From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Calendar year
AD 69 (
LXIX) was a
common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the
Julian calendar. In the
Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the
consulship of
Galba and
Vinius (or, less frequently, year 822
Ab urbe condita). The denomination AD 69 for this year has been used since the early
medieval period, when the
Anno Domini
calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
Events
By place
Roman Empire
- The
Year of the Four Emperors: After
Nero's death,
Galba,
Otho,
Vitellius and
Vespasian succeed each other as emperor during the year.
[1] The year is marked by numerous instances of a breakdown in discipline and mutinous conduct amongst the Roman legions and the
praetorian guard.
-
January 1 – The Roman legions in
Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor.
[2]
-
January 10 –
Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus is adopted by Galba and appointed to
deputy Roman Emperor.
[3]
-
January 15 – Galba and his adopted son Piso are murdered by the
Praetorian Guard on the
Roman Forum.
[4]
- Otho seizes power in
Rome, proclaims himself emperor, and reigns for three months before committing suicide.
[5]
-
Marcus Trebellius Maximus, governor of
Britannia, is forced to flee to
Gaul after a
mutiny of
Legio XX Valeria Victrix at
Deva Victrix (
Chester).[
citation needed]
-
April 14 –
First Battle of Bedriacum: Vitellius defeats Otho's legions; Otho commits suicide.
[5]
-
April 17 – After the
First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes emperor.
[2]
-
Marcus Vettius Bolanus becomes the new governor of Britain and faces a second insurrection of
Venutius, king of the
Brigantes.
[6]
-
July 1 – two legions in Egypt, a legion in Syria, and a legion in Judea declare Vespasian emperor
[7]
-
July 1 –
Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his legions in
Alexandria to swear
allegiance to Vespasian as emperor.
[8]
-
July 3 – The army of Judea swears allegiance to Vespasian as emperor.
[8]
-
August 1 –
Batavian rebellion: The
Batavians in
Germania Inferior (
Netherlands) revolt under the leadership of
Gaius Julius Civilis.
[9]
-
German warbands cross over to join the revolt and attack the fortress at
Mainz.
- The Batavians attack Roman forts on the
Rhine frontier;
Fectio and
Traiectum (modern
Utrecht) are destroyed.
- In
Gallia Belgica, cohors II Tungrorum, raised from the inhabitants of
Atuatuca Tungrorum in the north-west of the
Ardennes Forest, revolt against the Romans.
- The Danubian legions of
Raetia and
Moesia proclaim Vespasian as emperor.
[10]
-
October 24 –
Second Battle of Bedriacum:
Flavians under
Antonius Primus defeat the Vitellians.
[10]
-
December 22 – Vitellius is captured and murdered by the
Gemonian stairs. Vespasian becomes emperor.
[11]
[12]
-
Judea: The
Jewish Revolt – Vespasian lays siege to
Jerusalem; the city is captured the following year by his son
Titus.
[13]
-
Josephus, Jewish rebel leader, is dragged before Vespasian and becomes his
historian (he "prophesied" him his elevation to the purple).
[13]
[14]
-
Legio I Macriana liberatrix is disbanded.
- The
Flavian dynasty starts.
[10]
Births
Deaths
-
January 15
-
April 16 –
Marcus Salvius Otho, Roman emperor (b.
AD 32)
[5]
[7]
-
December 20 –
Titus Flavius Sabinus, Roman consul (murdered)
-
December 22 –
Aulus Vitellius Germanicus, Roman emperor (b.
AD 15)
-
Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes (approximate date)
-
Gaius Ofonius Tigellinus, Roman praetorian prefect (suicide)
-
Locusta, Roman female poison expert to
Nero (executed)
-
Lucius Vitellius (the Younger), Roman politician (executed)
-
Marcus Hordeonius Flaccus, Roman politician (murdered)
-
Titus Flavius Sabinus, brother of Vespasian
[7]
-
Sextilia, mother of Aulus Vitellius and Lucius Vitellius (suicide)
-
Sporus, Roman
freedman and male lover of Nero (suicide)
-
Titus Vinius, Roman general and consul (b.
AD 12)
References
-
^
"Year of the Four Emperors: A Complete Overview". TheCollector. September 27, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^
a
b
"Vitellius". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^
a
b Chilver, Guy Edward Farquhar; Griffin, M. T. (March 7, 2016).
"Calpurnius Piso Frugi Licinianus, Lucius". Oxford Classical Dictionary.
doi:
10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.1313.
ISBN
9780199381135. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
-
^
"Galba | Roman emperor". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^
a
b
c
"Otho". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
-
^ Tacitus, Publius. The Histories. Penguin. p. 99.
ISBN
978-0-140-44964-8.
- ^
a
b
c
d Chilver, Guy Edward Farquhar (January 20, 2024).
"Vespasian". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^
a
b Tacitus, Publius. The Histories. Penguin. p. 108.
ISBN
978-0-140-44964-8.
-
^
"Gaius Julius Civilis | Roman military officer". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^
a
b
c
"The Flavian Dynasty | Boundless World History". courses.lumenlearning.com. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
-
^
"The Assassination of the Emperor Vitellius (Getty Museum)". The J. Paul Getty in Los Angeles. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
-
^
"Aulus Vitellius | Roman emperor". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^
a
b
"Siege of Jerusalem | Facts & Summary". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
-
^
"Flavius Josephus | Jewish priest, scholar, and historian". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
-
^
"Suetonius | Biography, Lives of the Caesars, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
-
^
"Polycarpus", The Free Dictionary, retrieved March 29, 2021