File:History of Nero (1881) (14586334218).jpg

Identifier: historyofnero00abbo (find matches)
Title: History of Nero
Year: 1881 (1880s)
Authors: Abbott, Jacob, 1803-1879
Subjects: Nero, Emperor of Rome, 37-68 Emperors
Publisher: New York : Harper
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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of malicious gratification at anytiling that would terrify and torment the mis-erable subjects of his power. When he cameto Kome from Antium at the time that theconflagration was at its height, he found thewhole city a scene of indescribable terrorand distress. Thousands of the people hadbeen burned to death or crushed beneath theruins of the fallen houses. The streets werefilled with piles of goods and furniture burntand broken. Multitudes of men, though near-ly exhausted with fatigue, were desperatelytoiling on, in hopeless endeavors to extinguislithe flames, or to save some small remnant oftheir property,—and distracted mothers, wildand haggard from terror and despair, wereroaming to and fro, seeking their children,—Bome moaning in anguish, and some piercingthe air with loud and frantic outcries. (Nerowas entertained by the scene as if it had beena great dramatic spectacle. He went to oneof the theaters, and taking h*.s place upon thestage he amused himself there with singing
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i?i..i:y:::Ji;;;;iliiP5 A..D. 64.) ExTKEME Depravity. 227 He celebrates the occasion by a song. and playing a celebrated composition on the subject of the burning of Troy. At least it was said and generally believed in the city that he did so, and the minds of tho people were excited against the inhuman monster to the highest pitch of indignation. In fact, Nero seems to have thought at last that he had gone too far, and he began to make efforts in earnest to relieve the people from some portion of their distress. He caused great numbers of tents to be erected in the parade-ground for temporary shelter, and brought fresh supplies of corn into the city to save the people from famine. These measures of mercy, however, came too late to retrieve his character. The people attributed the miseries of this dreadful calamity to his desperate ma-liciousness, and he became the object of universal execration. 228 Keko. (A.D. 65. Origin and nature of Pisos conspiracy. Chaptek X. PiSOS Coi^TSPIRACr. A LTHOUGH th

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