Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned By Mary Francis Gyles The
Classical Journal, Vol. 42, No. 4 (1947) Introduction: Curiosity
concerning the origin and development of the expression “Nero
fiddled while Rome burned” leads to an investigation which has
traversed the fields of History, Philology, Literature, and
Music. The extent to which this phrase is used by the public in
everyday speech and its frequent appearance in popular
literature have placed it in the position of an adage. On
examination its usage is found to hinge upon the meaning of the
word fiddle. This word is defined by the New English Dictionary
as “fiddle, substantive, a stringed instrument of music; usually
the violin, but also, (with defining word as in bass fiddle)
applied to other instruments of the viol kind.” The verb, as
given by the same dictionary, means to play a fiddle. Since
musical historians agree that the viol class of instruments did
not develop about the eleventh century, it is conclusive that
Nero could not have fiddled in this sen