Nero was a man who perecuted the christians in early time.

Trinity Lutheran College

Year 9 Christian Studies

Church History Task Card - Important People

Time Era: First second and third centuries.

Name: 

Nero

(Birth Date - Date of Death): AD 15 to AD 68

Early Life Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, born in Antium on the 15^th of December AD 37. Being the son of a man distinguished from a noble Roman family, he was determined to take the throne. When Nero was only 2 his mother, Agrippina, was banished to the Pontian islands, and sadly one year after this dilemma his father perished. Caligula then died (The person who banished Agrippina) taking Agrippina out of exile and giving young Nero a great education. Later in 49 AD Agrippina married Claudius.                                                                                                   

Adult Life

·       Claudius accepted to take Nero as his child after Agrippina persuaded him in AD 50, meaning Nero now took precedence over Claudius’ own son Brittanicus.

·        In AD 54 Claudius died by poison, most probably by Agrippina wanting her son to take the throne and to become empire.

·       In appointed emperor of  Rome Nero’s power soon got to him, he soon sought to kill Brittanicus as he was killed in AD 55 via poison at a dinner party.

·       Nero then found that his wife and his mother were teaming up to take his lead of the throne so he decided to take action and took many murder attempts to kill his mother and finally got an assassin to stab and club her to death in AD 59

·       In AD 64 a great fire burned the city of Rome down as Nero, crazed with power watched as his city burned for 6 days.

·       People were planning to assassinate Nero and when Nero heard about this he would rather commit suicide, so he did and his reign was ceased in AD 68.

Contribution to Church History:

·     Thought Nero’s contribution to the Church was not a very good one, he changed the history of the church dramatically.

·     In AD 64 Nero decided that the Jews who appraised God were morally wrong and worshipping a God instead of the Roman Empire was despised by Nero.

·     During the next 4 years Nero persecuted the Christian faith, changing the Church forever.

By: Liam O'Connell