reason of the smoke and shouting combined. On this account some might be
seen standing speechless, as if dumb. All this time many who were carrying
out their goods and many more who were stealing what belonged to others
kept encountering one another and falling over the merchandise. It was not
possible to get anywhere, nor yet to stand still; but people pushed and
were pushed back, they upset others and were themselves upset, many were
suffocated, many were crushed: in fine, no evil that can possibly happen
to men at such a crisis failed to befall them. They could not with ease
find even any avenue of escape, and, if any one did save himself from some
immediate danger, he usually fell into another one and was lost.

[Sidenote:--17--] This did not all take place on one day, but lasted for
several days and nights together. Many houses were destroyed through lack
of some one to defend them and many were set on fire in still more places
by persons who presumably came to the rescue. For the soldiers (including
the night watch), having an eye upon plunder, instead of extinguishing any
blaze kindled greater conflagrations. While similar scenes were being
enacted at various points a sudden wind caught the fire and swept it over
whatever remained. Consequently no one concerned himself any longer about
goods or houses, but all the survivors, standing in a place of safety,
gazed upon what seemed to be many islands and cities burning. There was no
longer any grief over individual losses, for it was swallowed up in the
public lamentation, as men reminded one another how once before most of
their city had been similarly laid waste by the Gauls. [Sidenote:--18--]
While the whole population was in this state of mind and many crazed by
the disaster were leaping into the blaze itself, Nero mounted to the roof
of the palace, where nearly the whole conflagration could be taken in by a
sweeping glance, and having assumed the lyrist's garb he sang the Taking
(as he said) of Ilium, which, to the ordinary vision, however, appeared to
be the Taking of Rome.