The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-03-18
The Turning OF Rome.


las peculiar interest, we reproduce the mar
Iative OF the historian lacitus concerning
he conHagralon which occurred at Rome
A. d. "a:
There followed Il dreadful disaster
whether iortGitously orr by wicked con'rlv-
4nce of the prince Nero is not determined,
ior both are asserted by historians; but OF al
HE Calamiiies which ever Oeicll this clty
from the rage Of fire, this was the most terri.
Die and severe. 1t broke out in that part OF
The circus which is contiguous To Nouns
'alatinc and Colius, where, by reason Vi
shops in which were kept such goods as iuIh'
IS,Cr aliment to fire, the moment II cohu'chC'
ed 1t acquired strength, and beng acceIeI
ated by the wind, il spread al once through
the whole extent OF tue circus, Tor nellher
were the houses secured by enclosures nor
The temples environed with walls; nor was
there any other obstacle TO intercept It's pro
Lrcss: but the flame, spreading every way
impctuously, invaded lrst the io"cr regions
of the CITY, then mounted TO the higher; then,
nraln ravaging the lower, it baiiied every eff.
,or, to extinguish it by the rapidly OF its
destructive course and from the liability OF
he city to contlagration in consequence of
the narrow and Intricate alleys and the irrcgu-
iarity of the streets in ancient Rome Add to
This the wailngs of terrified women, the IN
tirm condition of the aged, and the helpless.
ness of childhood; such as strOye to provide
tOr themselves and those that laborcd TO ass st
Others-these dragging the feeble, those wait.
ing for them; some hurrying, others !lnger
lng-altOgethcr, created Il scene OF universal
confusion and embarrassment; and, while
they looked back upon the danger in their
rear, they often found themselves bcset before
and on their sides; or if they had escaped
nj an u1ipiDinu IbnSp were
already seized by the devouring flames; even
the parts which they believed remote and eS-
cmpt were found TO be in the same distress,
At last, not knowing what TO shuu or where
10 seek 4 sanctuary, they crowded The streets
and lay along the open feds. Some, from
The loss of their whole substance, even the
means Of their daily sustcnancc; others, from
affection for their relatives, whom they had
not been able to snatch from the iiames-sul-
tered themselves 10 perish in them, lhough
hey had opportunity tor escape Neither
dared any man attempt to check the hre, SO
repeated were the menaces OF many who Tor
1ade TO eXiinguiSh il, and because others
openly threw firchrands with loud dcclara
lions they had one who authorized them
whether they did ii that they might plumber
with the less restraint, or III consequence Of
orders given
Nero, who was al the junCture solOurnlng
1t Antium, did not return to the city I'LL the
ire approached that quarter OF his house
which connected the palace with the gardens
If Mpcenas: nor could it, however be pre-
vented from dcvourng the house and palace,
and everything around. But, for the rellei
Of the people thus destitute and driven from
their dwellings, hc opened the field of Mars
and the monumental edlices erected by Agrip-
pa, and even his own gardens. He likewise
f,ps l,.. lion
Of the folorn multitude and from Ostia and
The neichborIng cities were brought up the
river household nccessaries, and the price Of
grain was reduced to three sestcrces the meas
urc All of which proceedings, though of
popular character, were thrown away, be.
cause rumor had become universally cur
rent that, at the very time when the city was
IN flames Nero, going or the stage OF his
private theatre, sang THE Destruction of
Troy assimilatng the present disaster to
that catastrophe of ancient times.
At length, on the sixth day, the contlagra-
ton was stayed AT the foot Of EsquIlr, by
pulling down an immense number Of build
lngs, SO that All open space, and, - II were,
void air, might check The ravlng element by
breaking the continuity.
But ere the CONSERVATION hud subsidized,
he fire broke out airesh, with no little VIC
lcnce, but in regions more spacious, and
therefore with less destruction OF human life,
but more extensive havoc was made ot the
temples and porticoes dedicated To amusc-
ment.
Nero seemed to aim at the glory OF build
ing a new city, and calling 1t by his own
name; for, Of the fourteen sections into which
Rome is divided, four were still standing en-
tire, three were levelcd with the ground, and
n the seven others there remained only here
and there few remnants of houses, shattered
and half consumed--that dedicated by Servl-
rs Julius to the moon; the temple and great
altar consecrated by Evander, the Arcadian,
10 Hercules whllc present; the chapel vowed
nv Romulus To Jupiter Stator; the palace Of
Numa. with the temple OF Ncsta and in II the
tutelar gods of Rome.
Moreover, the treasurers accumulated by SO
many victories, the beautiful productions Of
Greek artists, ancient writings of authors
celebrated for genius, and Till then preserved
.ntire, were consumed; and though great
was the beauty OF the CITY ID It's renovated
form, the older inhabitants remember ed many
decorations of the ancient which could not bc
replaced in the modern city