Christians: Haters of Mankind
I’ve decided to take a few blogs to lay out what I believe are interesting events in church history that Christians should be aware of.
The Great Fire of Rome (AD 64) burned for six days and seven nights. Just when they thought they had it under control, it broke out again. It appears to have burned for three more days. Only four of Rome’s fourteen districts (about 29% of the city) escaped the fire entirely. Three of the districts (about 21% of the city) were completely burnt to the ground. The remaining seven districts were mostly destroyed, being left with only a few damaged, half-burned buildings.
Though it appears to have been an accident, the word on the street was that the Emperor Nero had ordered the city burned because he wanted to rebuild it himself. The early 2nd century historian Tacitus goes on:
“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.
Accordingly, they first arrested all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burned to serve as a nightly illumination when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a chariot. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man’s cruelty, that they were being destroyed.” (Tacitus, Annals XV.44, Church-Brodribb translation)
Tacitus was about eight at the time of the fire, most likely not in Rome at the time and not an eyewitness. But he went on to become a senator and consul (AD 97) and governor of Asia (now Turkey, AD 112-113). He’s not an insignificant nobody, but an educated important leader with access to original sources. His is one of the early secular accounts affirming the existence of Christ and Christianity, which he calls “a mischievous superstition”, a thing “hideous and shameful” that had made its way from Judea to Rome.
Tacitus says Christians were “hated for their abominations”, their “hatred against mankind.” That sounds odd to us, since we see Christianity as being about purity, forgiveness, and love, not abominable behavior and hatred. But Christian morals opposed much of Roman social practice, and Christians withdrew from social events driven by pagan religion, making Christians anti-social misfits—“haters of mankind”. They were despised more for their way of life than their theology.
This was more of an attempt to distract the political gossip chain that opposed Nero than it was a dedicated attempt to wipe out all Christians. Christians just happened to be the convenient scapegoat at the moment. Early Christian tradition says Peter and Paul were eventually martyred by Nero in Rome.
Being misunderstood, even hated, for living by Christ’s teaching is nothing new. Peter wrote to Christians who were being slandered as “evildoers” and told them to keep their conduct honorable “so that... [observers] may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12). The Romans called Christians “haters of mankind” because believers lived differently. When our culture calls our faithfulness to truth “hateful”, we stand in a long line of believers who were misunderstood in the same way.
The Great Fire of Rome (AD 64) burned for six days and seven nights. Just when they thought they had it under control, it broke out again. It appears to have burned for three more days. Only four of Rome’s fourteen districts (about 29% of the city) escaped the fire entirely. Three of the districts (about 21% of the city) were completely burnt to the ground. The remaining seven districts were mostly destroyed, being left with only a few damaged, half-burned buildings.
Though it appears to have been an accident, the word on the street was that the Emperor Nero had ordered the city burned because he wanted to rebuild it himself. The early 2nd century historian Tacitus goes on:
“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.
Accordingly, they first arrested all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burned to serve as a nightly illumination when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a chariot. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man’s cruelty, that they were being destroyed.” (Tacitus, Annals XV.44, Church-Brodribb translation)
Tacitus was about eight at the time of the fire, most likely not in Rome at the time and not an eyewitness. But he went on to become a senator and consul (AD 97) and governor of Asia (now Turkey, AD 112-113). He’s not an insignificant nobody, but an educated important leader with access to original sources. His is one of the early secular accounts affirming the existence of Christ and Christianity, which he calls “a mischievous superstition”, a thing “hideous and shameful” that had made its way from Judea to Rome.
Tacitus says Christians were “hated for their abominations”, their “hatred against mankind.” That sounds odd to us, since we see Christianity as being about purity, forgiveness, and love, not abominable behavior and hatred. But Christian morals opposed much of Roman social practice, and Christians withdrew from social events driven by pagan religion, making Christians anti-social misfits—“haters of mankind”. They were despised more for their way of life than their theology.
This was more of an attempt to distract the political gossip chain that opposed Nero than it was a dedicated attempt to wipe out all Christians. Christians just happened to be the convenient scapegoat at the moment. Early Christian tradition says Peter and Paul were eventually martyred by Nero in Rome.
Being misunderstood, even hated, for living by Christ’s teaching is nothing new. Peter wrote to Christians who were being slandered as “evildoers” and told them to keep their conduct honorable “so that... [observers] may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12). The Romans called Christians “haters of mankind” because believers lived differently. When our culture calls our faithfulness to truth “hateful”, we stand in a long line of believers who were misunderstood in the same way.