a. toward the palatine hill. it's show time at the imperial palace where emperor nero has opened the gates to his gardens the people of rome have been demanding revenge for the loss of loved ones and property in the fire. the emperor lights up the festivities with the perpetrators using their bodies as human torches. nero reportedly ordered tar pitch to be poured on christians who were crucified and set on fire to light up his garden death by fire was common punishment for arsonists so that was nothing unusual what is strange for us today is the juxtaposition of jovial festivities and a brutal mass murder. another indication of just how strange life could be in ancient rome. if god went on naval kinds of democracies