 Nero was rumored to have had captured Christians dipped in oil and set on fire in his garden at night as a source of light . This view is based on the writings of Tacitus , Suetonius and Cassius Dio , the main surviving sources for Nero 's reign , but a few surviving sources paint Nero in a more favourable light . Some sources , including some mentioned above , portray him as an emperor who was popular with the common Roman people , especially in the East . Some modern historians question the reliability of ancient sources when reporting on Nero 's tyrannical acts . 
 Nero was rumored to <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>have</mark></a> <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> captured Christians dipped in oil and set on fire in his garden at night as a source of light . This view is based on the writings of Tacitus , Suetonius and Cassius Dio , the main surviving sources for Nero <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>reign , but a few surviving sources paint Nero in a more favourable light . Some sources , including some mentioned above , portray him as an emperor <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>who</mark></a>was popular with the common Roman people , especially in the East . Some modern historians question the reliability of ancient sources when reporting on Nero <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>tyrannical acts . 
Nero was rumored to done done captured Christians dipped in oil and set on fire in his garden at night as a source of light . This view is based on the writings of Tacitus , Suetonius and Cassius Dio , the main surviving sources fa Nero  reign , but a few surviving sources paint Nero in a more favourable light . Some sources , including some mentioned above , portray em as an emperor was popular with the common Roman people , especially in the East . Some modern historians question the reliability of ancient sources when reporting on Nero  tyrannical acts .