an outburst of slaughter, which would
begin as soon as the city was turned into ruins. Hundreds of thousands
of slaves, forgetting that Rome, besides temples and walls, possessed
some tens of legions in all parts of the world, appeared merely waiting
for a watchword and a leader. People began to mention the name of
Spartacus, but Spartacus was not alive. Meanwhile citizens assembled,
and armed themselves each with what he could. The most monstrous reports
were current at all the gates. Some declared that Vulcan, commanded
by Jupiter, was destroying the city with fire from beneath the earth;
others that Vesta was taking vengeance for Rubria. People with these
convictions did not care to save anything, but, besieging the temples,
implored mercy of the gods. It was repeated most generally, however,
that Caesar had given command to burn Rome, so as to free himself from
odors which rose from the Subura, and build a new city under the name
of Neronia. Rage seized the populace at thought of this; and if, as
Vinicius believed, a leader had taken advantage of that outburst of
hatred, Nero's hour would have struck whole years before it did.

It was said also that Caesar had gone mad, that he would command
pretorians and gladiators to fall upon the people and make a general
slaughter. Others swore by the gods that wild beasts had been let out
of all the vivaria at Bronzebeard's command. Men had seen on the streets
lions with burning manes, and mad elephants and bisons, trampling down
people in crowds. There was even some truth in this; for in certain
places elephants, at sight of the approaching fire, had burst the
vivaria, and, gaining their freedom, rushed away from the fire in wild
fright, destroying everything before them like a tempest. Public report
estimated at tens of thousands the number of persons who had perished
in the conflagration. In truth a great number had perished. There were
people who, losing all their property, or those dearest their hearts,
threw themselves willingly into the flames, from despair. Others were
suffocated by smoke. In the middle of the city, between the Capitol, on
one side, and the Quirinal, the Viminal, and the Esquiline on the other,
as also between the Palatine and the Caelian Hill, where the streets were
most densely occupied, the fire began in so many places at once
that whole crowds of people, while fleeing in one direction, struck
unexpectedly on a new wall of fire in front of them, and