Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/738

 596 Ihe Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal. [Mar., CITY ARCHITECTURE. THE Roman Emperor Nero holds, in history, a very discreditable posi- tion, for his mu,ny cruelties. But there is one act of his, which will ever stand out in bold relief, as the very worst, be- cause, in its comprehensiveness, it was the greatest act of wickedness, within his power to perform. We here al- lude, of course, to the incendiary act, which so nearly destroyed the city of Rome. The coolness, too, with which he amused himself, in view of his arch bit of mischief, for " Nero fiddled while Rome was burning," might still add a blacker mark to the indelible score, which history has at- tached to his name. It may be a blem- ish, in the reflective power of our judg- ment, which causes us to find a palliative light in this darkness of character, at least as far as the conflagration in ques- tion is concerned ; and, no doubt, the classic and virtuous reader will at first shrink from the bare mention of the idea, that Nero, in this act of burning shame, was not so great an enemy to society as then appeared ; even though nineteen centuries since have not im- proved his fame: for, no one ever has publicly questioned the sheer bar- barity of the crime. Now, we, as lovers of architecture, are naturally prone to do, what justice can be done to his good intentions, in this apparently most flagrant sin ; and, with that view, we ask of the reader to bear with us ; and, banishing prejudice, consider the merits, such as they are, of the case. Nero was an ardent lover of archi- tecture, in his day. It was his ruling passi.on ; as it was that of another bad prince, who since ruled England, under the title of George IV. The dwelling-houses of the Romans were, for centuries, but one story high, each surrounded by a portico, which served as the passage to the rooms, the only light being through transoms over the doors of these rooms. Towards the close of the Commonwealth, the houses were of two stories, the upper rooms being for festive purposes. When Nero took the imperial purple, Rome was any thing but agreeable to taste. Its streets were narrow and ir- regular. Its houses of various heights ; and, in fact, it presented much the ap- pearance that Constantinople does at this day, with the exception, that the city of the Sultan shows a palace, which Rome, at that time, could not. Sixt}'- four years after the birth of Christ, the overwhelming conflagration took place, which left the greater part of Rome in ashes. Now, whether this was the secret act of Nero, carried out by his hirelings, or the awful consequences of a mere accident, no one can say ; but certain it is, that Rome was burned, and that the Emperor appeared to enjoy the catas- trophe. Well, we said, that Nero had a love for architecture; and, by conse- quence, had a hatred for Rome, as it then stood. So, when the fire (which was, nevertheless, a purifier in this case) had completed its work, the Emperor began to indulge his taste ; and laid out the streets in greater breadth ; in fact, so broad that the citizens com- plained of his leaving them scarcely any shelter from the sun. The houses were built up to five, six, and even eight sto- ries, and each dwelling was fenced round with ornamental curtain walls, and had its court yard. Nero not alone did this for Rome, but he commenced, and all but completed, one of the most magnifi- cent palaces, which that age of the world could boast of. So superb was this im- perial residence, that Pliny, the histo- rian, speaks of it in terms of laudation sufficient to carry the mind into oriental romance. He calls it the domus aarea, from the gold ornamentation, which