Potentially Interesting Roman History
Episode XXXV
Pliny the Younger, in a letter to Trajan, tells of a disaster he witnessed during a trip to Nicomedia, an ancient Greek city in what is now Turkey, and proposes to do something about it.
“While I was making a tour of another part of the province, an enormous fire at Nicomedia destroyed many private dwellings and two public structures - the old men’s shelter and the temple of Isis - though they stood on opposite sides of the street. It spread so far firstly owing to the force of the wind, and secondly to the inactivity of the people, who, it is clear, stood idle and motionless spectators of such a terrible calamity, and in any case the city possessed not a single pump of fire bucket or any equipment at all for fighting fires. These will, however, be procured, as I have already ordered. Do you, my lord, consider whether you think it well to organise an association of firemen, not to exceed 150 members. I will see to it that none but firemen are admitted into it, and that the privileges granted shall not be abused for any other granted shall not be abused for any other purpose; and they would be so few, it would not be difficult to keep them under surveillance.”
Trajan replies:
“You are of course thinking of the examples of a number of other places in suggesting that an association of firemen might be organised in Nicomedia. But we must remember that the peace of your province [Bythinia], and particularly of those cities, has been repeatedly disturbed by organisations of this kind. Whatever name we give them, and for whatever purpose, men who have been gathered together will all the same become a political association before long. It is therefore better to provide equipment which can be helpful for controlling fires, advise property owners to use these themselves, and, if the situation warrants it, call on the populace for assistance.”
(Pliny, Letters, 10.33-34)
So no fire brigade, Nicomedia. Learn to use the pumps yourselves.
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