PERSECUTION A particular course or period of systematic infliction of punishment or penalty for adherence to a particular religious belief.

Systematic persecution began with the Roman imperial government.

Notably tolerant toward alien religious beliefs in general, the Romans clashed with the Christians over the formalities of Caesar worship.

Nero must be regarded as the first persecutor. In 64 (Tactitus, Annals 15:38-44) this emperor used the small Christian community as a scapegoat for a disastrous fire in Rome, placing on the Christians the charge of arson that was popularly leveled against him.

* - Return to the Myth page.