Nero, the Christians and the Great Fire of Rome

It was the night of July 19, 64 AD. when the Great Fire erupted through the roofs of stores near the chariot racing and mass entertainment venue called Circus Maximus. The flames, whipped by a strong wind, quickly engulfed densely populated areas of the city.

After burning uncontrollably for five days, 4 of the 14 Roman districts were set on fire, with seven more severely damaged.

Nero: Playing while Rome burned?

Nero might have been playing a zither while Rome burned, but he wasn’t playing a violin. That’s because violins weren’t invented until around 1550.

Nero, probably the most infamous Roman emperor, was the great-grandson of Caesar Augustus.

When his mother’s husband (also his uncle and Nero’s adoptive father…) was killed with poisoned mushrooms, Nero acceded to the throne.

Like many children in those days, he wanted to be a famous singer and a poet. His talent was poor, but as emperor, the empire doubled as a captive audience.

His mother tried to control Nero, to the point of having sex with him. She tried to murder her by booking her on a ship that was designed to fall apart at sea. Unfortunately, her mother was a good swimmer. After she survived, she had a soldier kill her. This shocked the audience, a bit, but they got over it.

Neropolis

It was no secret that Nero wanted to build a series of palaces that he planned to call Neropolis.

But, the planned location was in the city. To build Neropolis, a third of Rome would have to be demolished. The Senate rejected the idea.

Then, coincidentally, the fire cleared the real estate that Neropolis required.

Despite the obvious benefit, there is still a good chance that Nero did NOT start the fire. Up to a hundred small fires regularly broke out in Rome each day. On top of that, the fire destroyed Nero’s own palace. It also seems that Nero did everything he could to stop the fire…

Nero’s reaction to fire

Accounts of the day say that when Nero learned of the fire, he hurried back from Antium to organize a relief effort, using his own money. He opened his palaces to let in the homeless and had food delivered to the survivors.

Nero also devised a new urban development plan that would make Rome less vulnerable to fire. But, although he laid down rules to ensure a safer reconstruction, he also gave himself a large tract of city property with the intention of building his new palace there.

Fake terror gives poll numbers a boost

People knew of Nero’s plans for Neropolis, and all his efforts to help the city could not counter the rampant rumors that he would help start the fire.

As the poll numbers dropped, Nero’s management realized the need to employ False Flag 101: when something, anything, happens to you, even if it’s accidental, point the finger at your enemy.

Fortunately, there was a strange new cult of religious lunatics on hand. This cult was unpopular because they refused to worship the emperor, denounced possessions, held secret meetings, and always spoke of the destruction of Rome and the end of the world.

Even luckier for Nero, two of the cult’s greatest leaders, Peter and Paul, were currently in town.

Then, Nero spread the word that the Christians had started the Great Fire. The citizens of Rome bought his hook, line and sinker. Peter was crucified (upside down, at his own request) and Paul was beheaded. Hundreds of others in the young cult were fed to lions, or smeared with tar and set on fire to become human streetlights.

Such is the fate of those unexpectedly caught up in a false flag operation.