The Myth of the Persecuted Church

[Pat Mustard]

I mean, Nero's reign was longer than 12 years, and it's hard to see why he was so hated by the Christians if he didn't actually persecute them.

Nero was so hated because he was an easy scapegoat. You've got to remember that even shortly after his death he was reviled and traduced by Roman authors and authorities. When the bishops of Rome were trying to retcon their congregations early beginnings a few centuries later (in order to bolster their claims to the status of patriarch), they found his reign an easy place to throw a few lies into the already salacious mix of truth and calumny.

For example the "persecution" after Rome burned was largely established by substituting christian for jew (who were actually persecuted back then), and it was readily believed.