Do you have any idea why the Apostle Paul was chosen? Do you have any idea why Timothy, Luke, Barnabas and the others were chosen also? Why didn't The Lord just leave everything to the twelve.....and send them off in twelve different directions?
The simple answer is.....He did.....but their mission [Matthew 10:5-6] was to the House of Israel. This did not include Rome. The Israelites had been scattered [Hosea 1:10] and sifted through the Nations [Amos 1:10]. Our Lord Himself, after telling the "Twelve" [Matthew 10:5] to go to the House of Israel, says that He was sent [Matthew 15:24] to The House of Israel (The Lost Sheep of Matthew 10). His Farewell to Peter [John 21:15-17] seals the deal: 15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
The Apostle Paul was given wider latitude. He was to evangelize Gentiles, Kings and the Israelites [Acts 9:15]....but His mission was still to be segregated from that of Peter....and the other eleven [Galatians 2:7-8]. This is why you see Paul in and about Rome....Twice, but never see Peter or the other eleven there.
Do you think that there were no Jews in Rome? On the contrary, there was a very large colony of them, and given that Rome was like New York, the metropolis of the empire, exceeding in size Alexandria by this time, why shouldn’t he have gone? Where in Scripture do you read he was never there? The tradition is that he was martyred there and that his tomb like Paul’s came to be a place for pilgrims. Speaking of, how do you know that Paul was martyred there, or do you deny this as well. I come to believe that you believe that he was never in Rome because you believe he was never in Rome. It is the tradition you follow, not the Scripture that persuades you to believe.