Nero’s Persecution of Christians
By Kelly McDonald, Jr.
In 64 AD, Christians were falsely accused of setting fire to the city of Rome. To remove suspicion that he set the fire, Nero persecuted them with awful acts of torture to satisfy the Roman people. This historical event is attested to by both Roman and Christian sources. In this article, we will review the background to this event and some of the sources that recorded it.
Historical Background
In the mid-60s AD, Nero was Roman Emperor. He sought to build a new city called Neronia (obviously named after himself). Part of the problem is that it required tearing down part of the city of Rome! Perhaps not coincidentally, a fire broke out in the city. It was the worst that had occurred up to that point.
No one knew at first who was responsible for this fire, but the people demanded answers. Nero tried making sacrifices to the Greco-Roman gods and giving out gifts to the people to satisfy any doubt about the event. None of these actions satisfied the people! It seemed very suspicious that his city plans and the fire took place so close together.
In fact, the fire broke out on property owned by one of his advisors. Nero was suspected to have intentionally done it! There was a rumor that he sang about the fall of Troy (another ancient city) while the city burned.
To divert the people’s suspicion away from himself, Nero blamed Christians for the event. Believers were tortured and put to death. Tacitus, a Roman historian who lived from 56-120 AD, wrote about these events:
“A disaster followed, whether accidental or treacherously contrived by the emperor, is uncertain, as authors have given both accounts, worse, however, and more dreadful than any which have ever happened to this city by the violence of fire…a rumour had gone forth everywhere that, at the very time when the city was in flames, the emperor appeared on a private stage and sang of the destruction of Troy, comparing present misfortunes with the calamities of antiquity…”
“And to this conflagration there attached the greater infamy because it broke out on the Aemilian property of Tigellinus [Nero’s Chief Advisor], and it seemed that Nero was aiming at the glory of founding a new city and calling it by his name. Rome, indeed, is divided into fourteen districts, four of which remained uninjured, three were levelled to the ground, while in the other seven were left only a few shattered, half-burnt relics of houses…”
“…But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiation of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the fire was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report [that Nero started the fire], Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular…”
“…Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed by the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man’s cruelty, that they were being destroyed” (Tacitus, The Annals, 15.39-40, 44).
Tacitus recorded that an immense multitude was convicted of being a Christian. There must have been many Christians in the city of Rome. This record is an indication that Christianity had spread considerably in Rome and the surrounding areas. Paul’s letter to the Romans is another way we can confirm a significant Christian presence in the city. It is usually dated to about 57 (NIV Study Notes, page 1743).
In the last chapter of this letter, Paul left words of appreciation to nearly thirty people among the local believers who labored and served in the Lord (more are indirectly referenced). This number could be used to establish a significant Christian presence. It does not include those who heard and received the message but did not assist in spreading the Word. Some or many of these were likely among those put to death in these senseless acts of violence.
In the last part of the book of Acts, we learn that Paul requested a trial before Caesar for his beliefs (see Acts chapters 21 through 28). The Caesar referred to in latter part of Acts is Nero. Paul was among those who were slain during Nero’s reign.
The Roman historian Suetonius (69-122 AD) also mentioned this persecution. “He likewise inflicted punishments on the Christians*, a sort of people who held a new and impious superstition” (Life of Nero, 16.2). *Latin word is Christiani. Suetonius does not add much more to the discussion of this topic than what we have already learned.
In Tertullian’s Apology (about 200 AD), he explained the Christian faith and defended it against the Romans. In this work, he described how the suffering of Christians during the time of Nero was recorded in Roman history.
“Consult your histories; you will there find that Nero was the first who assailed with the imperial sword the Christian sect, making progress then especially at Rome. But we glory in having our condemnation hallowed by the hostility of such a wretch. For any one who knows him, can understand that not except as being of singular excellence did anything bring on it Nero’s condemnation…” (idem, 5)
The accounts are some missing details. We do not know the method by which Christians were sought out and their subsequent trials (if any was given). Moreover, we are not sure how long Nero carried out his bloody program. Tacitus indicates that the people of Rome simply knew who belonged to this group and who did not. Their similarities with Jewish people contributed to them standing out.
Nero was the first Roman official to target Christians. Like our Lord and Savior, these innocent Christians gave their lives amid false accusations. Let us always remember their example of faith.
Kelly McDonald, Jr.
Bible Sabbath Association (www.biblesabbath.org)
The Sabbath Sentinel 
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