THE HISTORY

The song "Nero Started the Fire" goes through Roman history from the founding of Rome to the fall. On this page, I have explained this history line by line. I have done my best to be accurate with the names and dates. My sources were A History of Rome: Down to the Reign of Constantine by M. Cary and H. H. Scullard, A Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome by Lesley and Roy Adkins, and Story of the Romans by H. A. Guerber (available for free, along with numerous other classical texts, from the Baldwin Project.)

HISTORY 
The Trojans lost a tragic war, Aeneas found Tiber's shore
The story of the Romans began in Troy, a city on the coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The Greeks captured the city c. 1174 B.C. (read Homer’s account in The Iliad), but Aeneas escaped with his father Anchises on his shoulders and his son Ascanius (aka Iulus) at his side (read Vergil’s account in The Aeneid.) Eventually, Aeneas made his way to Italy and stopped at the mouth of the Tiber River (about halfway up the Italian boot.)

Latium was the land where King Latinus lent a hand.
Aeneas settled in Latium and married Lavinia, the daughter of king Latinus. His descendants ruled over a Latin town named Alba Longa.

Amulius stole the throne, Numitor left his home
A few hundred years later, one of Aeneas’ descendants, Amulius, stole the Alban throne from his brother Numitor, the rightful heir.

Rhea Silvia had twins and claimed that Mars had fathered them.
Numitor had a daughter named Rhea Silvia. Amulius feared a male heir from his brother’s daughter, so he forced her to remain unmarried and serve the gods as a Vestal Virgin. However, she became pregnant and said that the god Mars was the father of her twin sons, Romulus and Remus (read Livy’s account in Ab Urbe Condita.) He attempted to kill the boys by setting them adrift on a small raft, but the attempt failed and they were saved and suckled by a she-wolf on the banks of the Tiber River at the base of the Palatine Hill of what would one day become Rome.
(interlude)

Romulus built a wall, Remus jumped it and they brawled
The two boys helped Numitor regain the throne of Alba and then moved back to the bend in the Tiber River where they had been rescued by the wolf. There they decided to found a city, and on the Palatine hill Romulus built the wall of his new city and called it “Rome” (after himself.) Remus jumped over Romulus' short earthen wall and Romulus killed his brother for the insult

Seven fifty three B.C. Romulus became the king
Romulus, known for his warlike nature, joined with the neighboring Sabines and ruled (at first he shared the throne with the Sabine King Tatius) as the first of the seven kings of Rome from 753-716 B.C. During his reign, Rome covered the Palatine and Capitoline Hills.

Numa followed with his laws, Tullus tore down Alba's walls
Numa Pompilius, known for the introduction of religion and laws to the city, was the second king of Rome, ruling from 715-673 B.C. Tullus Hostilius, known as a warlike and impious king, destroyed neighboring Alba Longa and relocated its population to the Caelian Hill of Rome. He ruled from 674-642 B.C.  According to the tale, Jupiter brought a plague and eventually struck him with lightning for his impiety.

Ancus built Ostia and Tarquin left Etruria.
Ancus Martius (or Marcius) expanded Roman power to the sea and built the port city Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber River. He also built the first bridge, the Pons Sublicius, across the Tiber and added the Aventine Hill to the city. He ruled from 642-617 B.C. Tarquinius Priscus, an Etruscan (Etruria was across the Tiber to the north of Rome), became the 5th king of Rome.  As he immigrated to Rome, an eagle removed his hat from his head and then returned it.  His wife, Tanaquil, took this as a certain sign that he would become the next king of Rome. He fulfilled his wife's prophecy by tricking the sons of Ancus Martius to leave on a hunting expedition while he convinced the people to elect himself as the new king (for which the sons of Ancus eventually had him murdered). He was known for his grand construction projects, including the Circus Maximus, the Cloaca Maxima (with which he drained the Forum Romanum), and the Temple of Jupiter Maximus Capitolinus (begun by him and finished by Tarquinius Superbus.) He ruled from 616-579 B.C.

Nero started the Fire/Yeah, we saw him light it and he didn’t fight it/Nero started the Fire/Then he played a ditty while it burned the city
In 64 A.D. Emperor Nero blamed the Great Fire of Rome on the Christians.  The horrific tortures and martyrdoms that followed now fill many books. Many citizens, however, accused Nero himself of setting the fire to clear the way for his new luxury palace called the Domus Aurea.  While the city burned, Nero supposedly took to the stage and sang about the burning of Troy (i.e. Nero 'fiddled' while Rome burned.) 

Servius was a slave; Superbus: not their 'fave'
Servius Tullius began life as a humble slave, but Tanaquil, after seeing the boy’s head engulfed with mystical flames, decided that she and her husband Tarquin should adopt the lad. He became the 6th king of Rome and divided the citizens into voting and military classes based on wealth qualifications. He also added the Quirinal, Viminal, and Esquiline Hills to the city, enclosing all seven hills with a wall (called the Servian Wall.) He ruled from 578-535 B.C. Tarquinius Superbus was the 7th and final king of Rome. He killed many Senators and confiscated the property those whom he viewed as “threats.” His son, Sextus Tarquinius, offended the Roman citizenry by raping a noble woman named Lucretia. For this offense, he and his family were driven from Rome. He ruled from 534-509 B.C.

Brutus showed he was no fool, in 509 the consuls ruled
Lucius Junius Brutus, who had pretended to be mildly retarded to avoid being killed by Superbus, led the revolt against the king and drove out the Tarquins in 509 B.C. To replace the king, two consuls were elected yearly and the Roman Republic began.  Brutus and Collatinus (the husband of Lucretia) became the first two consuls.

Horatius made his stand, Mucius burned his hand
Tarquin tried to regain his crown with the help of neighboring kings, like Lars Porsena. In one assault, a Roman soldier named Horatius and two companions defended a bridge against an entire army. In another incident, Mucius Scaevola, one of 300 Roman assassins, tried to kill Lars Porsena, the ally of Tarquin. He failed, but when caught, voluntarily burned his right hand to show how serious the Romans were about defending themselves.

Coriolanus marched on Rome but Mom turned him away from home
In 491 B.C. Gaius Marcius Coriolanus, a disgruntled war-hero who been exiled by his fellow Roman citizens, marched on his home town of Rome with Volscian troops. His mother, Veturia, and wife, Virginia, met him on the road to the city and begged him to relent.  He agreed and remained an outcast.

Veientians tricked Fabians, Minucius tricked by Aequians
The Roman clan known as the Fabii believed that they could capture the Etruscan city of Veii with only 300 men. While they were celebrating a religious ritual in a sacred forest grove, the Veientians attacked and killed the unarmed group. In 458 B.C., at Mt. Algidus the Aequians trapped the Roman army under the general Minucius.  The Roman army had little chance of escaping from the narrow valley in which they were enclosed.

Cincinnatus saved the day and forced them under yoke to pay
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus left his farm and mustered a new army to save Minucius. He successfully routed the enemy and forced them to bow beneath the yoke used to join oxen (called a iuga.) From this practice we get the term subjugation (to force someone 'sub-iuga').

Three ninety the Gauls invade, Geese alert them of the raid
Tribes from Gaul (modern France) invaded Italy and defeated the Roman army at the river Allia (390 B.C.). They occupied the city but could not take the citadel on the Capitoline Hill. In one of their assaults, the sacred geese in the temple of Juno alerted the Romans of the night attack, and Manlius (later known as Capitolinus) helped to repel the Gauls.

Brennus told them "Vae, victīs!” Camillus brought him to his knees.
The Romans negotiated a ransom of gold to pay the Gallic leader Brennus. When they complained about unfair measurement of the gold, Brennus told them “Vae, victīs!” (“Woe to the conquered!”) The Gauls left the city with immense amounts of gold, but the formerly exiled Roman general Marcus Furius Camillus caught up with the Gauls, routed them in battle, and retrieved the gold. (Chorus)

Curtius jumped in a hole, Torquatus beat a giant Gaul
A bottomless hole opened in the Roman Forum and, according to the Sibylline prophecies, it would only close when the Romans threw in their most valuable possession. The Roman knight Marcus Curtius recognized that the most valuable possession of Rome was its fighting men, so on horseback he leapt into the hole, which closed up behind him, leaving a swampy marsh dubbed Lacus Curtius (the Curtian Lake) in his honor. In 361 B.C. Titus Manlius accepted the challenge of a giant Gaul and defeated him in single combat. After taking his gold necklace, called a torque, he became known as “Torquatus.”

In 312 Appius constructed a famous road and aqueduct.
Appius Claudius Caecus is best known for starting construction on the Appian Way, a road that eventually stretched all the way to Brundisium, and the Aqua Appia, the first Roman aqueduct.

Pyrrhus fought with elephants, Cineas with eloquence,
The Romans fought against the Greek leader Pyrrhus from 280-275 B.C. Pyrrhus first introduced the Romans to elephant cavalry. His many victories always came with great losses to his own troops, giving us the term “Pyrrhic victory.”

Two hundred sixty four B.C., Carthage fought for Sicily
From 264-241 B.C. the Romans clashed with the Carthaginians in the 1st Punic War. In this war, fought primarily for possession of Sicily, the Romans developed their navy and ultimately prevailed.

Two eighteen brought Hannibal who swore that Rome would finally fall.
Trasimenus and Cannae: 100,000 Romans die.
218-201 B.C. brought the 2nd Punic War to Rome. In this war, fought for the very survival of Rome itself, the Carthaginian general Hannibal proved unbeatable in Italy. The Romans only defeated him under Scipio Africanus after Hannibal had been recalled to Africa to defend Carthage.

Elder Cato's constant quest: “Carthago delenda est!”
Because of the 2nd Punic War, the stern old censor Cato considered the very existence of Carthage an insult to Roman pride.  Therefore he would regularly end even his most trivial speeches in the Senate with the phrase “Carthago delenda est!” (“Carthage must be destroyed!”).

In one four six the goal was met: "Aemilius ends Punic threat!"
The Romans found an excuse to fight the weakened Carthaginians in 149 B.C., and under Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, in 146 B.C. they completely destroyed the city.
(Chorus)

Cornelia showed off her jewels: Gracchi boys fought noble rule
When a friend showed off her fine jewelry to Cornelia Africana, she responded by calling for her two sons, Tiberius and Gaius, and said, “These are my jewels.” These two boys were members of the liberal political party called the populares (rivals of the conservative optimates) and fought for the rights of the plebeians, particularly in the area of land reform. They were assassinated by the Roman nobility (Tiberius in 133 B.C. and Gaius in 121 B.C.)

Marius consul seven times, Sulla's lists stretched to the Rhine
Gaius Marius, known for his reform of the Roman military and defeat of the invading German tribes in 101 B.C, was elected consul an unprecedented seven times. He and Lucius Cornelius Sulla vied for power in Rome after the Social War (from 91-88 B.C. the Latin tribes fought for the right of Roman citizenship.) When Sulla had control of the city, he executed hundreds of knights and senators who had supported Marius. However, he spared Marius’ nephew, Julius Caesar.

Pompey destroyed pirate bands and mastered all the Asian lands.
In a single year (67 B.C.), Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus destroyed the pirates who plagued Italy and the rest of the Mediterranean. In 61 B.C. he returned to Rome in triumph after subduing and creating the eastern provinces (including Pontus, Judea, and Syria.)

Crassus, Caesar, and he met to form the first triumvirate
In 60 B.C., Marcus Licinius Crassus, Gaius Iulius Caesar, and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus formed an alliance called the First Triumvirate (trēs virī = three men). This gave the trio unprecedented political power and allowed Caesar to become governor of Gaul.

Caesar conquered all of Gaul, Vercingetorix and all.
From 58-51 B.C. Caesar waged war on various Gallic tribes, even crossing the English channel at one point and fighting the Gauls in Britannia. The last great battle of this campaign took place at Alesia where Caesar, severely outnumbered, still managed to force the Gallic king Vercingetorix to surrender.

"Alea iacta est," Caesar said the die’s been cast,
The Senate did not like Caesar’s unsanctioned war in Gaul and ordered him to disband his legions and return to Rome. Caesar, fearing prosecution for war crimes, marched into Italy with his legions. When he crossed the Rubicon river January 10th of 49 B.C., he said alea iacta est ("the die has been cast") to show that he was making a risky move, that there was no way of knowing the outcome of the “roll,” and that there was no turning back.

Portia and Calpurnia, Brutus, Cassius, and Casca,
Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, and Servilius Casca were the key conspirators who, fearing Caesar’s ambition, murdered him. Calpurnia and Portia were Caesar and Brutus’ wives, respectively.

Veni vidi vici, he died in 44 B.C.
Caesar used this phrase, meaning “I came, I saw, I conquered,” to emphasize the speed with which he overcame king Pharnaces II at Zela in 47 B.C. The conspirators assassinated Caesar in the theater of Pompey. He received 23 wounds as he attempted to defend himself with his pen, and died having uttered a phrase that has survived into posterity: “Et tū, Brute” (the Greek original may have been kai su teknon.) (Chorus)

Marcus Tullius Cicero thwarted Rome's overthrow
He denounced Catiline and wrote against the Antonines.
Cicero, consul in 63 B.C., discovered a plot to overthrow the government in Rome. He exposed Lucius Sergius Catilina as the head of the conspiracy and drove him out of the city. He supported Pompey in the Civil War and wrote the Philippics severely criticizing Marc Antony; after Caesar defeated Pompey, Antony made sure that Cicero did not survive.

At Actium on the sea Octavian beat Antony
Marc Antony, Julius Caesar’s right-hand man, and Octavian, Caesar’s nephew, eventually broke their alliance and fought a naval battle near Actium (a promontory on the west coast of Greece.) Octavian, with the help of Marcus Agrippa, defeated Antony and his ally, Queen Cleopatra.

In 27 he became a king in everything but name.
Octavian’s victory at Actium in 31 B.C. secured his position as the sole leader of Rome. His authority and position were affirmed by the Senate in 27 B.C., making him the first Roman emperor.

Horace, Vergil, Varius, Ovid, Titus Livius
Maecenas supported them: A Golden Age for Roman pens!
The authors Quintus Horatius Flaccus (known for his Odes, Epodes, and Satires), Publius Vergilius Maro (known for his epic poem the Aeneid), Lucius Varius Rufus, Publius Ovidius Naso (known for his Fasti, Metamorphoses, and Ars Amatoria), and Titus Livius (known for his Ab Urbe Condita) were all supported by the wealthy knight and patron of the arts Gaius Cilnius Maecenas. They are considered Augustan poets. The period in which they wrote is the Golden Age of Roman literature.

Augustus took a city brick and left it under marble thick,
Gaius Iulius Caesar Augustus was Rome’s first emperor (B.C. 27-14 A.D.) He said “marmoream relinquo urbem quam latericiam accepi” (“I am leaving behind a city of marble which I received as a city of brick.”)

Tiberius settled on Capri to satisfy his gluttony.
Tiberius Iulius Caesar Augustus (Emperor 14-37 A.D.) was Rome’s second emperor. He escaped the intrigues of the city and retired to a magnificent palace on the beautiful island of Capri. (Chorus)

Caligula means “little boots”, Claudius spoke like a brute,
Gaius Iulius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Emperor 37-41) became known as “Caligula,” a nickname he received for wearing little army boots (caliga) as a toddler on campaign with his father Germanicus. His insane behavior as emperor resulted in his assassination. Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Emperor 41-54) replaced Caligula as emperor. His speech impediment caused many to consider him an idiot, but he proved an able administrator.

Nero killed Britannicus, Locusta helped accomplish this, 
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Emperor 54-68), the last emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, was a megalomaniac. His fear of rivalry caused him to assassinate his step-brother, Britannicus, with the help of Locusta, famous in Rome for her ability to brew potent poisons.

Agrippina, Seneca, Spain supported Galba,
Agrippina, Nero’s mother, and the philosopher Seneca advised the emperor early in his reign. In his later rule, after murdering his mother and driving Seneca to suicide, he grew wilder until he was forced to flee Rome and was killed after a failed suicide attempt. Servius Sulpicius Galba, supported by troops from Spain, began the year of the four emperors (68-69).

Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian the fourth on the list.
Marcus Salvius Otho and Aulus Vitellius Germanicus followed Galba in quick succession. Titus Flavius Vespasianus (Emperor 69-79) replaced him and successfully began a new dynastic succession.

Dynasty of Flavians: Titus and Domitian
Titus Flavius Vespasianus (Emp. 79-81) was a war hero and favorite of the people. His brother Domitian dedicated the Arch of Titus to commemorate his military victories in the Jewish-Roman war. Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, and Suetonius portray Titus Flavius Domitianus (Emp. 81-96) as a cruel and unpredictable ruler. He was assassinated by members of the Senate.

Colosseum, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Herculaneum,
The Flavians dedicated the Colosseum, known as the Flavian Amphitheater, in 80 A.D. In 79 A.D., Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Nerva was an old man, Trajan beat the Dacians,
Marcus Cocceius Nerva was 65 years old when he became emperor of Rome (Emp. 96-98). He was the first of the Five Good Emperors (as we know them today.) Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus (Emp. 98-117), after inheriting the throne from his adoptive father Nerva, campaigned against the Dacians (in modern Romania) and defeated their king Decebalus. With the wealth he gained from his military campaigns, he began a construction program in Rome and left behind numerous artifacts, including Trajan’s Column. 

Hadrian built a Mole now known as Castle Angelo.
Publius Aelius Hadrianus (Emp. 117-138) built a famous wall marking the northern border of England (Hadrian’s Wall). In Rome, he built the Pantheon, Temple of Venus and Roma, and a Mausoleum/Mole (mole=massive structure of stone) which is now called the Castel Sant’ Angelo. (Chorus)

Antoninus Pius, Faustina a goddess, 
Titus Aurelius Antoninus (Emp. 138-161) persuaded the Senate to deify Hadrian and was given the title “Pius” (“Devout”). When his wife Faustina died, he also persuaded the Senate to make her a goddess. 

Marcus Aurelius was nobler than all the rest. 
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Emp. 161-180) was the last of the Five Good Emperors. He was a wise ruler, known for the Stoic philosophy which he encapsulated in his book called Meditations.

Severan dynasty, Diocletian Tetrarchy, 
Septimius Severus (Emp. 193-211) began a troubled imperial dynasty (including Caracalla, famous for his huge bath complex in Rome, Geta, Macrinus, Elagabalus, and ending with Severus Alexander in 235 A.D.) Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (Emp.284-305) ended the Crisis of the Third Century (50 years of civil war and unrest) and divided power between himself, Maximian Augustus, Galerius, and Constantius (the Tetrarchy).

Split the empire, East and West, Christians placed under arrest
As part of Diocletian’s arrangement of power, two rulers controlled the eastern empire and two rulers controlled the west. He also began the last and bloodiest persecution of Christians in the empire (303-311). 

A sign above the Milvian bridge, Constantine made a pledge
To change the eagle for the cross and then defeat Maxentius
Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (Emp. 306-337) fought against a usurper to the throne named Maxentius. In 312, over the Milvian Bridge  Constantine saw a vision of the cross of Christ and the words 'in hoc signo vinces' (“by this sign you will conquer.”) He also had a dream wherein Christ told him to change the traditional Roman standards for the new labarum with the chi and rho symbols representing Christ (these are the first two Greek letters of “Christ” in Greek.) He did so, defeated Maxentius, and became the first Christian emperor.

Move the Roman Capitol, call it Constantinople,
After defeating Licinius, a rival to the principate, Constantine moved the capitol of the Roman Empire to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople (330).

Julian Apostate sought to end the Christian state. 
Flavius Claudius Julianus (Emp. 360-363) sought to revive the traditional pagan worship of the old empire, for which the Church labeled him “Julian the Apostate.” (Chorus)

West to Valentinian, East to brother Valens, 
Flavius Valentinianus (Emp. 364-375) took control of the western empire and gave the east to his brother Flavius Julius Valens (Emp. 364-378).

Gratian killed by Maximus who stole the empire of the West. 
Magnus Maximus (Emp. 383-388) raised a British revolt against Flavius Gratianus (Emp. 375-383) and drove him from power.

Theosdosius from the East, Maximus killed like a beast, 
Flavius Theodosius (Emp. 379-395) was the last emperor to rule over both halves of the Roman Empire. He defeated Magnus Maximus in 388 and strove to eradicate pagan worship from Rome.

The Goths attack with Alaric, the Vandals under Genseric. 
Alaric, king of the Visigoths, was the first Germanic leader to sack Rome (410). Genseric, king of the Vandals, sacked Rome in 442.

Fifty years of defense, empire suffers impotence, 
After the death of Theodosius in 395, the western empire could not effectively defend itself from invasion. 

Romulus Augustulus, a noble name for such a wuss, 
Romulus Augustulus (Emp. 475-476) was only 14 when he became emperor. He was deposed in the following year. 

Odoacer took his throne, Romans get a tombstone, 
In 476 we end our quest: Good-Bye Empire of the West! 
Flavius Odoacer, a German general, led the revolt that took the throne of Romulus Augustulus. He ruled Italy as a king in the medieval sense of the word and marked the end of the classical Roman Empire. The Eastern Empire, however, continued for nearly 1000 years. (Chorus)