Roman Emperor “Nero”

Nero served as the fifth Roman Emperor from 54 to 68 AD. Born into a Roman aristocratic family, he loved art and sports from a young age, considered himself a great artist, and often participated in the ancient Greek Olympic Games and sang in theaters. He was known for being cruel, extravagant, conceited, and vengeful. He harmed ordinary citizens and built a huge personal statue for others to worship.

Nero was also the first tyrant to publicly and systematically persecute the church and Christians. In 64 AD, the Great Fire of Rome occurred, and Nero blamed and brutally killed many Christians, including the apostles Paul and Peter. The fire raged for six days and seven nights, leaving the city of Rome in ashes. When Nero heard that some suspected he had secretly set the fire, to prevent the rumor from spreading, he claimed the disaster was the result of a Christian conspiracy. He then ordered the arrest of Christians and subjected them to cruel public torture: crucifixion, being covered in animal skins and mauled by wild beasts, or being nailed to posts and used as human candles. Several apostles, including Paul and Peter, were executed during his reign. In 68 AD, a rebellion broke out in the province of Gaul. Having alienated everyone by killing so many people, Nero was overthrown. Facing assassination threats everywhere he fled, he ultimately committed suicide on June 9, 68 AD.