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♪♪
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Narrator: ancient rome...
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Home to a breathtaking
Lost palace --
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The domus aurea.
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This magnificent building is
The vision of a cruel emperor,
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Nero.
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Does he start
The great fire of rome
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To build it?
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No one had known
A fire on this scale before.
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Narrator: today,
Investigators must solve
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The riddle of the fire
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To discover the truth
Behind the palace
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And rome's notorious ruler.
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To unearth this mystery,
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We'll deconstruct
Nero's golden palace
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Stone by stone,
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Dive beneath
Spectacular ancient remains
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And reveal what
Really burns down
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The greatest city
Of the ancient world.
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--captions by vitac--
Www.Vitac.Com
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Captions paid for by
Discovery communications
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Rome, 64 ad --
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A devastating inferno
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Breaks out in the heart
Of this ancient city.
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It burns for nine days,
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Destroying most of the capital.
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♪♪
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A new imperial palace
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Rises from the ashes,
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Nero's domus aurea,
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Or "Golden house."
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Archaeologists believe
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It once covers
A quarter of the city.
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Today, little remains
Of nero's spectacular home,
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But its reputation lives on
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In infamy.
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New discoveries suggest
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That this is a residence
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Of unimaginable luxury.
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♪♪
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Hidden beneath modern rome
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Lie the traces
Of this ancient mega palace.
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Roman writers
Describe a building
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With hundreds of rooms,
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Surrounded by lush gardens
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And covered with gold, jewels
And mother-of-pearl.
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Alongside,
A private boating lake,
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Bigger than
10 olympic swimming pools.
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And at the entrance,
The crowning glory --
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A giant bronze statue
Of the emperor nero himself,
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Towering 120 feet tall.
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The domus aurea is
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One of the largest
Palace complexes in the world,
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But does it hide a dark secret?
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♪♪
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Nero is rome's fifth emperor.
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His reign begins well,
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But ancient writers say
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It descends into
Cruelty and tyranny.
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People had a lot of hope
In nero,
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But they started to change
Their opinion of him.
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He murdered his mother.
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Narrator: nero sends soldiers
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To stab his mother to death,
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Convinced she is plotting
Against him.
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She is the first
Of many victims.
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Higgins: and then
He also started
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These very self-indulgent
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Building projects.
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Narrator: ancient writers
Accuse the emperor
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Of burning down rome
To build a gleaming new city.
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Are the stories true?
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Archaeologist valerie higgins
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Investigates how
The great fire starts.
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She thinks a clue lies
Inside this vast structure,
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The circus maximus,
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Ancient rome's famous
Chariot-racing track.
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♪♪
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Down at the far end,
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There were the starting gates,
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And so the horses
Would charge out,
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Race up this side of the track.
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♪♪
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Narrator: this mighty stadium is
One of nero's favorite haunts.
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It also plays a key role
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In the fire that gives
Birth to his palace.
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According to the ancient
Historian tacitus,
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The fire started in this corner
Of the racetrack.
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The circus maximus is
A magnificent stone structure.
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25-foot-tall arches
Tower three stories high,
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But inside lies a timber frame
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That stretches over a mile
Around the stadium,
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Supporting thousands
Of wooden benches,
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And, at the base,
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Dozens of shops encircle
The entire stadium.
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In the early hours
Of july 19, 64 ad,
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One spark starts
A chain reaction.
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Flames spread rapidly,
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Consuming the entire stadium.
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Is that initial spark
Simply an accident
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Or a deliberate act of arson?
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♪♪
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Valerie assesses the conditions
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Leading up to the fire.
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♪♪
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Higgins: on the night
Of the fire,
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Conditions here were perfect,
Really, for a fire taking hold.
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It was summertime.
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It was a big race meeting.
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All of the vendors would've had
Open fires to cook food on.
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♪♪
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Narrator: ancient writers report
That the fire spreads quickly
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To neighboring apartment blocks.
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♪♪
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Higgins: the tenement blocks,
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Which were
Outside the circus maximus,
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Were areas of dense housing,
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Where everybody
Was crammed together.
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Narrator: valerie thinks these
Long-lost apartment blocks
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Could help explain the fire's
Rapid spread across rome...
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So she heads out into the city
To search for more clues.
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♪♪
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Just as at the circus maximus,
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There were shops
On the ground floor,
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And then above that,
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There's residential
Accommodation.
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Narrator: built deep
Into the capitoline hillside,
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This 2nd-century apartment block
Rises five stories high.
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♪♪
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Valerie has special permission
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To examine these rare remains
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That are off-limits
To the public.
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♪♪
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Higgins: this is one
Of the upper stories...
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♪♪
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...And these are the walls
Demarcating one room.
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♪♪
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This space is so small,
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It's really hard to imagine
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More than one person in it,
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But it is quite probable
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That a family would
Have lived in here.
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♪♪
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Narrator: the design
Of this building
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Is almost identical to
One from nero's reign,
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But there's one
Important difference.
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In nero's day,
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The buildings are
Made from wood.
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♪♪
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Higgins: the apartment blocks
At the time of nero
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Were all destroyed in the fire.
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This is a 2nd-century apartment.
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It's built of concrete and brick
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And fire-resistant stone,
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And it's very much more robust.
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♪♪
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Narrator: in 64 ad,
Many of the apartment blocks
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Are shoddily built from
Flimsy timber frames
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Filled with mud and bricks,
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Reaching up to six stories.
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Multiple apartment blocks
Crammed together
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To form residential islands.
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Narrow streets,
Sometimes only 6 feet wide,
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Crisscross around them.
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Tens of thousands
Of these tenements
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Are interspersed
Across the entire city.
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♪♪
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These ramshackle
Residential buildings
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Easily catch fire.
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♪♪
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The blaze rapidly spreads
From block to block,
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Quickly engulfing
Most of the city.
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♪♪
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Two thousand years ago,
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Ancient rome is
A giant tinderbox
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Waiting to go up in flames.
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♪♪
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Higgins: no one had known
A fire on this scale before.
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The sense of panic
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Must have been
Absolutely indescribable.
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Narrator:
But there's a mystery.
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Ancient writers say this inferno
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Doesn't behave
Like a normal fire.
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♪♪
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After six days of chaos,
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The blaze dies down,
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Only to suddenly
Flare up again.
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♪♪
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Higgins: but that this fire
Started again
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On the property
Of an official of nero
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Fueled the suspicion
That perhaps it was nero
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Who was behind this fire.
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Is the emperor to blame
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For rome's great inferno?
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Do the clues lie hidden
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In his golden palace?
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♪♪
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♪♪
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Narrator:
Nearly 2,000 years ago,
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A terrible fire destroys
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The heart of ancient rome.
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Contemporary writers
Blame the emperor, nero.
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They say he starts the inferno
To build a new city,
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One with an extravagant
New palace --
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The domus aurea.
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♪♪
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Archaeologist antonio ferrandes
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Hunts for evidence of the fire.
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Narrator: today, central rome
Is a maze of ancient ruins.
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This is where nero builds
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The heart of his new palace.
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Beneath these later ruins,
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Antonio's team makes
An extraordinary discovery.
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♪♪
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16 feet down,
They discover the foundations
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Of a 1st-century
Aristocratic house
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That appears to be
Burnt to the ground.
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Surrounding the stones,
A layer of ash and debris.
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Buried inside it,
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Scorched pottery
And mangled copper pots...
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♪♪
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...Bronze coins melted
Like chocolate...
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♪♪
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...And a twisted piece of iron,
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The remains of a grate,
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Melted from extreme heat.
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Could this incinerated building
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Be rare evidence
Of the great fire?
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♪♪
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Antonio analyzes
The fire-damaged remains
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In his laboratory at rome's
Sapienza university.
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♪♪
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He wants to find out
If this really is
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Proof of the great fire.
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His first step is to measure
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The intensity of the damage.
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Narrator: the fire burns some
Metallic objects from the house
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Beyond recognition.
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It's so hot,
It fuses them together.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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Narrator:
The mangled remains reveal
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That the fire inside the house
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Tops 1,100 degrees fahrenheit,
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♪♪
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But are these remarkable objects
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From the time of the great fire?
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Antonio believes the answer
May lie with a fragile oil lamp.
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He dates the lamp
To nero's reign.
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♪♪
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Narrator: antonio's discovery
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Proves a raging inferno
Sweeps through rome
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2,000 years ago,
At the end of nero's rule.
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♪♪
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It's not just
The intensity of the fire
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Which is remarkable.
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The extent of the devastation
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Is huge and curious.
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Antonio heads up
Rome's ancient palatine hill.
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He uses modern satellite imagery
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To reconstruct rome
Just before the fire.
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Ancient writers claim
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That nero wants all
Of this prime real estate.
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Intriguingly,
The footprint of the palace
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Matches vast swaths
Of the destroyed areas.
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♪♪
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In 64 ad,
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00:14:21,896 --> 00:14:24,482
The fire starts
At the circus maximus.
269
00:14:24,517 --> 00:14:26,206
It rages for nine days
270
00:14:26,241 --> 00:14:29,275
And destroys
Over 60% of the city.
271
00:14:29,310 --> 00:14:30,793
It leaves a blank canvas
272
00:14:30,827 --> 00:14:33,517
For nero's audacious rebuild.
273
00:14:33,551 --> 00:14:36,931
On the charred hill where
The roman elite once lived,
274
00:14:36,965 --> 00:14:39,275
Nero builds the domus aurea
275
00:14:39,310 --> 00:14:42,758
With hundreds of rooms
For entertaining...
276
00:14:42,793 --> 00:14:47,413
And in the valley where once lay
Houses for the lower classes,
277
00:14:47,448 --> 00:14:50,000
He erects a network
Of opulent palaces
278
00:14:50,034 --> 00:14:53,034
And fills the gardens
With wild animals.
279
00:14:53,068 --> 00:14:54,793
♪♪
280
00:14:54,827 --> 00:14:57,862
Nero turns
A bustling city center
281
00:14:57,896 --> 00:15:01,206
Into a 200-acre
Luxury country retreat
282
00:15:01,241 --> 00:15:03,275
Right in the heart of rome.
283
00:15:03,310 --> 00:15:05,862
♪♪
284
00:15:15,655 --> 00:15:17,758
The evidence is circumstantial
285
00:15:17,793 --> 00:15:20,448
But highly suspicious.
286
00:15:20,482 --> 00:15:23,275
So, could the ancient authors
Be right?
287
00:15:23,310 --> 00:15:27,000
Is the emperor capable
Of committing such a deadly act?
288
00:15:32,724 --> 00:15:34,344
♪♪
289
00:15:34,379 --> 00:15:37,931
Nero's grand vision
Is magnificent,
290
00:15:37,965 --> 00:15:41,551
But is it worth sacrificing
An entire city for?
291
00:15:41,586 --> 00:15:44,137
♪♪
292
00:15:44,172 --> 00:15:46,896
The answer could lie
With an astonishing discovery
293
00:15:46,931 --> 00:15:50,068
Buried deep in
This roman hillside.
294
00:15:50,103 --> 00:15:52,103
♪♪
295
00:16:00,206 --> 00:16:04,344
Narrator: in 64 ad,
A catastrophic fire devastates
296
00:16:04,379 --> 00:16:07,137
The ancient city of rome.
297
00:16:07,172 --> 00:16:10,068
Contemporary writers
Claim that nero sings
298
00:16:10,103 --> 00:16:12,206
While watching
The metropolis burn...
299
00:16:12,241 --> 00:16:14,758
♪♪
300
00:16:14,793 --> 00:16:17,172
...But does nero
Really torch his capital
301
00:16:17,206 --> 00:16:20,344
To build a new city
With an extravagant residence,
302
00:16:20,379 --> 00:16:22,172
The domus aurea?
303
00:16:22,206 --> 00:16:25,344
Is all this worth
Destroying old rome?
304
00:16:25,379 --> 00:16:27,344
♪♪
305
00:16:27,379 --> 00:16:30,241
500 feet from the colosseum
306
00:16:30,275 --> 00:16:33,448
Lies the only surviving
Section of palace.
307
00:16:33,482 --> 00:16:37,862
♪♪
308
00:16:37,896 --> 00:16:40,517
Archaeologist
Alessandro d'alessio
309
00:16:40,551 --> 00:16:43,517
Investigates this
Astonishing structure.
310
00:16:43,551 --> 00:16:46,896
♪♪
311
00:16:52,310 --> 00:16:54,862
Alessandro believes
This section of palace
312
00:16:54,896 --> 00:16:57,724
Built on top of
Incinerated roman homes
313
00:16:57,758 --> 00:17:00,068
Is used to entertain guests.
314
00:17:00,103 --> 00:17:03,482
♪♪
315
00:17:03,517 --> 00:17:07,344
There are more than
150 rooms inside.
316
00:17:07,379 --> 00:17:09,241
Faded mosaics and frescoes
317
00:17:09,275 --> 00:17:11,793
Cover almost every surface.
318
00:17:20,344 --> 00:17:22,793
♪♪
319
00:17:22,827 --> 00:17:24,827
Legend says
The heart of the palace
320
00:17:24,862 --> 00:17:27,482
Hides an astonishing wonder...
321
00:17:27,517 --> 00:17:29,482
♪♪
322
00:17:29,517 --> 00:17:31,034
...A banquet room
323
00:17:31,068 --> 00:17:34,344
That supposedly
Rotates day and night.
324
00:17:34,379 --> 00:17:37,275
♪♪
325
00:17:48,241 --> 00:17:52,172
For years, archaeologists think
That this octagonal chamber
326
00:17:52,206 --> 00:17:55,448
Is the rotating room of legend.
327
00:17:55,482 --> 00:17:57,172
Hidden windows
Give the impression
328
00:17:57,206 --> 00:17:59,655
Of the sun moving around it.
329
00:17:59,689 --> 00:18:01,862
♪♪
330
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:16,586
♪♪
331
00:18:16,620 --> 00:18:18,586
At first, historians believe
332
00:18:18,620 --> 00:18:22,068
An actual revolving room
Is just a myth...
333
00:18:22,103 --> 00:18:23,758
♪♪
334
00:18:23,793 --> 00:18:26,896
But a new discovery in
This section of nero's palace
335
00:18:26,931 --> 00:18:28,413
On the palatine hill
336
00:18:28,448 --> 00:18:32,896
Reveals that truth
Is stranger than fiction.
337
00:18:32,931 --> 00:18:34,862
Buried beneath this canopy
338
00:18:34,896 --> 00:18:38,965
Are the ruins
Of an incredible mechanism.
339
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,206
Two crumbling arches
Are all that remain
340
00:18:42,241 --> 00:18:44,206
Of a grand branching structure
341
00:18:44,241 --> 00:18:47,206
Over 65 feet tall.
342
00:18:47,241 --> 00:18:49,586
On the top,
Archaeologists discover
343
00:18:49,620 --> 00:18:52,379
Strange holes
Arranged in a ring.
344
00:18:52,413 --> 00:18:53,724
♪♪
345
00:18:53,758 --> 00:18:55,896
Inside them is a soft clay,
346
00:18:55,931 --> 00:18:57,965
Possibly a lubricant,
347
00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:03,206
A clue that they could've once
Held bronze ball bearings...
348
00:19:03,241 --> 00:19:05,896
20 of them spinning in unison,
349
00:19:05,931 --> 00:19:09,517
Revolving the floor
Of the legendary dining hall.
350
00:19:09,551 --> 00:19:13,551
♪♪
351
00:19:13,586 --> 00:19:17,379
The ambition behind
Nero's palace is clear,
352
00:19:17,413 --> 00:19:18,862
But what does it take to build
353
00:19:18,896 --> 00:19:21,034
Such a magnificent structure?
354
00:19:21,068 --> 00:19:25,724
♪♪
355
00:19:25,758 --> 00:19:30,241
Today, the remains are buried
Deep behind these walls.
356
00:19:41,068 --> 00:19:43,344
Archaeologist
Francoise villedieu
357
00:19:43,379 --> 00:19:45,724
Tries to work out what
The dining room itself
358
00:19:45,758 --> 00:19:47,103
Looks like.
359
00:19:49,241 --> 00:19:51,206
She heads down to
The base of the walls
360
00:19:51,241 --> 00:19:52,413
To investigate.
361
00:20:03,172 --> 00:20:05,275
The upper floor of
The revolving room
362
00:20:05,310 --> 00:20:06,758
Is missing.
363
00:20:06,793 --> 00:20:10,241
Francoise thinks that a coin
Minted during nero's reign
364
00:20:10,275 --> 00:20:12,275
Could reveal
What it looks like.
365
00:20:27,655 --> 00:20:31,000
Around the edge of the image,
The letters "Mac aug."
366
00:20:31,034 --> 00:20:33,758
They could also mean
Machina auguste,
367
00:20:33,793 --> 00:20:35,896
Or machine of the emperor.
368
00:20:48,241 --> 00:20:50,689
Nero is a ruler
Who will stop at nothing
369
00:20:50,724 --> 00:20:53,137
To get whatever he desires.
370
00:20:53,172 --> 00:20:55,827
This room is one of the most
Sophisticated machines
371
00:20:55,862 --> 00:20:57,896
In the ancient world,
372
00:20:57,931 --> 00:21:00,275
But how do his engineers
Power it?
373
00:21:00,310 --> 00:21:02,689
♪♪
374
00:21:02,724 --> 00:21:05,482
This nearby aqueduct
Could be a clue.
375
00:21:05,517 --> 00:21:09,758
♪♪
376
00:21:09,793 --> 00:21:11,344
The remains of the aqueduct
377
00:21:11,379 --> 00:21:15,137
Lie close to nero's palace.
378
00:21:15,172 --> 00:21:17,137
Nero can divert its water
379
00:21:17,172 --> 00:21:21,000
To the base of his
Rotating dining room.
380
00:21:21,034 --> 00:21:23,241
The water feeds
A huge waterwheel
381
00:21:23,275 --> 00:21:24,965
Two stories high.
382
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,586
It turns night and day
383
00:21:26,620 --> 00:21:28,689
With the constant flow.
384
00:21:28,724 --> 00:21:30,310
Connected to the wheel are
385
00:21:30,344 --> 00:21:33,793
A series of cogs and gears.
386
00:21:33,827 --> 00:21:36,172
These transmit the force
Of the water up,
387
00:21:36,206 --> 00:21:38,206
Towards the rotating floor.
388
00:21:38,241 --> 00:21:41,344
♪♪
389
00:21:41,379 --> 00:21:44,137
The dining room
Perpetually rotates,
390
00:21:44,172 --> 00:21:47,379
Allowing banqueters
Panoramic views of the city
391
00:21:47,413 --> 00:21:49,448
Both day and night.
392
00:21:49,482 --> 00:21:53,172
♪♪
393
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:07,793
This revolving masterpiece
394
00:22:07,827 --> 00:22:09,241
Is every bit as lavish
395
00:22:09,275 --> 00:22:13,586
As the contemporary
Writers describe.
396
00:22:13,620 --> 00:22:15,551
So, are they also
Telling the truth
397
00:22:15,586 --> 00:22:18,793
When they blame the emperor
For the great fire?
398
00:22:18,827 --> 00:22:23,206
♪♪
399
00:22:23,241 --> 00:22:27,206
Nero is one of rome's
Cruelest emperors.
400
00:22:27,241 --> 00:22:28,758
He murders his two wives
401
00:22:28,793 --> 00:22:32,344
And numerous friends
And advisors.
402
00:22:32,379 --> 00:22:34,827
Does his desire for
Beautiful architecture
403
00:22:34,862 --> 00:22:38,448
Push him over the edge
Into arson and mass murder?
404
00:22:38,482 --> 00:22:39,482
♪♪
405
00:22:46,172 --> 00:22:48,310
♪♪
406
00:22:48,344 --> 00:22:50,931
Narrator:
The great fire of 64 ad
407
00:22:50,965 --> 00:22:55,310
Spells disaster
For the ancient city of rome.
408
00:22:55,344 --> 00:22:56,862
Ancient writers describe
409
00:22:56,896 --> 00:22:58,275
How shadowy figures
410
00:22:58,310 --> 00:23:00,413
Throw burning torches
411
00:23:00,448 --> 00:23:03,482
Into undamaged buildings.
412
00:23:03,517 --> 00:23:05,965
Are these nero's men,
413
00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,241
Or is this ancient propaganda
414
00:23:08,275 --> 00:23:10,620
Designed to discredit
The emperor?
415
00:23:10,655 --> 00:23:14,137
♪♪
416
00:23:14,172 --> 00:23:16,241
Archaeologist antonio ferrandes
417
00:23:16,275 --> 00:23:18,620
Is on a mission to investigate.
418
00:23:32,241 --> 00:23:35,068
These luxurious
Hilltop houses are built
419
00:23:35,103 --> 00:23:36,758
From much stronger materials
420
00:23:36,793 --> 00:23:39,620
Than the flammable timber homes
Of the poor.
421
00:23:46,379 --> 00:23:48,655
After the fire,
It's here that nero
422
00:23:48,689 --> 00:23:51,517
Builds one section
Of his palace.
423
00:23:51,551 --> 00:23:54,241
It contains the incredible
Rotating dining room
424
00:23:54,275 --> 00:23:58,000
With views overlooking
His private lake.
425
00:23:58,034 --> 00:24:01,103
Is the destruction here
A coincidence,
426
00:24:01,137 --> 00:24:03,068
Or a deliberate act of arson?
427
00:24:03,103 --> 00:24:04,620
♪♪
428
00:24:12,586 --> 00:24:15,206
On this site in 64 ad
429
00:24:15,241 --> 00:24:18,827
Stand upper-class homes
Built to last.
430
00:24:18,862 --> 00:24:22,482
Travertine stone blocks
Form the doorway,
431
00:24:22,517 --> 00:24:23,655
And the concrete walls
432
00:24:23,689 --> 00:24:27,206
Are reinforced with bricks.
433
00:24:27,241 --> 00:24:30,172
Marble slabs and mosaic tiles
434
00:24:30,206 --> 00:24:32,655
Make up the floor,
435
00:24:32,689 --> 00:24:34,448
And tucked at the back,
436
00:24:34,482 --> 00:24:37,793
Stone pillars surround
A cloistered garden.
437
00:24:37,827 --> 00:24:40,448
♪♪
438
00:24:40,482 --> 00:24:45,344
Above them, heavy tiles
Form a solid roof.
439
00:24:45,379 --> 00:24:49,310
But these solid houses also
Burned down in the great fire.
440
00:24:49,344 --> 00:24:50,827
♪♪
441
00:24:50,862 --> 00:24:53,000
Is this evidence of arson?
442
00:24:53,034 --> 00:24:58,000
♪♪
443
00:24:58,034 --> 00:25:00,586
In scotland's
Edinburgh university,
444
00:25:00,620 --> 00:25:02,965
Luke bisby
Is a structural engineer
445
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,482
And fire-investigation
Specialist.
446
00:25:06,517 --> 00:25:08,896
He's going to examine
If arson is to blame
447
00:25:08,931 --> 00:25:11,620
For the destruction
Of these homes.
448
00:25:11,655 --> 00:25:13,206
In an urban fire,
Different materials
449
00:25:13,241 --> 00:25:15,034
Are going to respond
In different ways,
450
00:25:15,068 --> 00:25:16,310
Mostly depending
On whether or not
451
00:25:16,344 --> 00:25:18,206
They're combustible,
452
00:25:18,241 --> 00:25:20,655
And this depends fundamentally
On their chemistry.
453
00:25:20,689 --> 00:25:23,034
♪♪
454
00:25:23,068 --> 00:25:25,379
Narrator: luke will use
This high-tech heat machine
455
00:25:25,413 --> 00:25:27,034
To test the materials found
456
00:25:27,068 --> 00:25:29,448
In ancient roman buildings.
457
00:25:29,482 --> 00:25:33,517
He wants to figure out
How intense heat affects them.
458
00:25:33,551 --> 00:25:36,344
He starts with a piece of timber
Used in the construction
459
00:25:36,379 --> 00:25:39,344
Of the homes in
The poorer districts.
460
00:25:39,379 --> 00:25:41,551
So what we're doing here is,
We're simulating the conditions
461
00:25:41,586 --> 00:25:44,344
That we would expect as a fire
Approaches a building.
462
00:25:44,379 --> 00:25:48,172
♪♪
463
00:25:48,206 --> 00:25:51,448
Okay, nicolai.
Fire it up.
464
00:25:51,482 --> 00:25:55,172
Narrator: this custom-built rig
Acts like a giant heat lamp.
465
00:25:55,206 --> 00:25:57,000
It uses special heating panels
466
00:25:57,034 --> 00:25:59,758
To warm up the surface
Of the timber sample.
467
00:25:59,793 --> 00:26:01,137
Bisby: we're not
Going to see flames
468
00:26:01,172 --> 00:26:02,379
Shooting from the machine.
469
00:26:02,413 --> 00:26:04,034
We're just gonna see radiation
470
00:26:04,068 --> 00:26:07,793
Impacting on the sample
To heat its surface.
471
00:26:07,827 --> 00:26:10,586
Narrator: it's estimated that
A large nearby building fire
472
00:26:10,620 --> 00:26:12,000
Could radiate temperatures
473
00:26:12,034 --> 00:26:16,827
Of over 1,500 degrees
Fahrenheit.
474
00:26:16,862 --> 00:26:20,517
Let's go to 20 kilowatts
Per meter squared.
475
00:26:20,551 --> 00:26:22,275
Luke inches the machine forward
476
00:26:22,310 --> 00:26:24,344
To increase the level
Of heat radiation
477
00:26:24,379 --> 00:26:25,862
Affecting the sample.
478
00:26:25,896 --> 00:26:30,827
♪♪
479
00:26:30,862 --> 00:26:33,413
We're starting to see some
Surface charring of the timber.
480
00:26:33,448 --> 00:26:36,379
It's starting to smoke.
481
00:26:36,413 --> 00:26:38,413
Narrator: at this distance,
The surface of the timber
482
00:26:38,448 --> 00:26:41,241
Is around 800 degrees
Fahrenheit.
483
00:26:41,275 --> 00:26:43,620
♪♪
484
00:26:43,655 --> 00:26:45,103
Okay, nicolai.
Let's go to 40.
485
00:26:45,137 --> 00:26:50,310
♪♪
486
00:26:50,344 --> 00:26:51,862
Suddenly...
487
00:26:51,896 --> 00:26:54,448
The timber bursts into flames.
488
00:26:54,482 --> 00:26:57,344
♪♪
489
00:26:57,379 --> 00:26:59,379
So, what this test has shown
Is that you don't actually
490
00:26:59,413 --> 00:27:02,137
Need a naked flame in order
For the timber to ignite,
491
00:27:02,172 --> 00:27:05,724
Provided that the severity
Of heating is high enough.
492
00:27:05,758 --> 00:27:08,413
Narrator: the test proves
That rome's wooden buildings
493
00:27:08,448 --> 00:27:12,620
Can ignite when subjected
To around 1,200 degrees of heat.
494
00:27:12,655 --> 00:27:13,965
♪♪
495
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,137
So how much hotter
Does a fire have to be
496
00:27:16,172 --> 00:27:20,034
To destroy the stone villas
In the wealthier districts?
497
00:27:20,068 --> 00:27:21,793
Bisby: so in these more
Affluent buildings,
498
00:27:21,827 --> 00:27:24,000
Many elements will have been
Made from roman concrete
499
00:27:24,034 --> 00:27:25,482
Or other types of stone.
500
00:27:25,517 --> 00:27:26,862
The stronger
Structural elements,
501
00:27:26,896 --> 00:27:29,000
Things like columns
And lintel elements,
502
00:27:29,034 --> 00:27:32,275
Will have been made
From travertine.
503
00:27:32,310 --> 00:27:35,655
Narrator: travertine rock
Is extremely strong.
504
00:27:35,689 --> 00:27:39,620
Roman builders use it
As a load-bearing material,
505
00:27:39,655 --> 00:27:42,068
But it's also very expensive,
506
00:27:42,103 --> 00:27:44,896
So luke uses a block
Of ordinary limestone,
507
00:27:44,931 --> 00:27:46,931
Which has similar properties.
508
00:27:46,965 --> 00:27:49,758
Alright. So let's start
The test, nicolai.
509
00:27:49,793 --> 00:27:51,862
Narrator: first,
He raises the temperature
510
00:27:51,896 --> 00:27:54,931
To around 1,200 degrees,
511
00:27:54,965 --> 00:27:59,137
The same temperature range
That sets light to the timber.
512
00:27:59,172 --> 00:28:01,344
This test is a first for luke.
513
00:28:01,379 --> 00:28:03,793
He wants to examine
What effect the heat will have
514
00:28:03,827 --> 00:28:05,103
On the limestone.
515
00:28:05,137 --> 00:28:06,655
Bisby: and we can see that
The limestone block
516
00:28:06,689 --> 00:28:09,137
Is just sitting there
Blinking at us.
517
00:28:09,172 --> 00:28:12,275
Narrator: the stone
Easily resists the heat,
518
00:28:12,310 --> 00:28:14,655
So luke moves the panels closer.
519
00:28:14,689 --> 00:28:16,448
♪♪
520
00:28:16,482 --> 00:28:20,551
He increases the temperature to
Over 1,400 degrees fahrenheit.
521
00:28:20,586 --> 00:28:23,241
♪♪
522
00:28:23,275 --> 00:28:24,413
Bisby: this is more
Representative
523
00:28:24,448 --> 00:28:26,724
Of the conditions
That you would have next to,
524
00:28:26,758 --> 00:28:30,379
Really, a very large,
Raging inferno.
525
00:28:30,413 --> 00:28:32,379
Narrator:
As the machine edges closer,
526
00:28:32,413 --> 00:28:35,241
A crack on the surface
Begins to appear.
527
00:28:35,275 --> 00:28:37,344
♪♪
528
00:28:37,379 --> 00:28:38,758
Bisby: just having a look,
And I start to see maybe
529
00:28:38,793 --> 00:28:40,068
A bit of surface disintegration,
530
00:28:40,103 --> 00:28:41,965
And there's definitely
A large crack
531
00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:46,103
That's growing on the surface
Of this block.
532
00:28:46,137 --> 00:28:47,689
Here we are now,
Testing at 1,500
533
00:28:47,724 --> 00:28:50,310
To 1,800 degrees fahrenheit,
And this is certainly
534
00:28:50,344 --> 00:28:52,000
Representative
Of the extreme temperatures
535
00:28:52,034 --> 00:28:55,965
That we would expect
In the great fire of rome.
536
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,448
It just popped way out.
537
00:28:58,482 --> 00:28:59,758
Narrator:
With the crack expanding
538
00:28:59,793 --> 00:29:01,896
And fears the stone
Could shatter,
539
00:29:01,931 --> 00:29:03,551
They stop the test.
540
00:29:03,586 --> 00:29:08,896
♪♪
541
00:29:08,931 --> 00:29:10,482
Once cool,
542
00:29:10,517 --> 00:29:12,758
Luke examines the damage.
543
00:29:12,793 --> 00:29:14,206
♪♪
544
00:29:14,241 --> 00:29:15,586
Yeah.
545
00:29:15,620 --> 00:29:18,137
You can see that
It's completely disintegrated
546
00:29:18,172 --> 00:29:19,448
To some depth.
547
00:29:19,482 --> 00:29:21,344
♪♪
548
00:29:21,379 --> 00:29:23,413
On this basis,
We can see pretty clearly
549
00:29:23,448 --> 00:29:25,586
That this block is no longer
Structurally sound
550
00:29:25,620 --> 00:29:29,793
And would have a very hard time
Holding up a building.
551
00:29:29,827 --> 00:29:32,620
Narrator: luke's test proves
That it doesn't require arson
552
00:29:32,655 --> 00:29:34,586
To destroy these buildings.
553
00:29:34,620 --> 00:29:37,000
♪♪
554
00:29:37,034 --> 00:29:39,275
The intense heat
From the giant inferno
555
00:29:39,310 --> 00:29:42,724
Raging all around is enough
To bring them down.
556
00:29:42,758 --> 00:29:44,655
♪♪
557
00:29:44,689 --> 00:29:46,344
Bisby: we would see
This process repeated
558
00:29:46,379 --> 00:29:48,931
One building after another
As the fire progresses,
559
00:29:48,965 --> 00:29:51,551
Eventually to destroy
The entire city.
560
00:29:51,586 --> 00:29:53,482
♪♪
561
00:29:53,517 --> 00:29:54,931
In 64 ad,
562
00:29:54,965 --> 00:29:58,689
Rome is unprepared for
A fire of this magnitude.
563
00:29:58,724 --> 00:30:01,448
♪♪
564
00:30:01,482 --> 00:30:04,379
The city has an army
Of 7,000 firefighters,
565
00:30:04,413 --> 00:30:06,551
Called vigiles,
566
00:30:06,586 --> 00:30:09,413
But they're only used
To tackling small fires.
567
00:30:09,448 --> 00:30:11,448
♪♪
568
00:30:11,482 --> 00:30:16,000
At first,
They create firebreaks.
569
00:30:16,034 --> 00:30:18,724
They use ropes to pull down
Burning apartment blocks
570
00:30:18,758 --> 00:30:20,931
To save public buildings.
571
00:30:20,965 --> 00:30:23,344
♪♪
572
00:30:23,379 --> 00:30:26,172
They carry water from
The city's public fountains
573
00:30:26,206 --> 00:30:28,000
And feed it to a hydraulic pump
574
00:30:28,034 --> 00:30:31,482
That shoots the water in the air
To douse the flames...
575
00:30:31,517 --> 00:30:33,000
♪♪
576
00:30:33,034 --> 00:30:35,482
...But in the hot summer
Of 64 ad,
577
00:30:35,517 --> 00:30:38,103
The cisterns run dry.
578
00:30:38,137 --> 00:30:40,137
With no water to fight the fire,
579
00:30:40,172 --> 00:30:43,793
The vigiles can only watch
While rome burns.
580
00:30:43,827 --> 00:30:46,103
♪♪
581
00:30:46,137 --> 00:30:48,344
Bisby: I would think that
An ancient team of firefighters
582
00:30:48,379 --> 00:30:49,586
Would have had
A very difficult time
583
00:30:49,620 --> 00:30:50,862
Fighting one of these fires.
584
00:30:50,896 --> 00:30:52,241
It would be almost impossible
585
00:30:52,275 --> 00:30:56,068
To have any hope of even slowing
A fire of this magnitude.
586
00:30:56,103 --> 00:30:58,482
♪♪
587
00:30:58,517 --> 00:31:00,793
Confusion and fear could explain
588
00:31:00,827 --> 00:31:02,620
The stories of shadowy figures
589
00:31:02,655 --> 00:31:06,275
Setting fire
To undamaged houses.
590
00:31:06,310 --> 00:31:10,379
But there are still many
Unanswered questions.
591
00:31:10,413 --> 00:31:12,137
Why do new fires spring up
592
00:31:12,172 --> 00:31:14,137
In different places
Across the city
593
00:31:14,172 --> 00:31:17,172
In an unnatural pattern?
594
00:31:17,206 --> 00:31:20,068
Could the answer
Finally exonerate nero
595
00:31:20,103 --> 00:31:22,000
Or prove his guilt?
596
00:31:22,034 --> 00:31:24,551
♪♪
597
00:31:31,137 --> 00:31:33,137
♪♪
598
00:31:33,172 --> 00:31:35,034
Narrator: investigators
Hunt for the truth
599
00:31:35,068 --> 00:31:38,758
Behind the great fire of rome.
600
00:31:38,793 --> 00:31:40,965
Roman writers claim
The emperor nero
601
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,068
Orders the inferno
To clear space
602
00:31:43,103 --> 00:31:45,310
For a new more beautiful
Capital.
603
00:31:45,344 --> 00:31:48,068
♪♪
604
00:31:48,103 --> 00:31:51,862
Nero is certainly capable
Of unspeakable cruelty,
605
00:31:51,896 --> 00:31:54,103
But archaeologist
Antonio ferrandes
606
00:31:54,137 --> 00:31:57,137
Believes he also wants
To improve his city.
607
00:32:08,655 --> 00:32:10,586
In the years before the fire,
608
00:32:10,620 --> 00:32:14,344
Nero longs to rebuild
And beautify rome.
609
00:32:14,379 --> 00:32:17,172
He even has a new name
For his new city --
610
00:32:17,206 --> 00:32:18,896
Neropolis.
611
00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:27,655
♪♪
612
00:32:27,689 --> 00:32:30,931
During the inferno,
Other fires ignite at random
613
00:32:30,965 --> 00:32:34,965
In different parts of the city
Away from the main blaze.
614
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:36,655
Is this unnatural spread
615
00:32:36,689 --> 00:32:39,896
Finally proof that arson,
Not accident,
616
00:32:39,931 --> 00:32:41,793
Is behind the destruction?
617
00:32:41,827 --> 00:32:44,758
♪♪
618
00:32:44,793 --> 00:32:48,241
In scotland,
Fire investigator rory hadden
619
00:32:48,275 --> 00:32:51,931
Is going to examine if arson
Is the only explanation
620
00:32:51,965 --> 00:32:55,517
For this seemingly unnatural
Spread of fire.
621
00:32:55,551 --> 00:32:57,896
Just so that
When we slide it under here
622
00:32:57,931 --> 00:33:00,000
To put the fire out...
623
00:33:00,034 --> 00:33:03,000
Rory believes flaming embers
Play a key role
624
00:33:03,034 --> 00:33:06,103
In the fire's
Pattern of behavior.
625
00:33:06,137 --> 00:33:08,827
I just want to examine
The effect that wind has
626
00:33:08,862 --> 00:33:10,586
On ember dispersal.
627
00:33:10,620 --> 00:33:11,896
So we have a fan here
628
00:33:11,931 --> 00:33:14,655
That's going to generate
Some wind for us.
629
00:33:14,689 --> 00:33:16,241
Then in front,
We've positioned
630
00:33:16,275 --> 00:33:19,310
Some materials that will
Generate some firebrands,
631
00:33:19,344 --> 00:33:23,689
And down here,
The straw is a combustible base.
632
00:33:23,724 --> 00:33:25,344
If you want to go ahead
And light the fire?
633
00:33:25,379 --> 00:33:32,000
♪♪
634
00:33:32,034 --> 00:33:34,793
Narrator: as the wood ignites
And begins to char,
635
00:33:34,827 --> 00:33:38,068
It will produce a small number
Of fiery embers.
636
00:33:38,103 --> 00:33:40,655
♪♪
637
00:33:40,689 --> 00:33:42,172
I'm going to turn
On the wind now
638
00:33:42,206 --> 00:33:44,931
And see what happens
With these embers.
639
00:33:44,965 --> 00:33:48,965
♪♪
640
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,344
The fan blows
On the burning wood.
641
00:33:51,379 --> 00:33:54,620
Small embers peel off
And float through the air.
642
00:33:54,655 --> 00:33:57,586
♪♪
643
00:33:57,620 --> 00:33:59,620
As soon as the embers
Hit the straw,
644
00:33:59,655 --> 00:34:02,172
It begins to smolder.
645
00:34:02,206 --> 00:34:06,758
Small fires spring up
Wherever one lands.
646
00:34:06,793 --> 00:34:09,896
Hadden: the firebrands generated
From the pieces of wood
647
00:34:09,931 --> 00:34:14,241
Were randomly dispersed
On the combustible material,
648
00:34:14,275 --> 00:34:16,482
And now, we have
A flaming fire.
649
00:34:16,517 --> 00:34:19,896
♪♪
650
00:34:19,931 --> 00:34:21,965
Narrator: this random
Dispersal of embers
651
00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:25,068
Reveals how new fires
Can sporadically start,
652
00:34:25,103 --> 00:34:26,965
Seemingly out of nowhere.
653
00:34:29,034 --> 00:34:32,241
What we saw here was the result
Of two small pieces of wood.
654
00:34:32,275 --> 00:34:35,172
If you imagine scaling that
Up to a citywide fire,
655
00:34:35,206 --> 00:34:37,448
We'd be generating
Millions of embers,
656
00:34:37,482 --> 00:34:39,206
And it'd be being transported
By the wind
657
00:34:39,241 --> 00:34:41,931
And landing all over the place.
658
00:34:41,965 --> 00:34:43,344
To the everyday ancient roman,
659
00:34:43,379 --> 00:34:45,862
This would very much
Have the appearance
660
00:34:45,896 --> 00:34:48,931
Of random fires starting
All across the city.
661
00:34:48,965 --> 00:34:51,172
♪♪
662
00:34:51,206 --> 00:34:52,862
Narrator:
Rory's experiment reveals
663
00:34:52,896 --> 00:34:54,758
How wind plays a key role
664
00:34:54,793 --> 00:34:56,965
In the strange
Spread of the fire.
665
00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,137
♪♪
666
00:35:00,172 --> 00:35:01,758
At the height of the inferno,
667
00:35:01,793 --> 00:35:05,482
A strong wind sweeps
Through the city.
668
00:35:05,517 --> 00:35:08,172
It pushes the blaze up
The palatine hill
669
00:35:08,206 --> 00:35:11,448
Like wildfire...
670
00:35:11,482 --> 00:35:13,448
But the fire also moves south,
671
00:35:13,482 --> 00:35:15,896
Against the wind.
672
00:35:15,931 --> 00:35:18,620
Some believe that
The inferno becomes so big
673
00:35:18,655 --> 00:35:22,620
It takes on a life of its own.
674
00:35:22,655 --> 00:35:25,655
Hadden: with our current
Understanding of large fires,
675
00:35:25,689 --> 00:35:28,827
We know that big fires
Will generate their own wind,
676
00:35:28,862 --> 00:35:30,827
So the wind generated
By the fire is
677
00:35:30,862 --> 00:35:34,068
Potentially large enough
To overcome the natural wind
678
00:35:34,103 --> 00:35:37,068
And therefore distribute embers
Throughout the city.
679
00:35:37,103 --> 00:35:39,206
♪♪
680
00:35:39,241 --> 00:35:41,655
The fire's behavior
Is disturbing
681
00:35:41,689 --> 00:35:45,482
But perfectly natural
To an investigator like rory,
682
00:35:45,517 --> 00:35:47,448
But it can easily
Look like arson
683
00:35:47,482 --> 00:35:49,758
To an ancient roman.
684
00:35:49,793 --> 00:35:52,103
Hadden: so, whilst we can't
Definitively rule out arson,
685
00:35:52,137 --> 00:35:54,758
What we've seen today is a
Much more plausible explanation
686
00:35:54,793 --> 00:35:56,551
For why the fire would've
Appeared to spread
687
00:35:56,586 --> 00:36:00,551
Randomly and widely
Across the city.
688
00:36:00,586 --> 00:36:03,379
Narrator: these modern tests
Are powerful new evidence
689
00:36:03,413 --> 00:36:06,137
For nero's innocence.
690
00:36:06,172 --> 00:36:08,379
After the fire,
The emperor even rushes
691
00:36:08,413 --> 00:36:10,551
To the aid of his people.
692
00:36:10,586 --> 00:36:13,310
He throws open his private
Grounds for shelter
693
00:36:13,344 --> 00:36:17,310
And lowers the price of corn,
But, despite this,
694
00:36:17,344 --> 00:36:19,517
Why do his own citizens insist
695
00:36:19,551 --> 00:36:22,689
He is to blame for the fire?
696
00:36:22,724 --> 00:36:23,896
Could the answer lie
697
00:36:23,931 --> 00:36:26,655
With the destruction
Of his golden palace?
698
00:36:26,689 --> 00:36:30,517
♪♪
699
00:36:37,206 --> 00:36:39,448
♪♪
700
00:36:39,482 --> 00:36:42,000
Narrator: after the great
Fire of rome burns out,
701
00:36:42,034 --> 00:36:46,034
Nero quickly begins building
The domus aurea.
702
00:36:46,068 --> 00:36:48,517
He seizes vast swaths
Of the gutted city
703
00:36:48,551 --> 00:36:50,586
To build his dream project --
704
00:36:50,620 --> 00:36:52,482
Neropolis.
705
00:37:02,068 --> 00:37:06,827
The emperor embarks
On a colossal building spree.
706
00:37:06,862 --> 00:37:09,586
Nero sources white marble
From the north
707
00:37:09,620 --> 00:37:14,068
And volcanic sand for concrete
From the south
708
00:37:14,103 --> 00:37:18,758
And gold and rare gems
From every corner of his realm.
709
00:37:18,793 --> 00:37:20,413
Slaves and free workers
710
00:37:20,448 --> 00:37:23,586
Construct the palace
Over four years,
711
00:37:23,620 --> 00:37:26,551
Building cutting-edge
Concrete domes
712
00:37:26,586 --> 00:37:30,448
And miles of marble pillars.
713
00:37:30,482 --> 00:37:32,758
The emperor also begins
An ambitious plan
714
00:37:32,793 --> 00:37:36,620
To transform
The rest of the city.
715
00:37:36,655 --> 00:37:38,379
Archaeologist valerie higgins
716
00:37:38,413 --> 00:37:40,310
Believes that
The scale of the fire
717
00:37:40,344 --> 00:37:43,137
Genuinely shocks nero.
718
00:37:43,172 --> 00:37:45,000
Afterwards,
The emperor introduces
719
00:37:45,034 --> 00:37:48,275
Some of the world's first
Building regulations.
720
00:37:48,310 --> 00:37:53,586
Higgins: perhaps ironically,
The fire of nero actually
721
00:37:53,620 --> 00:37:56,517
Improved the safety features
722
00:37:56,551 --> 00:37:58,344
Of future buildings in rome.
723
00:38:00,827 --> 00:38:03,275
Narrator: he orders that
New buildings across the city
724
00:38:03,310 --> 00:38:06,827
Are built to withstand fires.
725
00:38:06,862 --> 00:38:10,241
Most significantly,
The roads were made wider
726
00:38:10,275 --> 00:38:13,103
So that the fire could
Not jump so easily
727
00:38:13,137 --> 00:38:16,206
From building to building.
728
00:38:16,241 --> 00:38:20,172
It also was required
To have balconies,
729
00:38:20,206 --> 00:38:23,965
Which made it easier
To fight fires on upper stories
730
00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:25,862
So that people who lived
731
00:38:25,896 --> 00:38:27,827
In tenement blocks,
Such as this,
732
00:38:27,862 --> 00:38:30,758
Would have a better
Chance of escape.
733
00:38:30,793 --> 00:38:32,586
Narrator: these actions
Are not the mark
734
00:38:32,620 --> 00:38:35,413
Of a cold-blooded arsonist,
735
00:38:35,448 --> 00:38:37,758
But if nero cares so much
About his city,
736
00:38:37,793 --> 00:38:40,103
Why do generations
Of romans insist
737
00:38:40,137 --> 00:38:43,206
He is to blame for the fire?
738
00:38:43,241 --> 00:38:45,620
A clue could lie
In the eventual fate
739
00:38:45,655 --> 00:38:47,517
Of the domus aurea.
740
00:38:47,551 --> 00:38:50,482
♪♪
741
00:38:50,517 --> 00:38:52,827
Nero's palace is
A mighty statement
742
00:38:52,862 --> 00:38:55,344
Of wealth and excess.
743
00:38:55,379 --> 00:38:58,827
The buildings shine with
Gold and mother-of-pearl...
744
00:38:58,862 --> 00:39:01,413
♪♪
745
00:39:01,448 --> 00:39:04,413
...And his statue
Towers over the city.
746
00:39:04,448 --> 00:39:07,275
♪♪
747
00:39:07,310 --> 00:39:10,482
But after four years
Of construction,
748
00:39:10,517 --> 00:39:13,310
Romans ransack the palace,
749
00:39:13,344 --> 00:39:16,655
Stripping off the precious
Jewels and gold leaf.
750
00:39:16,689 --> 00:39:18,379
They drain the lake
751
00:39:18,413 --> 00:39:21,241
And bury the palace.
752
00:39:21,275 --> 00:39:25,241
On top, they build
An enormous structure --
753
00:39:25,275 --> 00:39:26,931
The colosseum,
754
00:39:26,965 --> 00:39:31,275
A symbol of a city to be
Shared by all romans.
755
00:39:33,310 --> 00:39:35,172
♪♪
756
00:39:35,206 --> 00:39:37,241
Archaeologist
Alessandro d'alessio
757
00:39:37,275 --> 00:39:39,586
Believes the sheer scale
Of the palace
758
00:39:39,620 --> 00:39:42,448
Is the reason
For nero's unpopularity.
759
00:39:50,965 --> 00:39:54,482
But, instead,
The people send him a message.
760
00:39:54,517 --> 00:39:56,275
After four years
Of construction,
761
00:39:56,310 --> 00:39:58,724
Nero is overthrown,
762
00:39:58,758 --> 00:40:02,758
And rome's hated emperor
Commits suicide.
763
00:40:02,793 --> 00:40:05,068
His ultimate successor,
Vespasian,
764
00:40:05,103 --> 00:40:07,862
Knocks down the domus aurea
765
00:40:07,896 --> 00:40:09,586
And builds the colosseum
766
00:40:09,620 --> 00:40:12,344
As a huge theater
Of gladiatorial spectacle
767
00:40:12,379 --> 00:40:14,103
And entertainment,
768
00:40:14,137 --> 00:40:15,413
Open to the people,
769
00:40:15,448 --> 00:40:17,241
Not just for one emperor.
770
00:40:17,275 --> 00:40:18,655
♪♪
771
00:40:28,655 --> 00:40:33,172
Nero commits many
Unspeakable atrocities,
772
00:40:33,206 --> 00:40:34,862
But new investigations reveal
773
00:40:34,896 --> 00:40:36,344
He is likely innocent
774
00:40:36,379 --> 00:40:38,379
Of his greatest crime.
775
00:40:47,551 --> 00:40:48,862
♪♪
776
00:40:48,896 --> 00:40:51,344
Nero's obsession
With the domus aurea
777
00:40:51,379 --> 00:40:53,517
Seals his reputation.
778
00:40:53,551 --> 00:40:57,965
I don't think nero
Started the fire of rome,
779
00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:01,448
But what is significant
Is that the people of rome
780
00:41:01,482 --> 00:41:06,137
Actually thought
He might be capable of it.
781
00:41:06,172 --> 00:41:08,931
Narrator: archaeologists
Continue to unearth fragments
782
00:41:08,965 --> 00:41:11,724
Of nero's selfish palace.
783
00:41:11,758 --> 00:41:13,620
They're uncovering
The true scale
784
00:41:13,655 --> 00:41:15,862
Of this astonishing building
785
00:41:15,896 --> 00:41:19,000
And new insights
Into the tyrannical nero.
786
00:41:19,034 --> 00:41:20,827
♪♪
787
00:41:20,862 --> 00:41:23,000
The great fire of 64 ad
788
00:41:23,034 --> 00:41:25,724
Remains one of the most
Devastating catastrophes
789
00:41:25,758 --> 00:41:27,931
Of the ancient world --
790
00:41:27,965 --> 00:41:32,310
A disaster forever connected
To rome's notorious ruler.
791
00:41:32,344 --> 00:41:40,103
♪♪
792
00:41:40,137 --> 00:41:47,896
♪♪
793
00:41:47,931 --> 00:41:55,655
♪♪
794
00:41:55,689 --> 00:42:03,482
♪♪
56692
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