Do Not Be Deceived - Part 2 – Emperor Nero

Ever trusted a history book that LIED to your face?

 I've always enjoyed a good conspiracy tale, and it seems to me that there’s usually an element of truth mixed with fiction in every one.

Living in a world where the Internet is overrun with fact and fiction, I'm often astounded by the amount of historical fiction and fabrication I encountered throughout my public and religious education.

Emperor Nero - No Fiddling Around

It's July 64 AD. Rome is burning. The fire starts in shops near the Circus Maximus. Homes and businesses turn to ash, and thousands lose everything overnight. After six days under partial control, flames reignite for three more. Nearly three-quarters of the city is destroyed.

History claims that Nero stood on a tower, violin in hand, playing as his city burned.According to the Roman historian Tacitus (c. AD 56 – c. AD 120), and later Christian tradition, the Emperor blamed the devastation on the Christian community after they accused him of being the Antichrist. However, Tacitus was only 12 years old when Nero committed suicide in 68 AD.

 In reality, Nero was 35 miles from Rome when the fire began. Records say he rushed back, opened his gardens to homeless Romans, and funded relief from his treasury.

 Nero could not have played the violin—the instrument was not invented for another thousand years. Comparing this myth to Julius Caesar tweeting at his assassination shows its impossibility.

 The story of “Nero fiddling while the city burned” first emerged about 150 years after Nero’s death, described by Cassius Dio, who based his account on sources that despised Nero. 
 Yet our textbooks repeat the story, treating Nero’s fiddle as historical fact and perpetuating the myth. For example, as one source noted, “His enemies couldn’t destroy him while alive, so they waited until he died. Then they pinned upon him the worst crime in Roman history.” (Forbidden Vaults: 31 Historical Myths That Turned Out to Be Lies.)

 Ultimately, sometimes those myths have been engineered by governments, journalists, and kings who need you to believe them. History didn't get it wrong. Someone made sure you did... in your history books. https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/