While
the Romans had a wide degree of religious tollerance in the lands they
conquered, the Christians were a fast growing movement that were causing
civil unrest.
People were annoyed with the intollerance of the Christians telling them
their Gods were not real and inferior to their Jesus. But this was an
annoyance at best and just made them unpopular.
When Rome burnt, Nero chose the unpopular sect as scapegoats and that
turn the ire of the empire against them for many years to come.
