
The Great Fire of Rome
Life and Death in the Ancient City
Joseph J. Walsh(Author)
Johns Hopkins University Press
Will be published approx. on 26. November 2019
Book
Hardback
192 pages
978-1-4214-3370-7 (ISBN)
Description
A thrilling and momentous account of the Great Fire of Rome and how a modern city arose from its embers.
Peril was everywhere in ancient Rome, but the Great Fire of 64 CE was unlike anything the city had ever experienced. No building, no neighborhood, no person was safe from conflagration. When the fire finally subsided-after burning for nine days straight-vast swaths of Rome were in ruins. The greatest city of the ancient world had endured its greatest blow.
In The Great Fire of Rome, Joseph J. Walsh tells the true story of this deadly episode in Rome's history. He explains why Rome was such a vulnerable tinderbox, outlines the difficulties of life in that exciting and dangerous city, and recounts the fire's aftermath and legacy-a legacy that includes the transformation of much of ancient Rome into a modern city. Situating the fire within the context of other perils that residents of Rome faced, including frequent flooding, pollution, crime, and dangerously shoddy construction, he highlights the firefighting technology of the period and examines the ways in which the city's architecture and planning contributed to the severity of the blaze.
Introducing readers to the grim realities of life in that overwhelming and overwhelmed city while chronicling its later glories, The Great Fire of Rome is grounded in the latest scholarship on fire analysis and forensics. Walsh's multifaceted analysis, balanced insights, and concise, accessible prose make this book a versatile teaching tool. Readers interested in ancient (and modern) Rome, urban life, and civic disasters, among other things, will be fascinated by this book.
Peril was everywhere in ancient Rome, but the Great Fire of 64 CE was unlike anything the city had ever experienced. No building, no neighborhood, no person was safe from conflagration. When the fire finally subsided-after burning for nine days straight-vast swaths of Rome were in ruins. The greatest city of the ancient world had endured its greatest blow.
In The Great Fire of Rome, Joseph J. Walsh tells the true story of this deadly episode in Rome's history. He explains why Rome was such a vulnerable tinderbox, outlines the difficulties of life in that exciting and dangerous city, and recounts the fire's aftermath and legacy-a legacy that includes the transformation of much of ancient Rome into a modern city. Situating the fire within the context of other perils that residents of Rome faced, including frequent flooding, pollution, crime, and dangerously shoddy construction, he highlights the firefighting technology of the period and examines the ways in which the city's architecture and planning contributed to the severity of the blaze.
Introducing readers to the grim realities of life in that overwhelming and overwhelmed city while chronicling its later glories, The Great Fire of Rome is grounded in the latest scholarship on fire analysis and forensics. Walsh's multifaceted analysis, balanced insights, and concise, accessible prose make this book a versatile teaching tool. Readers interested in ancient (and modern) Rome, urban life, and civic disasters, among other things, will be fascinated by this book.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Baltimore, MD
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
4 s/w Abbildungen, 4 Karten
4 Maps; 4 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
340 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4214-3370-7 (9781421433707)
DOI
10.56021/9781421433707
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
11/2019
Johns Hopkins University Press
€17.49
Available for download

Book
11/2019
Johns Hopkins University Press
€25.50
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
Joseph J. Walsh is a professor of classics and history at Loyola University Maryland. He is the author of Were They Wise Men or Kings? The Book of Christmas Questions.6
Content
Acknowledgments
Prologue
I Perils of Life in Rome
II Inferno
III The Day After
IV Neropolis
V Legacy
Appendix A. Sources
Appendix B. Proposed Timeline of the Great Fire
Notes
Suggested Further Reading
Index
Prologue
I Perils of Life in Rome
II Inferno
III The Day After
IV Neropolis
V Legacy
Appendix A. Sources
Appendix B. Proposed Timeline of the Great Fire
Notes
Suggested Further Reading
Index