Nero

====Martyrdoms of Peter and Paul====
The first text to suggest that Nero ordered the execution of an apostle is a letter by [[Pope Clement I|Clement]] to the Corinthians traditionally dated to around AD 96.<ref>[[#Champlin|Champlin]], p. 123</ref> The apocryphal [[Ascension of Isaiah]], a Christian writing from the 2nd century, says, "the slayer of his mother, who himself (even) this king, will persecute the plant which the [[Twelve Apostles]] of the Beloved have planted. Of the Twelve one will be delivered into his hands"; this is interpreted as referring to Nero.<ref name="ascension">{{Cite web|url=http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ascension.html|title=The Ascension of Isaiah|website=www.earlychristianwritings.com}}</ref>

[[Bishop]] [[Eusebius]] of [[Caesarea Maritima|Caesarea]] (c. 275–339) was the first to write explicitly that Paul was beheaded and Peter crucified in Rome during the reign of Nero.<ref>Eusebius, [http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250102.htm ''Ecclesiastical History'' II.25.5] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061213030543/http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250102.htm |date=13 December 2006 }}</ref> He states that Nero's persecution led to Peter and Paul's deaths, but that Nero did not give any specific orders. However, several other accounts going back to the first century have Paul surviving his two years in Rome and travelling to [[Hispania]], before facing trial in Rome again prior to his death.<ref>In the [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/actspaul.html apocryphal Acts of Paul] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20061020181752/http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/actspaul.html archive]);

in the [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/actspeter.html apocryphal Acts of Peter] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160712172717/http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/actspeter.html archive]);

in the [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-lightfoot.html First Epistle of Clement 5:6]) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20061020184723/http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-lightfoot.html archive]; and

in [http://www.bible-researcher.com/muratorian.html The Muratorian Fragment] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20061018165434/http://www.bible-researcher.com/muratorian.html archive])</ref>

Peter is first said to have been crucified [[Cross of St. Peter|specifically upside-down]] in Rome during Nero's reign (but not by Nero) in the [[apocryphal]] [[Acts of Peter]] (c. 200).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/actspeter.html|title=The Acts of Peter|website=www.earlychristianwritings.com}}</ref> The account ends with Paul still alive and Nero abiding by God's command not to persecute any more Christians.

By the fourth century, a number of writers were stating that Nero killed Peter and Paul.<ref name="lactantius"/><ref>[[John Chrysostom]] wrote Nero knew Paul personally and had him killed, John Chrysostom, [http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1907.htm ''Concerning Lowliness of Mind'' 4] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703235446/http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1907.htm |date=3 July 2007}}; [[Sulpicius Severus]] says Nero killed Peter and Paul, Sulpicius Severus, [http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/sulpiciusseveruschron2.html ''Chronica'' II.28–29]</ref>