Christian persecution in rome by nero

Email address. Share Tweet Save. This monarch reigned for the space of five years, with tolerable credit to himself, but then gave way to the greatest extravagancy of temper, and to the most atrocious barbarities. Among other diabolical whims, he ordered that the city of Rome should be set on fire, which order was executed by his officers, guards, and servants.

While the imperial city was in flames, he went up to the tower of Macaenas, played upon his harp, sung the song of the burning of Troy, and openly declared that 'he wished the ruin of all things before his death.

This dreadful conflagration continued nine days; when Nero, finding that his conduct was greatly blamed, and a severe odium cast upon him, determined to lay the whole upon the Christians, at once to excuse himself, and have an opportunity of glutting his sight with new cruelties.

This was the occasion of the first persecution; and the barbarities exercised on the Christians were such as even excited the commiseration of the Romans themselves. Nero even refined upon cruelty, and contrived all manner of punishments for the Christians that the most infernal imagination could design. Therefore, first those were seized who admitted their faith, and then, using the information they provided, a vast multitude were convicted, not so much for the crime of burning the city, but for hatred of the human race.

And perishing they were additionally made into sports: they were killed by dogs by having the hides of beasts attached to them, or they were nailed to crosses or set aflame, and, when the daylight passed away, they were used as nighttime lamps.

Nero gave his own gardens for this spectacle and performed a Circus game, in the habit of a charioteer mixing with the plebs or driving about the race-course. Even though they were clearly guilty and merited being made the most recent example of the consequences of crime, people began to pity these sufferers, because they were consumed not for the public good but on account of the fierceness of one man. The reader was created for use in the World Civilization course at Washington State University, but material on this page may be used for educational purposes by permission of the editor-in-chief: Paul Brians Department of English Washington State University Pullman This is just a sample of Reading About the World, Volume 1.

They claimed to eat his body and drink his blood. They claimed this failed messiah was not only Lord, but God himself, and as such was worthy of their devotion and praise.

This flew directly in the self-deified face of Roman Emperors. This public spectacle was on display in the Forum courtyard for all Romans to witness, while he paraded around in a chariot dressed in costume [4]. 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.

Nero could have persecuted just those investigated and found criminal for arson, but he chose to hunt the entirety of Christians in Rome and mock their faith while inflicting torture.