During the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

, there were watchmen that served as

firefighter A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...

s. They used water buckets to put out

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

s and axes to tear down buildings near the fire in order to prevent the fire from spreading. The

aedile Aedile ( , , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public orde ...

s and '' tresviri nocturni'' were also employed to fight fires. Roman Emperor

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

created the ''

Vigiles ''Vigiles'' or more properly the ''Vigiles Urbani'' ("watchmen of the Rome, City") or ''Cohortes Vigilum'' ("Cohort (military unit), cohorts of the watchmen") were the firefighters and police of ancient Rome. History The ''triumviri, triumviri ...

''. The ''Vigiles'' were an organization of

freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...

that fought fires. They would use buckets and water pumps. Emperor

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

also created "bucket brigades" to help fight fires.

Organization and history

Most ancient Roman cities had no firefighting organizations or equipment dedicated to fighting fires. There were early groups of watchmen who used buckets of water to put out fires. During the Roman Republic, there were several organizations dedicated to firefighting. These were the ''tresviri nocturni'', and the aediles also helped put out fires. The ''tresviri nocturni,'' later known as ''tresviri capitales'', had a small group of slaves which would fight fires. Sometimes, in particularly dire situations, a consul would be called to fight fires. Tribunes may also have been involved. Some wealthy individuals would form their own personal fire brigades. An aedile by the name of Egnatius Rufus created a band of slaves that were tasked with putting out fires. His motivation was either to help the Roman people or to gain political status. In 21 BC, Augustus reorganized Rufus' slaves, creating a new group of 600 slaves led by the aediles. Eventually, Augustus created a fire brigade called the ''Vigiles Urbani'' in 6 AD. The ''Vigiles'' numbered 7,000 men, and were divided into cohorts of 1,000 men. Each cohort was responsible for two regions. Overall, the ''Vigiles'' were commanded by an equestrian called the ''praefectus vigilum.''

would later create bucket brigades to patrol the streets of Rome.

Pliny the Younger Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo; 61 – ), better known in English as Pliny the Younger ( ), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and e ...

wrote about the need for fire fighting organizations.

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

, the emperor at the time responded by saying:

Methods

The imperial-era ''Vigiles'' would patrol the streets of Rome looking for fires. They would uses axes, catapults, or ballistae to destroy buildings near a fire to prevent the fire from spreading. It is possible this is the origin of the phrase "hook and ladder". The ''Vigiles'' could also use buckets and water pumps to extinguish fires.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Firefighting in Ancient Rome History of firefighting History of the Roman Republic