mercilessly crucified. because of peter was also arrested and condemned to death by crucifixion on the vatican hill. so that his death would differ from that of jesus he asked his executioner to invert the cross on which he was nailed. to stuff marshy says a protestant theologian and church historian is one of the world's leading scholars of early christian studies in nero's time the christians were a new and obscure jewish sect you should travel. when you're writing past events historical writers always tend to simplify reality somewhat for info home and the simplification of reality in nero's case turned him into a ruler who unleashed the persecution of christians out of pure criminal intent so there was no legal basis though naturally many of the incidents recorded as