The Fatal Fire (5 page)

“A golden palace that will be the wonder of the world. It will bring glory to Rome,” Nero added.

“We refused to let you knock down the streets…”

“But now they've burned down!” Nero giggled madly. “The golden palace can be built!”

“But…” master Tullus began.

“I know! People think that is why I started the fire. But I am here to tell you two things. First, I was in my summer house over in Antium when the fire started – ask my servants! And second, I have spies in the city of Rome, and I know who
really
started the fire!”

Every lord in the senate seemed to gasp at the news. At last master Tullus cried, “So who was it, Emperor?”

SEVEN

Nero's eyes opened wide as if he were afraid of what he was about to say. He licked his greasy lips and began to speak quickly.

“There is a dangerous little group of people who are getting stronger all the time. They want to destroy our palaces and our temples. They want to kill the great Jupiter and all our gods. They are cannibals! They eat flesh and they will happily burn down Rome to ruin us all. They are called Christians, my friends. We must seek them out and destroy them! Every last one. They will be placed on poles and covered in tar, then set alight. They will burn like torches to light up Rome and show the world what we do to rebels. They will be torn apart in the games – I will build a new arena when I build my golden house! They will be crucified by the road sides and they will be stoned in the streets. They shall never defeat Nero and his Roman heroes.” The emperor was screaming now and the lords were starting to cheer his words. “Go out there and find these snakes, these fire raisers, these devils! Kill them all!”

The lords stepped back to let the raging Nero leave.

Mary crept towards the door but the crowd of men in togas blocked her path. Mary found herself looking through a gap between two togas just as the emperor marched past. He had no beard now, but she knew his face.

The last time she had seen it, he had been wearing an eye patch. The last time she had seen him, he had been running from the fire he had started.

Now it was Mary's turn to run. First to warn the Christian leaders, Peter and Paul, before the hunt started. And then to try and save herself.

Mary ran and the words of master Tullus came back to her.

“Rome is a dangerous place, Mary,” the old man had whispered. “A dangerous place…”

She ran as if the Devil himself was after her… She remembered the cruel face of the emperor… Maybe he was.

AFTERWORD

The great fire of Rome started near the arena known as the Circus Maximus on 18 July, AD 64. It burned for five days and ruined large parts of Rome.

Many Romans believed Emperor Nero started it so he could build his palace, known as ‘The Golden House'. (Some say Nero fiddled while Rome burned, but fiddles hadn't been invented. The Romans said he played his lyre.)

Nero blamed the Christians for the fire. For the next 300 years they were hunted down and killed in dozens of cruel ways. The Romans soon captured the Christian leaders, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, who were probably in Rome at the time of the fire, and executed them. But the Christian religion just grew stronger, and lasted far longer than the Roman Empire.

Nero got his Golden House … but by AD 68 the Romans were tired of Nero's cruelty. He was driven from Rome and he stabbed himself to death before they could execute him.

Nero
could
have started the fire – he was mad enough. He used to wander the streets in disguise and attack strangers to rob them.

The Christians
could
have started the fire – some Christians
said
they did it… but they were probably being tortured at the time.

Or the fire
could
have started by accident. Rome had many fires – this one was just the largest. Rome was a dangerous place…