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History Daily

The Great Fire of Rome

History Daily

History Daily

History

4.42.5K Ratings

🗓️ 18 July 2025

⏱️ 21 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. This episode originally aired in 2022.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad-free.

0:04.1

Listen with Wondry Plus in the Wondry app.

0:06.0

As a member of NoisorPlus at noisor.com or in Apple Podcasts,

0:10.6

or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at IntoHistory.com. It's March 23, 59 AD. On a cool, clear night in ancient Rome, a woman stands on a balcony looking out over the dark city.

0:34.7

Agrippina the younger is the mother of Rome's emperor, Nero, and she's one of the

0:39.1

most powerful people in the Roman Empire. As she stares off into the night, Agrippina hears some

0:45.0

commotion down below. She peers over the balcony and sees a group of armed centurions, aggressively

0:51.0

approached the door of her villa. Agrippina immediately recognizes the man leading the group.

0:56.0

It's her son Nero's brutish enforcer, a former slave, named Anasetus.

1:01.0

Agrippina watches silently, as Anasetus and his henchmen overpower her guards,

1:06.0

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

1:12.9

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

1:19.9

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

1:26.0

wants his mother telling him what to do.

1:28.6

Agrippina is hardly surprised by her son's actions.

1:31.9

Nero already tried to assassinate her once and failed.

1:35.3

Now he sent his slave to finish the job.

1:38.1

But Agrippina is a strong woman.

1:40.2

She won't run or hide.

1:42.0

She will meet her fate with resolve.

1:44.7

Agrippina can hear the screams of her startled maid servants as the centurions forced their way through the house.

1:50.7

Then, her door flies open, and the intruder's storm inside her bedcham.

...

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