Latest / The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History
Augustus and the Fire Brigades: How Rome's First Emperor Tamed the Flames
Rome burned. Again and again. Before Augustus, there was no organized firefighting—just panicked bucket brigades and collapsing insulae. Then, in 6 AD, the emperor created the Vigiles: a corps of 7,000 men who served as both firefighters and night watch. This episode follows the story of Roman firefighting from the great fire of Nero (which destroyed half the city) to the humble sipho (a hand-operated pump). Learn how Augustus reorganized the city into fourteen regiones, each with its own fire station; how the Vigiles recruited from freedmen and slaves; and why the wealthy relied on their own…
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