6 - Nero

Roman Emperor Nero

Emperor Nero

Since the year 54, a new emperor was on the throne of Rome. Emperor Claudius was poisoned by his fourth wife, Agrippina, and the fifth emperor of Rome was Nero, Agrippina’s son from a previous marriage. Emperor Nero is remembered for his extravagances, his tyrannical rule and because he organized the first persecution of the Empire against Christians.

In the year 64 there was a great fire in Rome, fire that posterity has associated with Nero. For six whole days the fire spread through the poor neighborhoods (built in wood and overpopulated) and reduced to ashes half of the city. It was not the first fire of Rome nor would it be the last, but it seems that it was the worst in Rome’s history. Nero was in Antium (modern Anzio), on the coast, 150 kilometers south of Rome when the fire started. Upon receiving the news of the fire, Nero rushed back and ordered to try to control the fire and organized temporary shelters for those who were homeless.

Fire of Rome in 64

Nero had mania for the performing arts, and tradition says that from a high tower, he watched the terrifying and impressive spectacle of the city in flames illuminating the horizon; He asked for a lyre and improvised a poem about the burning of Troy. So inconceivable behavior made people think that he had torched the city. And indeed, it was observed that the fire originated for a second time in the parks of Tigellinus. In addition, after the fire, Nero took advantage of the wide spaces left by the charred houses of Rome, to build an imperial palace without equal in the world.

Guilty or not, Nero kept suspicions away from himself by blaming the Christians in Rome. It was easy to excite the people against these Orientals. Christians then were almost all Greeks and Jews, people who despised and reviled the gods who always protected the Roman state, making it the first power in the world. Romans could expect everything from those impious, even arson. Christian prophets announced that there would lower fire coming from the sky that would annihilate the capital for its sins. After the fire, Christians even dared to say that the fire was a punishment that God sent to idolaters. Confessions were obtained through torture, and the first Empire persecution against Christians began. Many Christians were crucified; others were covered with animal skins and thrown to the lions in the circus. Others were locked in sacks smeared with tar and burned alive to illuminate the gardens of Nero during the night parties. According to tradition, the apostles Peter and Paul were among the martyrs executed by Nero.

Christian martyrs in the Roman circus

In Nero’s time, Christians were persecuted not only for being suspicious of arson, but also by their religion. According to several historians, from the beginning the persecutions had religious and political character. In general, the Romans were very tolerant in religious matters; they gladly welcomed foreign gods. Christians were entitled to introduce in Rome a new god and worship him freely, and Rome would see nothing abnormal about it. But the Romans demanded reciprocity. Rome could not tolerate that the adepts of the new god refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and refused that his god occupied a place in the Roman Pantheon, among other gods. At first this caused surprise, then irritation, and hatred when Christians demonstrated aversion to bloody circus games. And since Christians did not participate in the imperial cult, they were considered atheists, dangerous radicals and potential traitors.

But the persecutions were taken to such extremes that even the Roman populace felt pity. In short, these persecutions did more to stimulate the growth of Christianity than to prevent it.