Chapter XXIX.
In the meantime, the number of
the Christians being now very large, it happened that Rome was
destroyed by fire, while Nero was stationed at Antium. But the opinion
of all cast the odium of causing the fire upon the emperor, and he was
believed in this way to have sought for the glory of building a new
city. And in fact, Nero could not by any means he tried
111escape from the charge that the fire had
been caused by his orders. He therefore turned the accusation against
the Christians, and the most cruel tortures were accordingly inflicted
upon the innocent. Nay, even new kinds of death were invented, so that,
being covered in the skins of wild beasts, they perished by being
devoured by dogs, while many were crucified or slain by fire, and not a
few were set apart for this purpose, that, when the day came to a
close, they should be consumed to serve for light during the night. In
this way, cruelty first began to be manifested against the Christians.
Afterwards, too, their religion was prohibited by laws which were
enacted; and by edicts openly set forth it was proclaimed unlawful to
be a Christian. At that time Paul and Peter were condemned to death,
the former being beheaded with a sword, while Peter suffered
crucifixion. And while these things went on at Rome, the Jews, not able
to endure the injuries they suffered under the rule of Festus Florus,
began to rebel. Vespasian, being sent by Nero against them, with
proconsular power, defeated them in numerous important battles, and
compelled them to flee within the walls of Jerusalem. In the meanwhile
Nero, now hateful even to himself from a consciousness of his crimes,
disappears from among355355 men, leaving it
uncertain whether or not he had laid violent hands upon himself:
certainly his body was never found. It was accordingly believed that,
even if he did put an end to himself with a sword, his wound was cured,
and his life preserved, according to that which was written regarding
him,—“And his mortal356356 wound was
healed,”—to be sent forth again near the end of the world,
in order that he may practice the mystery of
iniquity.
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