In 64 CE much of Rome burned to the ground. When Nero announced grand plans for a palace, many suspected that he had started the fire with the intent to rebuild Rome in his image. Nero diverted these accusations by announcing that the Christians had burned Rome. This controversy started a period of intense persecution. The historian Tacitus wrote that Nero threw Christians to the wild beasts and had them set on fire to serve as torches for his garden.
By the third century, Rome was facing threats outside its borders and within the empire. Some people blamed the spread of Christianity. They reasoned that the pagan gods were angry and were not helping the Romans in battle. To improve morale, Emperor Diocletian made a political decision to renew persecution of the Christians. The Roman authorities burned churches, destroyed sacred scriptures, and slaughtered thousands of Christians.