 In 64 AD , most of Rome was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome , which many Romans believed <unk> himself had started in order to clear land for his planned palatial complex , the <unk> <unk> . In 68 , the rebellion of <unk> in Gaul and later the acclamation of <unk> in <unk> drove <unk> from the throne . Facing a false report of being denounced as a public enemy who was to be executed , he committed suicide on 9 June 68 ( the first Roman emperor to do so ) . His death ended the Julio @-@ <unk> dynasty , sparking a brief period of civil wars known as the Year of the Four <unk> . <unk> 's rule is often associated with <unk> and extravagance . He is known for many executions , including that of his mother , and the probable murder by poison of his <unk> <unk> . 
