Why did Nero blame Christians for the Great Fire of Rome?

Following the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE, the Roman populace widely believed that Nero had started the blaze himself to clear space for his own architectural projects, such as the Golden House.1

To deflect this growing public suspicion and escape personal blame, Nero identified the Christians as convenient scapegoats. At the time, Christians were already viewed with suspicion by many Romans, who associated them with "wicked practices" and secret vices. By shifting responsibility onto this marginalized group, Nero initiated a period of local, short-lived persecution. While the act was a calculated political maneuver to protect his own reputation, it is historically condemned as an expression of the emperor's cruelty rather than a genuine effort to serve the public good.12