Emperor Nero

Emperor Nero was the boastful ruler of Rome who held the apostle Paul under house guard for two years. During that imprisonment, Paul continued preaching while awaiting the hearing that had brought him to Caesar's capital. After a devastating fire swept the city, Nero blamed Christians and ordered their persecution. His power placed Paul and other believers in mortal danger, yet it could not silence their faith. Paul refused an opportunity to escape because he believed facing Caesar was part of his mission, even at the cost of his life. Nero's cruelty forms the threatening background to the courage of Paul, Julius, and Antoninus. The emperor commanded guards and punishments, but the faith he opposed continued spreading through people willing to sacrifice everything.