Jeff Liebermann wrote:

Such things are fairly important. For example, did you ever notice
that Roman Numerals do not have a zero or a null? There was a half
hearted attempt at inventing zero or null (nulla), but fortunately
that failed for many centuries. Rome survived much decadence and some
really weird Emperors without much difficulty.


There's the troubling rumour that Zero fiddled while Rome burned. It's
simply not rue.

mike

m II wrote:
There's the troubling rumour that Zero fiddled while Rome burned. It's
simply not rue.

Correct...the fiddle wasn't invented for another thousand years.

[quote Wiki]

It was said by Suetonius and Cassius Dio that Nero sang the "Sack of Ilium"
in stage costume while the city burned. However, Tacitus' account has Nero
in Antium at the time of the fire. Tacitus said that Nero playing his lyre
and singing while the city burned was only rumor. Popular legend remembers
Nero fiddling-- that is, playing the fiddle-- while Rome burned, but this
is an anachronism as the instrument had not yet been invented, and would
not be for over 1,000 years.