Carrying out repairs to the aqueducts was an ongoing task for the Water Commissioner of Rome. Rome's water system īefore the fire, Rome's water was brought in by nine aqueducts which were not set up with equipment to fight fires. In 22 BCE Augustus funded a fire brigade. By the time of the Great Fire of Rome, there were thousands of Vigiles in the city and they had gone to work trying to stop the flames by pouring buckets of water into buildings, trying to move flammable material from the fire's path, and even demolishing buildings to attempt to make a fire break. The Cohortes Vigiles, run by freedmen, were tasked with guarding Rome at night while the Cohortes Urbanus were tasked with guarding Rome during the day. Vigiles Īfter the fire in AD 6, the Cohortes Vigiles was introduced by Augustus. He was only 8 years old at the time of the fire, but he was able to use public records and reports to write an accurate account. However, much of the work has been lost, including the books covering events after AD 70. His two main works, the Annals and the Histories, covered the history of the empire between AD 14 and AD 96. His exact birth date is unknown, but most sources place it in either AD 56 or 57. Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and historian of the Roman Empire. At the time of the fire Nero may not have been in the city but 35 miles away at his villa in Antium, and possibly returned to the city before the fire was out. After the Great Fire of Rome occurred in July, AD 64, it was rumoured that Nero ordered the fire to clear space for a new palace. His leading adviser, Seneca, was discharged and forced to commit suicide. In 59 AD, encouraged by his mistress Poppaea, Nero murdered his mother. Early in his reign he was heavily advised, but he slowly became more independent. His rule has commonly been associated with impulsiveness and tyranny. Nero was proclaimed emperor in AD 54 at the age of 17. AD 12 which destroyed the Basilica Julia.AD 6, which led to the introduction of the Cohortes Vigiles.Background Previous recorded fires in Rome įires in Rome were common, especially in houses, and fires that had occurred previously in Rome and destroyed parts of major buildings include:

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