AD 69 ( LXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 822 ''

Ab urbe condita ''Ab urbe condita'' ( 'from the founding of the City'), or ''anno urbis conditae'' (; 'in the year since the city's founding'), abbreviated as AUC or AVC, expresses a date in years since 753 BC, the traditional founding of Rome. It is an exp ...

''). 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 Galba (; born Servius Sulpicius Galba; 24 December 3 BC – 15 January AD 69) was the sixth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 68 to 69. After his adoption by his stepmother, and before becoming emperor, he was known as Livius Ocella Sulpicius Ga ...

, Otho, Vitellius and Vespasian succeed each other as emperor during the year. 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 Germania Superior ("Upper Germania") was an imperial province of the Roman Empire. It comprised an area of today's western Switzerland, the French Jura and Alsace regions, and southwestern Germany. Important cities were Besançon ('' Vesontio' ...

refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor. *

January 10 Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war. * 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the be ...

– Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus is adopted by Galba and appointed to deputy Roman Emperor. *

January 15 Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months. * 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of ...

– Galba and his adopted son Piso are murdered by the Praetorian Guard on the

Roman Forum The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...

. * Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaims himself emperor, and reigns for three months before committing suicide. *

Marcus Trebellius Maximus Marcus Trebellius Maximus was a Roman senator active during the reign of Nero. He was suffect consul for the '' nundinium'' of May to June 55 AD as the colleague of Seneca the Younger, replacing Publius Cornelius Dolabella. In 61 Trebellius ser ...

, governor of Britannia, is forced to flee to Gaul after a

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among member ...

of Legio XX ''Valeria Victrix'' at Deva Victrix (

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

). * April 14 –

First Battle of Bedriacum The Battle of Bedriacum refers to two battles fought during the Year of the Four Emperors (AD 69) near the village of Bedriacum (now Calvatone), about from the town of Cremona in northern Italy. The fighting in fact took place between Bedriacu ...

: Vitellius defeats Otho's legions; Otho commits suicide. *

April 17 Events Pre-1600 *1080 – Harald III of Denmark dies and is succeeded by Canute IV, who would later be the first Dane to be canonized. *1349 – The rule of the Bavand dynasty in Mazandaran is brought to an end by the murder of Hasan ...

– After the

, Vitellius becomes emperor. *

Marcus Vettius Bolanus Marcus Vettius Bolanus (c. 33 – 76) was a Roman senator and soldier. He was suffect consul for the ''nundinium'' of September-December 66 as the colleague of Marcus Arruntius Aquila. Career Bolanus served in Anatolia under Corbulo in 62. ...

becomes the new governor of Britain and faces a second insurrection of Venutius, king of the

Brigantes The Brigantes were Ancient Britons who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of what would become Northern England. Their territory, often referred to as Brigantia, was centred in what was later known as Yorkshire. The Greek geogr ...

. *

July 1 Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...

– Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as emperor. * July 3 – The army of Judea to swears allegiance to Vespasian as emperor. * August 1 – Batavian rebellion: The Batavians in Germania Inferior ( Netherlands) revolt under the leadership of Gaius Julius Civilis. * German warbands cross over to join the revolt and attack the fortress at Mainz. * The Batavians attack Roman forts on the Rhine frontier;

Fectio Fectio, known as ''Vechten'' in Old Dutch, was a Roman ''castellum'' in the province Germania Inferior established in the year 4 or 5 AD. It was located at the place where the river Vecht (''Fectio'') branched off from the Rhine, leading to Lake ...

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 Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; el, Μοισία, Moisía) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River, which included most of the territory of modern eastern Serbia, Kosovo, north-eastern Alban ...

proclaim Vespasian as emperor. * October 24 – Second Battle of Bedriacum: Flavians under

Antonius Primus Marcus Antonius Primus (born between 20 AD and 35 AD – died after 81 AD) was a senator and general of the Roman Empire. Biography Early life Primus was born at Tolosa (Toulouse) in Gaul. He was likely the son/grandson of Lucius Antonius (grands ...

defeat the Vitellians. * December 22 – Vitellius is captured and murdered by the Gemonian stairs. Vespasian becomes emperor. * Judea: The Jewish Revolt – Vespasian lays siege to Jerusalem; the city is captured the following year by his son Titus. * Josephus, Jewish rebel leader, is dragged before Vespasian and becomes his historian (he "prophesied" him his elevation to the purple). * Legio I ''Macriana liberatrix'' is disbanded. * The Flavian dynasty starts.

Births

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...

, Roman historian (approximate date) *

Polycarpus Polycarp (; el, Πολύκαρπος, ''Polýkarpos''; la, Polycarpus; AD 69 155) was a Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to the '' Martyrdom of Polycarp'', he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire fail ...

, bishop and martyr of Smyrna (d. AD 155)

Deaths

Cornelius Laco Cornelius Laco (died 69) was a prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, under Emperor Galba from 68 until his death on 15 January of AD 69. Laco acceded to this office upon the suicide of the previous emperor Nero ...

, Roman

praetorian prefect The praetorian prefect ( la, praefectus praetorio, el, ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders be ...

(murdered) **

Sempronius Densus Sempronius Densus was a centurion in the Praetorian Guard in the 1st century. He was bodyguard to the deputy emperor, and is remembered by history for his courage and loyalty in singlehandedly defending his charge from scores of armed assassins, wh ...

, Roman bodyguard (killed) ** Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus, Roman deputy emperor (b. AD 38) **

Servius Sulpicius Galba Servius Sulpicius Galba may refer to: * Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 144 BC) * Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 108 BC) * Servius Sulpicius Galba (praetor 54 BC), assassin of Julius Caesar * Galba, born Servius Sulpicius Galba, Roman emperor fro ...

, Roman emperor (b.

3 BC __NOTOC__ Year 3 BC was a common year starting on Wednesday or Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar (the sources differ, see leap year error for further information) and a common year starting on Tuesday of the ...

) * April 16 – Marcus Salvius Otho, Roman emperor (b.

AD 32 AD 32 ( XXXII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ahenobarbus and Camillus (or, less frequently, year 785 ''Ab urbe cond ...

) * December 20 – Titus Flavius Sabinus, Roman consul (murdered) * December 22 –

Aulus Vitellius Germanicus Aulus Vitellius (; ; 24 September 1520 December 69) was Roman emperor for eight months, from 19 April to 20 December AD 69. Vitellius was proclaimed emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of civ ...

, Roman emperor (b.

AD 15 __NOTOC__ AD 15 ( XV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Caesar and Flaccus (or, less frequently, year 768 '' Ab urbe co ...

) * Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes (approximate date) *

Gaius Ofonius Tigellinus Ofonius Tigellinus (c. 10 – 69) was a prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, from 62 until 68, during the reign of emperor Nero. Tigellinus gained imperial favour through his acquaintance wit ...

, Roman praetorian prefect (suicide) *

Locusta Locusta or Lucusta (died 69), was a notorious maker of poisons in the 1st-century Roman Empire, active in the final two reigns of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. She supposedly took part in the assassinations of Claudius and Britannicus. She was a f ...

, Roman female poison expert to Nero (executed) * Lucius Vitellius (the Younger), Roman politician (executed) *

Marcus Hordeonius Flaccus Marcus Hordeonius Flaccus (died 69 AD) was a Roman senator who lived during the first century. He was suffect consul for the ''nundinium'' of March to April 47 as the colleague of Gaius Calpetanus Rantius Sedatus, and later commander of the Rhine ...

, Roman politician (murdered) * Sextilia, mother of Aulus Vitellius and Lucius Vitellius (suicide) * Sporus, Roman

freedman A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom a ...

and male lover of Nero (suicide) * Titus Vinius, Roman general and consul (b. AD 12)

References

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