In A.D. 64,thefirst systematic slaughter of Christiansbegan,sponsored by the Roman emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus,the seventh Caesar,inaugurating what would become state-sponsored terrorism against Christians,periodically,through the ages. Roman Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (A.D. 37-68)

What did Nero do to the Christians?

Writing in the second century, Tacitus tells us that, to put down the rumour, Nero blamed an unpopular group of outsiders in Rome, the Christians. He made a spectacle of the punishment: those convicted were killed by dogs or fastened to crosses and burned at night like lamps.

What happened to the Roman Empire in 64 AD?

Tacitus, Annals, 15.44 Rome was destroyed by fire in July 64; Tacitus’ story suggests that the Christians were killed in the same summer. An early Christian tradition adds some details, such as the decapitation of Paul and the crucifixion of Peter.

Was the persecution under Nero confined to Rome?

As Ferguson states, “The persecution under Nero was confined to Rome, but this action set a precedent that could be followed elsewhere”[5]. This Neronian persecution was not a punishment for crimes committed, though he made attempts to blame Christians for the fires in Rome, this was a hatred for a group of people because of their beliefs.

Why did Nero set Rome on fire?

In the summer of 64, Rome suffered a terrible fire that burned for six days and seven nights consuming almost three quarters of the city. The people accused the Emperor Nero for the devastation claiming he set the fire for his own amusement.

Why did Nero want the fire?

The common myth that Nero wanted the fire to clear the way for him to build a grander palace is mostly debunked by historians. The new palace that he did build after the fire was largely similar to the burned one. Another factor counting against the purposeful arson theory is the almost full moon that was present at the start of the fire, the idea being that arsonists would want the cover of darkness from a moonless night.

Why did Nero play the Lyre?

Actually, Nero’s enemies accused him of sending out teams of agents pretending to be drunk to start fires around the city, and then as the story goes, Nero calmly played the Lyre (an old time stringed instrument) while the fires raged. Other stories have Nero openly sending out minions to burn the city, and singing while playing the Lyre, possibly watching the spectacle from a tower, while still other accounts have Christians as the culprits, apparently setting the fires in protest of repression by Roman authorities. Of course, Nero blamed the Christians, an easy target at the time. The persecution of Christians because of the fire started about 250 years of Roman persecution of Christians, a practice finally ended in 313 AD when Emperor Constantine legalized the Christian religion with the Edict of Milan.

What is the factor that counts against purposeful arson?

Another factor counting against the purposeful arson theory is the almost full moon that was present at the start of the fire, the idea being that arsonists would want the cover of darkness from a moonless night.

How many districts of Rome were destroyed by fire?

The 14 districts of Rome suffered greatly, with 3 districts burned to the ground and only 4 untouched by the fire. Even Nero’s own palace was partially burned down, and temples and arcades burned with the rest of the buildings. An unknown number of people died from the fires, though the amount probably numbered in the hundreds.

How long did the fire last in Rome?

On July 18, 64 AD, the center of Western Civilization, city of Rome, capital of the Roman Empire, suffered an enormous fire that devastated the city and burned for 6 days.

When did Nero blame Christians?

July 18, 64 AD: The Great Fire of Rome, Nero Blames Christians! – History and Headlines

Where did the Great Fire start?

The Great Fire is believed to have started in the area of the Circus where shops had all manner of combustibles stocked. Citizens fled to other, non-burning parts of the city, and then were forced into open fields as other neighborhoods caught fire.

What were Nero’s parents’ and grandparents’ lives filled with?

The lives of Nero’s parents and grandparents were filled with scandals, immorality, and plots. His grandfather was, according to the Roman historian Seutonius, “a man in all the parts of his life ungracious and detestable,” a murderer, defrauder, an adulterer, a cheat, incestuous and treasonous. Nero’s predecessor Claudius was likely poisoned, and Claudius’s predecessor, Caligula, was stabbed to death by his Praetorian guard. Nero became Caesar at age sixteen, and would rule over the Roman Empire from 54-68 A.D. He was tutored and advised by the great Stoic philosopher Seneca. His beginnings were auspicious and did not publicly exhibit the savagery and excesses that would characterize most of his future rule. He bestowed favors and prizes to many, and provided cultural entertainments for the people of Rome. He fancied himself a musician and patron of the arts. Beneath the benevolent exterior, however, lay a perverted killer of ferocious potential.

What was the purpose of the fire in Rome?

The consensus of Roman historians claim that Nero was responsible for the setting of the fire in order to use the cleared areas to build his own “Golden House” and other new and better buildings— a sort of urban renewal by fire. No direct evidence links him to the event, but he used it for his own purposes (as modern politician Rahm Emmanuel said, “Never let a crisis go to waste”). Nero rushed to the area himself and gave money to victims from his own treasury and opened his house to the newly homeless. Besides a new palace, he built in the now burned-over district, a statue to himself, “the Colossus of Nero.” The cost of rebuilding Rome proved enormous, along with the taxes he levied to make it happen.

When did the persecution of Christians begin?

He initiated the first systematic state-sponsored persecution of Christians on July 24. Arrested, thrown to wild beasts, and crucified, the Christians were rounded up and sacrificed. While the persecution began in Rome, it spread to other provinces of the Empire.

Who was Nero’s predecessor?

Nero’s predecessor Claudius was likely poisoned, and Claudius ’s predecessor, Caligula, was stabbed to death by his Praetorian guard. Nero became Caesar at age sixteen, and would rule over the Roman Empire from 54-68 A.D. He was tutored and advised by the great Stoic philosopher Seneca.

Who was Nero’s tutor?

Beneath the benevolent exterior, however, lay a perverted killer of ferocious potential. Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c. 4 B.C. – A.D. 65) also known simply as Seneca, tutor and advisor to Nero. Nero ordering the murder of his mother, Agrippina. Nero’s mother Agrippina, daughter of a great general and sister, wife, and mother of emperors, …

Did Nero have his mother murdered?

Five years after becoming emperor, Nero had his mother murdered. According to Tacitus, he also had his wife Octavia executed. Church historian Phillip Schaff wrote that Nero “heaped crime upon crime until he became a proverbial monster of iniquity.”. The outrages he committed are beyond imagination.

When did Nero’s persecution begin?

Nero’s Persecutions Begin, July 24, A.D. 64 ( or 67) he apostles had been forewarned by Jesus that persecution and martyrdom would be in their future. For thirty-one years the persecutions had been haphazard and typically—but not exclusively—inspired by Jewish leaders in different areas of the Roman Empire.

What was the climax of these cruel shows?

The climax of these cruel shows was the mockery of the crucifixion of Christ: according to a second-century tradition, the Christian leader Peter was crucified upside down. [This article, Tacitus on the Christians and the Commentary, is from the website livius.org .

What did Nero do to get rid of the report?

Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called “Chrestians” by the populace.

What did Nero use his absolute power for?

He used the absolute power he possessed to preserve himself at all costs. To Nero, the end always justified the means. When he burned Rome to the ground in July 64 AD and his heinous act became known, he cast about for a scapegoat to preserve the State—himself. “Not my fault.

Did the Jews live near the Capena Gate?

So, there were Jews living near the place where the fire started, and there was another reason to suspect the people near the Capena Gate: their part of the city was not destroyed by the fire. But Nero could never punish the Jews of Rome: there were thousands of them. The Christians, on the other hand, were an easy target.

Did Christians live among the Jewish proletariat?

That there were Christians living among the Jewish proletariat, is also suggested by the presence of a very ancient church, the SS. Nereo ed Achilleo, which is, in a venerably old legend, connected with Peter’s last days. Both the Capena Gate and this church are situated on the Appian Road, which was also connected with the last days of Peter.

When was Rome destroyed?

Rome was destroyed by fire in July 64; Tacitus’ story suggests that the Christians were killed in the same summer. An early Christian tradition adds some details, such as the decapitation of Paul and the crucifixion of Peter.

Who said the conflagration was the result of an order?

“But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor (Nero) and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration (burning of Rome in 64 AD) was the result of an order (given by Nero).

Why did Nero offer his garden players for the spectacle?

Nero offered his own garden players for the spectacle, and exhibited a Circensian game, indiscriminately mingling with the common people in the dress of a charioteer, or else standing in his chariot. For this cause a feeling of compassion arose towards the sufferers, though guilty and deserving of exemplary capital punishment, because they seemed not to be cut off for the public good, but were victims of the ferocity of one man."

Why did Nero blame the Christians?

In order to deflect these accusations and placate the people, Nero laid blame for the fire on the Christians. The emperor ordered the arrest of a few members of the sect who, under torture, accused others until the entire Christian populace was implicated and became fair game for retribution.

What did Nero persecute?

Nero Persecutes. A generation after the death of Christ, Christianity had reached Rome in the form of an obscure offshoot of Judaism popular among the city’s poor and destitute. Members of this religious sect spoke of the coming of a new kingdom and a new king. These views provoked suspicion among the Jewish authorities who rejected …

Why did Rome burn for 6 days?

In the summer of 64, Rome suffered a terrible fire that burned for six days and seven nights consuming almost three quarters of the city. The people accused the Emperor Nero for the devastation claiming he set the fire for his own amusement. In order to deflect these accusations and placate the people, Nero laid blame for the fire on the Christians.

How long did the Roman fire last?

In the summer of 64, Rome suffered a terrible fire that burned for six days and seven nights consuming almost three quarters of the city.

Who wrote the book Annals?

The following account was written by the Roman historian Tacitus in his book Annals published a few years after the event. Tacitus was a young boy living in Rome during the time of the persecutions.

What was the attitude of the Roman government toward the Church?

The attitude of the Roman government toward the Church gradually changed from indifference to hostility. They had come to see that Christianity and Judaism were different. Christianity came to be regarded as a religio illicita (“prohibited religion”). It is clear that though in AD 64 the Christians were charged with arson, soon they were being persecuted for the mere fact of being Christians, and for the supposed abominations connected with that name.

Why did Nero start the fire?

Though it seems that he was away at the time, it was rumored that Nero himself started the fire so as to rebuild the city according to his fancy. The Roman historian Tacitus seems to believe the fire was an accident. But no matter. The rumor spread, and more and more the people suspected the emperor.

What made Nero a scapegoat?

The popular indignation endured by the Christians made them Nero’s natural scapegoats. All kinds of slanderous reports about Christians had been circulating. The Lord’s Supper gave rise to rumors that they held secret cannibalistic meetings where they ate someone’s body and drank his blood.

When did persecution begin?

It is likely that this persecution was limited to the city of Rome. Most persecutions were isolated and local until just before AD 250, when the first “general persecutions” would begin. Even so, the gateway to persecution had been opened, and ever after Christians were to live under threat.

When did Nero become Emperor?

Nero became emperor in AD 54, at first a reasonable ruler who was fairly popular. Becoming increasingly infatuated by his dreams of grandeur and lust for pleasure, he lost this popularity, so that by AD 64 he was despised by the people; rumor had it that he was mad. In June of AD 64, a great fire broke out in Rome.

What did Tacitus say about Nero?

Tacitus says that Nero’s persecution resulted in the apprehension of some Christians who, in turn, testified against their brethren so that “an immense multitude was convicted” and put to death.

Why did Nero torch Rome?

In A.D. 64, a terrible fire broke out in Rome. It was strongly believed that Nero deliberately torched the city in order to justify building a more splendid one. At any rate, the conflagration raged out of control for more than a week, substantially destroying about 70% of the area.

What did Paul say about the Philippians?

Paul charged that they “preach Christ even of envy and strife” hoping to “raise up affliction” for him in his bonds (1:15-17). They would rub salt in the apostle’s wounds!

What did Paul say about civil government?

He points out that civil government, generally speaking, is for the ordering and protection of society. Laws directed to that end ought to be obeyed. Similarly, Peter wrote:

What does Peter say about the Lord’s sake?

Similarly, Peter wrote: “Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as sent by him” (1 Pet. 2:13,14). These passages are subtle indicators of the inspirednature of the New Testament.

Why did the Roman ruler blame the followers of Jesus for this crime?

The ruler seized upon a plan. Due to the fact that Roman sentiment was hostile toward Christianity, the emperor would blame the followers of Jesus for this crime. Thus did he, and in A.D. 64, a fierce persecution was launched against the saints in Rome.

Who was the most despicable character in history?

Nero Claudius Caesar was one of the most despicable characters on the stage of human history. But there are some important lessons to learn from his interaction with the Christians of the first century. Nero Claudius Caesar was one of the most despicable characters on the stage of human history. But there are some important lessons to learn …