The first of the three greatest defeats the Romans suffered was at the Allia, a stream near Rome, in about 390 B.C. In this battle Brennus led the Gauls in a rout against a roughly evenly matched group of Romans under Quintus Sulpicius. The Romans needed to re-evaluate their battle tactics. As a result of the defeat, the Gauls could march on Rome. The Roman leader Camillus had to be recalled as dictator of the Romans to get rid of the invading Gauls.
Battle of the Allia
Camillus

Photo © Clipart.com

When people think of Nero they often conjure up the anachronistic image of Nero playing a violin while the city of Rome burned. There were no violins at the time, but there was a fire, which started on the night of July 18 (or 19) in A.D. 64, by the Circus Maximus.

• Roman Emperor Nero
• Secrets of the Dead: The Great Fire of Rome

Nero is also associated with the persecution of Christians whom he blamed for the devastating fire in Rome. As a result of the fire, Nero was able to rebuild Rome, including his golden palace Domus Aurea.
(Nero image © 2006 Clipart.com)