64 CE

Neronian persecution after the Great Fire of Rome

What happened?

After the Great Fire of Rome, Nero blamed and brutally punished a group identified as Christians. Tacitus, writing decades later, is the principal non-Christian source for the episode.

Historical context

Local Roman persecution / scapegoating

Aftermath and significance

Its significance is presented in relation to the surrounding religious, political and social history. Where evidence or attribution is disputed, the uncertainty is stated rather than resolved by assumption.

Sources and historical certainty

Tacitus provides important Roman evidence for Nero's punishment of Christians. It should be treated as a specific persecution at Rome, not the beginning of an uninterrupted empire-wide policy.

Further reading: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nero-Roman-emperor

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