He crucified them, a he had wild beasts attacked them. He lit them up as flaming torches to light up his gardens in the night. And he invited people to come and look at this as a spectacle. This is one of the very earliest testimonies we have for persecution of christians. They're more used to persecuting jews at this date. But there was sympathy for them. Because nero, when he overstepped the mark, he went too far with it? We od yes. Yes, he took a vicious delight in it.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life of Nero (37-68 AD) who became Emperor at the age of 16. At first he was largely praised for his generosity yet became known for his debauched lifestyle, with allegations he started the Fire of Rome, watching the flames as he played the lyre. Christians saw him as their persecutor, an anti-Christ, and the number of the Beast in the Book of Revelation was thought to indicate Nero. He had confidence in his own artistry, took up acting (which then had a very low status) and, as revolts in the empire grew, killed himself after the Senate condemned him to die as a slave, on a cross.
With
Maria Wyke
Professor of Latin at University College London
Matthew Nicholls
Fellow and Senior Tutor at St John’s College, University of Oxford
And
Shushma Malik
Lecturer in Classics at the University of Roehampton
Producer: Simon Tillotson