The First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church were Christians who were martyred in the city of Rome during Nero's persecution in 64 AD¹. This event is recorded by both Tacitus and Pope Clement I, among others.
In July of 64 AD, Rome was devastated by a fire. Rumor blamed the tragedy on Emperor Nero, who wanted to enlarge his palace. He shifted the blame by accusing the Christians¹². According to the historian Tacitus, many Christians were put to death because of their "hatred of the human race." Peter and Paul were probably among the victims¹².
These martyrs are celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church as an optional memorial on 30 June¹. The Orthodox Church also celebrates them on 30 June in its liturgical calendar¹.
This feast first came into the General Roman Calendar in the 1969 calendar reforms. The intention of the feast is to give a general celebration of early Roman martyrs¹. This feast is a replacement for the many Roman martyr feasts, whose absence allowed for a less cluttered and more "dies natale" based sanctoral calendar of more major saints¹.
Their sacrifice is a testament to their faith and is remembered as a significant event in the history of the Christian Church¹²³⁴.
(1) First Martyrs of the Church of Rome - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Martyrs_of_the_Church_of_Rome.
(2) First Martyrs of the Church of Rome | Franciscan Media. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/first-martyrs-of-the-church-of-rome/.
(3) First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church - Catholic Apostolate Center ....
https://www.catholicapostolatecenterfeastdays.org/feast-days-and-solemnities/first-martyrs-of-the-holy-roman-church.
(4) Honoring the First Christian Martyrs of the Church at Rome. https://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/first-christian-martyrs-church-rome-2-6084.
