Rule of Nero & Persecution of Christians (jan 1, 54 – jan 1, 68)
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Persecution of Christians by the Roman government, particularly after the Great Fire in 64AD which Nero blamed on Christians (though famously may have started it himself)
Tacitus writes (Annals, 15.44) - "Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judæa, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind."
This is often used as evidence of both the first centralised persecution of Christians (by Nero after the fire), and of pre-existing (but localised) disgust of Christians based on their beliefs and practices.
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