ROMAN EMPEROR (NEVER NAMED IN SCRIPTURE) · NEW TESTAMENT

Nero. The "Caesar" of Paul's appeal, by date; Scripture never names him.

RULEDi

Not given Scripture gives no reign; it speaks of "Cæsar" and "Augustus" (Acts 25:11, 21).

SEAT

Rome

HOUSE

Not stated 16th of 17 in Rome

SCRIPTURE SAYS

“Paul to Festus: "I stand at Cæsar's judgment seat ... I appeal unto Cæsar." Festus: "unto Cæsar shalt thou…”

PROPHETS

None named

ROME: 17 RULERS HEROD THE GREAT → PORCIUS FESTUS

SUCCESSION

Before and after

WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS

What Scripture says of him

  • Paul to Festus: "I stand at Cæsar's judgment seat ... I appeal unto Cæsar." Festus: "unto Cæsar shalt thou go." Acts 25:10–12
  • Festus speaks of "the hearing of Augustus" and has "no certain thing to write unto my lord". Acts 25:21 Acts 25:26
  • Agrippa: "This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cæsar." Acts 26:32
  • In the storm an angel told Paul, "thou must be brought before Cæsar". Acts 27:24
  • From the textAt Rome Paul "dwelt two whole years in his own hired house"; Acts ends without telling the outcome of the appeal. Acts 28:16 Acts 28:30–31
  • Philippians closes: "All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household." Philippians 4:22
  • From the textRomans tells believers to "be subject unto the higher powers", and 1 Peter to submit "to the king, as supreme" and to "Honour the king"; neither names the emperor. Romans 13:1 1 Peter 2:13 1 Peter 2:17

THE SEAT

Rome, where he sat

Where Paul was taken to await Caesar

TRIALS AND HEARINGS

The hearings held

UNDATED IN SCRIPTURE

THE NATION

What the nation did

  • Paul's bonds were "manifest in all the palace", and some "of Caesar's household" sent greetings. Philippians 1:13 Philippians 4:22

ON THE WORLD STAGE

The powers of the day

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · AD 64

Tacitus on the Christians after the fire

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · REIGN OF NERO

Suetonius on the Christians

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · ABOUT AD 197 AND ABOUT 325

The early church on Nero

DATES DIFFER

When was it?

SCRIPTURE'S NUMBERS

No years given

None. Scripture does not name him.

Members of the imperial household at Rome

J. B. Lightfoot (1868; 4th ed. 1878), with the oldest tradition and most writers of his day

Lightfoot: the household "includes the whole of the imperial household, the meanest slaves as well as the most powerful courtiers", so the phrase need not mean high officials or the emperor's relatives; he dates Philippians from Rome. Philippians 4:22 Philippians 1:13 [12]

Imperial servants at Caesarea

H. E. G. Paulus (1799), Böttger and Thiersch (as reported by Lightfoot, 1878)

These writers dated Philippians from Paul's custody at Caesarea. Lightfoot answers that "Caesar's household" cannot without much straining be applied there, though he grants the household included imperial servants "in Italy and even in the provinces". Philippians 4:22 Acts 23:35 [12]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 6

Acts 25 Acts 26 Acts 27 Acts 28 Philippians 1 Philippians 4

PASSAGES · 10

Acts 25:8–12 Acts 25:21 Acts 25:25–26 Acts 26:32 Acts 27:1 Acts 27:24 Acts 28:16–19 Acts 28:30–31 Philippians 1:13 Philippians 4:22

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture never names Nero.
  • Acts does not say whether Paul's appeal was ever heard, or by whom.
  • Scripture does not mention the fire of Rome or Nero's punishment of the Christians.

IDENTIFICATIONS THIS PAGE RELIES ON

  • From the textScripture never names Nero. The site's person record attaches him to Philippians 4:22 ("Caesar's household") and to 2 Timothy 4:22, where his name stands only in the note printed after the letter in the King James Bible, which is not Scripture. Philippians 4:22 2 Timothy 4:22
  • Scholars' viewGill (1746-48) reads "Augustus" in Acts 25:21 as the title of "the Roman Emperor Nero". Acts 25:21 [7]

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • A. Deissmann, tr. L. R. M. Strachan, St. Paul: A Study in Social and Religious History (1912), Appendix I, The Proconsulate of L. Junius Gallio, pp. 235-260 (Orosius on p. 257).
  • Cassius Dio, tr. E. Cary, Roman History, book 60 (Loeb Classical Library, vol. 7) (1924), 60.6.6.
  • E. H. Plumptre, in C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A New Testament Commentary for English Readers, Notes on Acts 18:2 and 27:1 (about 1880), read on Bible Hub.
  • E. H. Plumptre, in C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A New Testament Commentary for English Readers, Notes on Luke 2:2 and 3:1 (about 1880), read on Bible Hub.
  • Eusebius, tr. A. C. McGiffert, Church History, book 2 (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 1) (1890), 2.2.1-2; 2.6.3-7; 2.7; 2.8.1; 2.25.5.
  • Eusebius, tr. A. C. McGiffert, Church History, book 9 (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 1) (1890), 9.5.1.
  • John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament, note on Acts 25:21 (1746-48), read on Bible Hub.
  • Seneca, tr. R. M. Gummere, Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 104 (Loeb Classical Library, vol. 3) (1925), 104.1 and Gummere's note 2.
  • The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Latin dedicatory inscription mentioning Pontius Pilate (IAA 1961-529), collection catalogue entry (facts only) (online catalogue, read 2026), findspot, date range, material, number, catalogue heading and the museum's English reconstruction of the text (checked by web search 2026-10-07; the Latin letters were not checked).
  • Justin Martyr, tr. M. Dods and G. Reith, The First Apology (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1) (1885), chs. 34, 35, 48.
  • R. J. Knowling, The Acts of the Apostles (Expositor's Greek Testament, vol. 2), on Acts 18:2 (1900), read on Bible Hub.
  • J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, 4th ed. (1878), p. 30 note 1; detached essay 'Caesar's Household', pp. 171 ff..
  • J. B. Lightfoot, Essays on the Work Entitled Supernatural Religion (1889), Appendix, pp. 292-296 (the proconsul of Cyprus).
  • J. R. Lumby, The Acts of the Apostles (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges), on Acts 18:2 (1885), read on Bible Hub.
  • H. A. W. Meyer (English translation), Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Acts of the Apostles, on Acts 18:2 (1877-80), note on Acts 18:2 with notes 73 and 75; read on Bible Hub.
  • Philo, tr. C. D. Yonge, On the Virtues and Office of Ambassadors (the Embassy to Gaius), The Works of Philo Judaeus vol. 4 (1855), chapters 37-38 (Yonge's numbering), pp. 164-166.
  • A. Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to S. Luke (International Critical Commentary) (1896), on Luke 3:1, pp. 81-84.
  • A. C. Hervey, Acts (Pulpit Commentary), on Acts 18:2 (1884), read on Bible Hub.
  • W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen (1895), Chronological Index (as tabulated in the Letters research, pauls-letters-part1.md section 1.2).
  • W. M. Ramsay, Was Christ Born at Bethlehem? A Study on the Credibility of St. Luke (1898), chs. VII-VIII (pp. 131-173); ch. X, pp. 199-202 and note I, p. 221; ch. XI, pp. 227-245.
  • W. M. Ramsay, The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament (1915), ch. XII, pp. 150-162.
  • Augustus, tr. F. W. Shipley, Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Loeb Classical Library) (1924), chapter 34.
  • Augustus, tr. F. W. Shipley, Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Loeb Classical Library) (1924), chapter 8.
  • A. T. Robertson, Paul, the Apostle (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) (1915), part 3, III. Chronology of Paul's Career; read online, not yet checked against a scan.
  • E. Schürer, tr. S. Taylor and P. Christie, A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, Division 2, vol. 2 (1885), section 31, pp. 236-238 with notes 67-70.
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Augustus (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 100.1.
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Claudius (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 18.2; 25.4 with Rolfe's note 75; 28; 45; Rolfe's note 79 (accession 25 January 41); note 81 (Felix's wives).
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Nero (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 16.2; 57.1.
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Tiberius (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 73.1.
  • Tacitus, tr. A. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb, The Annals of Tacitus (1884), 3.48; 12.43; 12.54; 15.44; 15.73, with the translators' notes (1884 printing; first published 1876).
  • Tacitus, tr. A. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb, The History of Tacitus (1888), 5.9 (1888 printing; first published 1864).
  • Tertullian, tr. S. Thelwall, Apology (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3) (1885), chs. 5 and 21.

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