worship.