The Persecution of the Christians in Rome

In the 30 odd years since Christ's death, nascent Christian communities had begun cropping up throughout the empire. The problem the early Christians faced in Rome was that their religion struck the average Roman as downright weird. According to Tacitus, Nero embarked on his persecution with a cruel zeal. But if Nero was hoping that he could regain the public's favor by torturing Christians, he underestimated the humanity of the masses. Sure the Christians are weird, but at a certain point, burning them alive for sport, while you and your friends watch and drink yourself stupid is not enough.