SOURCE6 From Caillan Davenport and Shushma Malik, ‘Mythbusting Ancient Rome: The emperor Nero’, The Conversation , September 2016; on the allegation that Nero was responsible for the Great Fire of Rome (64 CE)
But are any of these stories ... of the emperor Nero actually true? ... These tales can be found in our ancient historical sources (all of which were written at least a generation after Nero’s death) but should not be taken at face value. This is because they are reported by sources as rumours, rather than facts ... While most scholars now agree that Nero was not responsible for the ýre, the modern-day rumour mill (as represented by the internet) is loath to exonerate the emperor. There are two reasons usually given for why Nero set ýre to Rome. The ýrst is that he was a mad megalomaniac who burned down the city simply because he could. The second ... is that Nero wanted to rebuild Rome according to his own plans, which included a sumptuous new residence for himself, the ‘Golden House’ ... There is a modern myth that the new palace was built solely for parties and orgies. If we examine our historical accounts closely, the only evidence for Nero the arsonist comes from rumour and hearsay. This is freely admitted by the historian Tacitus: even though Nero was out of Rome when the ýre started ... Our ancient sources are clear about the fact that they are reporting rumours ... Rumours, even if ultimately untrue, helped to deýne the expectations of a good emperor in the minds of the readers.
Reading these sources will enable you to compare different judgements that have been made. You can also use the internet and/or your library to ýnd other relevant secondary sources.
Inquiry steps Step 1: Questioning and researching Write your inquiry question . It could be based on something like the following issues. a. Can we trust a source that does not cite earlier sources to support its claims? b. What is the difference between these sources in relation to the way they judge Nero? c. Would Nero’s behaviour have been worse than other Roman rulers? d. What other views on this issue have been expressed by historians? Research your question. Step 2: Using historical sources
SOURCE7 Emperor Nero
Analyse the sources provided and others that you ýnd. Step 3: Historical perspectives and interpretations Evaluate the arguments in the sources. Step 4: Communicating
What is your answer to your inquiry question? Present your ýndings in a format of your choosing. Support your answer with examples from your research, analysis and evaluation.
TOPIC5 Ancient Rome 175
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