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History Daily

The Great Fire of Rome

History Daily

Airship | Noiser | Wondery

History

4.42.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 July 2023

⏱️ 19 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

July 18, 64 AD. When the Great Fire of Rome reduces two-thirds of the city to ashes, Emperor Nero uses the catastrophe as an excuse to persecute a new religious group: the Christians.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:03.7

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0:06.0

or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at intohistory.com.

0:13.1

This 100% post-consumer content episode of History Daily, originally aired on July 18th, 2022.

0:20.5

It's March 23rd, 59 AD. On a cool, clear night in ancient Rome, a woman stands on a balcony looking

0:36.0

out over the dark city. Agrippina the Younger is the mother of Rome's emperor, Nero,

0:41.3

and she's one of the most powerful people in the Roman Empire. As she stares off into the night,

0:46.9

Agrippina hears some commotion down below. She peers over the balcony and sees a group of

0:52.3

armed centurions aggressively approach the door of her villa. Agrippina immediately recognizes the man

0:58.0

leading the group. It's her son, Nero's brutish enforcer, a former slave, named Anacetus.

1:04.0

Agrippina watches silently as Anacetus and his henchmen overpower her guards.

1:09.2

Barge inside the building. Agrippina slowly turns and walks back inside. She knows exactly why

1:15.3

Anacetus is here. Her son has sent him to kill her. When Nero first became emperor, he was still a

1:22.0

boy. In his youth, Agrippina served as Nero's regent, but now that he's a man, it seems Nero no

1:28.6

longer wants his mother telling him what to do. Agrippina is hardly surprised by her son's actions.

1:34.9

Nero already tried to assassinate her once and failed. Now he sent his slave to finish the job,

1:41.0

but Agrippina is a strong woman. She won't run or hide. She will meet her fate with resolve.

1:47.6

Agrippina can hear the screams of her startled maid servants as the centurions force their way

1:52.4

through the house. Then, her door flies open and the intruder storm inside her bedsheet.

1:58.6

Agrippina coldly surveys the armed centurions who threaten her.

2:02.6

And after a moment, Anacetus enters the room and strides right up to Agrippina,

2:07.4

his expression grim and resolute. Agrippina straightens her back, opens her mouth to speak,

...

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