Assignment 1

Gabby Vega

Around the time of Jesus’s birth, there were many historically significant events taking place in
Rome. Around 64 A.D, a fire broke out for six days and seven nights in Imperial City. This left 70 percent
of the city in ruins. Rumors broke out that the emperor Nero ordered the torching of the city, come to
find out this was true. Tacticus wrote about emperors in his time, mostly Nero. Nero needed a
scapegoat, so he blamed Christian’s for the fire and killed them by torching them or feeding them to
lions. Also, during this time, the Roman government was both changing and evolving caused directly by
the acts of Augustus, originally known as Gaius Octavius. Hundreds of years before Augustus time, the
people of Rome overthrew their kings and established a republic. They wanted a government for the
people. However, after joining with Marc Anthony, Augustus eventually rose to power and became king,
returning Rome to their previous form of government.

These two emperors, Augustus and Nero, featured certain characteristics both similar and
different to each other. Augustus wanted to take back the original government of Rome and become its
sole leader. Nero was an emperor who also wanted to take over cities. They both did whatever it took to
do so, even if it meant betraying their own people, like Nero torching a city and blaming it on Christian’s.
But, Augustus was also very different from Nero. Augustus wanted to improve citizenry and install
discipline with the people of Rome, and his time created years of internal stability. On the other hand
Nero, just wanted to be a ruler, he didn’t want to better his community. That’s why he committed suicide
after the Roman senate declared him “enemy of state.”