Bona Dea,
did not exist yet, hence those who wished to go beyond the Tiber had to
pass through to the Pons Sublicius--that is, to pass around the Aventine
through a part of the city covered now with one sea of flame. That was
an impossibility. Vinicius understood that he must return toward
Ustrinum, turn from the Appian Way, cross the river below the city, and
go to the Via Portuensis, which led straight to the Trans-Tiber.

That was not easy because of the increasing disorder on the Appian Way.
At the fountain of Mercury, however, he saw a centurion who was known to
him. This man, at the head of a few tens of soldiers, was defending the
precinct of the temple; he commanded him to follow. Recognizing a
tribune and an Augustian, the centurion did not dare to disobey the
order.

He and his men were followed by curses and a shower of stones; but to
these he gave no heed, caring only to reach freer spaces at the
earliest. Still he advanced with the greatest effort. People who had
encamped would not move, and heaped loud curses on Caesar and the
praetorians. The throng assumed in places a threatening aspect. Thousands
of voices accused Nero of burning the city. He and Poppaea were
threatened with death. Shouts of "Buffoon, actor, matricide!" were heard
round about. Some shouted to drag him to the Tiber; others that Rome had
shown patience enough. It was clear that were a leader found these
threats could be changed into open rebellion which might break out any
moment.

Meanwhile the rage and despair of the crowd turned against the
praetorians, who for another reason could not make their way out of the
crowd: the road was blocked by piles of goods, borne from the fire
previously, boxes, barrels of provisions, furniture the most costly,
vessels, infants' cradles, beds, carts, hand-packs. Here and there they
fought hand-to-hand; but the praetorians conquered the weaponless
multitude easily. After they had ridden with difficulty across the Viae
Latina, Numitia, Ardea, Lavinia, and Ostia, and passed around villas,
gardens, cemeteries, and temples, Vinicius reached at last a village
called Vicus Alexandri, beyond which he crossed the Tiber. There was
more open space at this spot and less smoke. From fugitives, of whom
there was no lack even there, he learned that only certain alleys of the
Trans-Tiber were burning, but that surely nothing could resist the fury
of the conflagration, since people were spreading the fire purposely,