Christianity: Emperor Nero vs The Apostle Paul
Christianity is the largest religious body in the world. It follows a monotheistic belief system that believes Jesus Christ is the son of God, a human who was crucified for all mankind’s sins and would be the savior of humanity. Christianity has suffered in history by the hands of those in power who would have no one held in a higher regard than them. Of those who persecuted Christians were Emperor Claudius Nero and Saint Paul the Apostle. Each of these men went to great lengths to destroy the Christians and equally failed. Both were motivate but for one moment in time that would change one man from a killer to a savior and the other destroyed himself.
Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus
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It was speculated that Nero desired this area of land to expand his palace complex on Palatine Hill (History.com). Nero caught wind of the suspicions and began to blame the Jews, who had been previously known for arson. They escaped the blame since they had friends in the court. He then place blame on the Christians and so began the first persecution of Christians (Frend).
Nero immediately diverted all blame to the Christians. They became a class hated for their abhorrent lifestyle. They were seen as hateful of the human race. Christians were quickly seized, tortured, and stoned to death (Frend). Nero created inventive and barbarous manors of killing the Christians. Some were clad in animal hides and fed to packs of dogs, others were burned to death in pyres designed to light the emperor’s evening parties (History.com).
Turmoil began to reign in Rome thereafter. Plots to assassinate the emperor caused Nero to have high members of the government killed in order to protect him. Reconstruction of Rome was putting the empire under great strain and devalued the Roman currency. Nero took an extended vacation to Greece where he immersed himself in sport, music theatre and other foolish projects. He returned. Failed to respond to a revolt until governor Galba declared himself leader of the Senate and the Roman people. Nero was to be put to trial but committed suicide before he could
Occupation: Emperor of Rome Born: December 15, 37 AD in Antium, Italy Died: June 9, 68 AD outside Rome, Italy Reign: October 13, 54 AD to June 9, 68 AD Best known for: One of the worst Emperors of Rome, legend has it he played the fiddle while Rome burned. Biography: Nero ruled Rome from 54 AD to 68 AD. He is one of the most notorious emperors of Rome and is known for executing anyone who didn't agree with him, including his mother.
"Qualis artifex pereo!" ("What an artist is now about to perish!"), was Nero’s famous last words as died. Nero, the roman emperor ruling for 13 years from 54 AD- 68 AD, is most known for burning Rome and blaming the Christians After his father’s death; his mom married his uncle, and he took throne at age 17 until the empire rebelled and he committed suicide at age 30. Nero was very influential to Rome as an emperor in many ways such as his countless murders of innocent people, recklessness throughout the streets, and the burning of Rome Nero did not come from the best background considering his father’s sister raised him from the time he was two, which led to him not having the best morals later in life.
He was very social with the emperors of surrounding lands and would often give them gifts. But all of these good deeds did not make up for the atrocities he committed beforehand. Nero’s family was known for being very harsh and he carried on this trait. He created brutal games for public amusement, often involving senators and high ranking officials competing in fights against animals. Nero loved money and he would create new laws that give him more money, and would often put Rome in debt.
He made them starve to death, he burned them, crucified them, he even used Christians as torches. He was so purely evil that many of the Christians thought he was the Antichrist himself. Nero was responsible for the Great Fire of Rome, but he continued to blame it on the Christians. Many historians give Nero the spot of the most violent villain of all time because of his interest in violence since a kid: “Nero was, in fact, a very bloodthirsty and violent man. As a child, he liked to put on a disguise and then kill people who argued with him” (“Nero”).
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Even though Christians were persecuted on and off during the Roman Empire, Christianity flourished. In the early Roman Empire, when Claudius, Nero, Domitian, and Trajan were emperors, Christianity was banned and Christians were persecuted. Nevertheless, Christians found ways to spread Christianity, and many people converted. As trials occurred and the Empire lost good leaders, the people took security in Christianity and other religions. Christianity grew during the Roman Empire because Constantine helped create the Edict of Milan, Constantine had imperial favor toward The Church, and there was trade routes to spread Christianity to different areas.
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Suetonius offers a more concise and focused perspective on the role of Emperor Nero in the events leading up to and following the fire in his Suetonius’ Nero. Suetonius' Nero provides a detailed account of Nero's life and reign, including his role in the events leading up to the Great Fire of Rome and the subsequent persecution of Christians. It also offers insights into Nero's personal life, including his relationships with his mother, his wives, and his
In Tacitus account of Roman history, Christians were burnt, eaten by animals, and crucified. Document C details why the Romans were persecuting the Christians. According to the Theologian professor, the reason for Christian persecution in Rome was because the Romans did not understand Christian rituals.
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Tom I like the connection you made about Christians being set apart from the Roman culture. One of the reasons why they were disliked so much was because they were perceived as being pompous. Definitely I am in agreement that Nero was a ruthless emperor who did detestable selfish acts. One of which he made a public spectacle showing his cruelty, like when you said “Nero blamed the Christians for [the] major fire that broke out in Rome…” even though “…many of the Romans believe that Nero set the fire to make room for his palace” he began torturing Christians to death for his amusement as if it proved his innocence. Your explanation on Arianism gave me a greater understanding about the heresy.
He set Rome ablaze and used the Christians as scapegoats. He accused them of arson and persecuted many by burning them alive or allowing dogs to tear them to pieces (Lunn-Rockliffe). Emperor Diocletian (284-305) was also notorious for the persecution of Christians. A fire broke out in his palace which caused him great anger. Like the Romans did to the Christians when Nero was in rule, they blamed them for the fire.
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Week Outline Preliminary Thesis Statement: Religion is an essential constituent of any civilization with a unique spiritual pathway. Main Point: Religious spirituality establishes the framework for human social and cultural development. 1. Topic Sentence: