On This Day

64 Great Fire of Rome begins under the Emperor Nero

Early Christians were heavily persecuted throughout the Roman Empire until the 3rd century.

Early Christians were heavily persecuted throughout the Roman Empire until the 3rd century. Although Christianity initially emerged as a small Jewish movement in 1st-century Judaea, it quickly branched off as a separate religion and began spreading across the various Roman territories at a pace that put it at odds with the well-established Roman imperial cult, to which it stood in opposition; Christians were vocal in their expressions of abhorrence towards the beliefs and practices of Roman paganism, such as deifying and making ritual sacrifices to the Roman emperor or partaking in other methods of idolatry.

Historical Significance

Early Christians were heavily persecuted throughout the Roman Empire until the 3rd century.

Key People

Nero

Roman emperor from AD 54 to 68

Roman emperor from AD 54 to 68

Events Before

  1. 54 Agrippina the Younger murders her husband, Roman Emperor Claudius, with poison to secure the succession for her son N

    54 Agrippina the Younger murders her husband, Roman Emperor Claudius, with poison to secure the succession for her son Nero

  2. 60 St. Paul is thought to have been shipwrecked at Malta

    Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa.

Events After

  1. 65 Jews revolt against Rome, capturing fortress of Antonia in Jerusalem

    65 Jews revolt against Rome, capturing fortress of Antonia in Jerusalem

  2. 66 5th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet

    66 5th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet

  3. 68 Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide, imploring his secretary Epaphroditus to slit his throat to evade a Senate-imposed

    68 Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide, imploring his secretary Epaphroditus to slit his throat to evade a Senate-imposed death by flogging

  4. 68 Roman Senate accepts Emperor Galba

    68 Roman Senate accepts Emperor Galba

  5. 68 BC Battle of Artaxata: Lucullus averts the bad omen of this day by defeating Tigranes the Great of Armenia

    68 BC Battle of Artaxata: Lucullus averts the bad omen of this day by defeating Tigranes the Great of Armenia

More from the 60s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 18, 64?
Early Christians were heavily persecuted throughout the Roman Empire until the 3rd century. Although Christianity initially emerged as a small Jewish movement in 1st-century Judaea, it quickly branched off as a separate religion and began spreading across the various Roman territories at a pace that put it at odds with the well-established Roman imperial cult, to which it stood in opposition; Christians were vocal in their expressions of abhorrence towards the beliefs and practices of Roman paganism, such as deifying and making ritual sacrifices to the Roman emperor or partaking in other methods of idolatry.
Why is 64 Great Fire of Rome begins under the Emperor Nero significant?
Early Christians were heavily persecuted throughout the Roman Empire until the 3rd century.
Who was involved in 64 Great Fire of Rome begins under the Emperor Nero?
Key figures include Nero (Roman emperor from AD 54 to 68).

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