Tag: Emperor Nero

Peter was martyred by Nero sometime between 64 and 67. Peter’s martyrdom is not mentioned in Acts, which implies that Acts had already been published and distributed.

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Part 3 of 3 (Part 1 here, Part 2 here)

The early vs. late Debate

Biblical scholars are divided over when the Synoptic Gospels and the Book of Revelation were written. John’s Gospel is certainly later, and may even have been written after Revelation, but the debate does not address when John was written, since that gospel is so different from the others. (more…)

The repercussions of the fire that burned most of Rome in 64 AD are still felt today.

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Part 2 of 3 (Part 1 here, Part 2 here)

The Roman-Jewish War

Nero squeezed the economy of the entire empire to rebuild Rome after the fire. One of his schemes to acquire money was to tax the treasuries of religious institutions. (more…)

The Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD changed the religious order of the Roman Empire.

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Part 1 of 3 (Part 2 here)

Theology matters. The ideas arising from how religious thinkers have connected things in scripture drive a great deal of social policy. The outcomes of these policies can be good or bad. Societies that follow a Calvinist interpretation of Christianity, for example, tend to be wealthy. (more…)

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Part 2 of 2 (Part 1 here)

Nero was only 16 when he became Emperor. His coming to power had nevertheless been enabled by several murders and/or suspiciously timely deaths. Claudius may or may not have died accidentally, but Narcissus, who favored Britannicus and the Senator Silanus, were poisoned almost certainly on the orders of Nero’s mother. (more…)

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Part 1 of 2 (Part 2 here)

Alexander Bätz
Nero: Wahnsinn und Wirklichkeit
‎Hamburg: Rowohlt Buchverlag, 2023

Among those able to name any Roman emperors, Nero is likely to be on their list. Although he was Roman Emperor for only 14 years, from 54 to 68 AD, he is widely viewed as one of the most famous or infamous of all of them, strongly associated with the persecution of the Christians and the murder of both his mother and wife, and he is widely seen as the embodiment of tyranny. (more…)

Unknown artist and date, The Pilgrimage to Canterbury

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Part 1 of 3 (Part 2 here)

There’s an old story within a story told by a pilgrim knight about ancient Thebes and two Theban cousins named Arcite and Palamon.^[1] According to everyone who knew them, no two warriors were more perfect. (more…)