The Year of the Four Emperors: 69 AD

On 20^th December 69 AD the Roman Empire ended a period of chaos and gained a new emperor who would bring a measure of much-needed stability and ensure its survival.

The year 69 is known as the Year of the Four Emperors, three of whom met violent deaths. After Nero was overthrown in June 68 various factions of the army put forward their own candidates for Emperor, and it was these conflicting claims that created the chaos.

First up was Galba, an elderly provincial governor who was Nero’s chosen successor. However, he proved to be incapable of command and managed to alienate key elements of the army. He was overthrown and murdered by troops loyal to Otho, a former friend of Nero, who then took over as emperor.

The army in Germany had declared that their preferred candidate was Vitellius, whose troops proceeded to march on Rome while Otho desperately tried to mount a defence. When his men were defeated by those of Vitellius (who had stayed behind in Germany until the issue was decided), Otho committed suicide having reigned for only three months.

Soon after Vitellius arrived in Rome in June 69, another army advanced from the east. This was composed of troops loyal to a general named Vespasian, who had been fighting in Judea and Syria. The army in Egypt declared Vespasian emperor on 1^st July, and this inspired troops closer to Rome to follow suit.

The supporters of Vespasian fought those of Vitellius on the same battlefield that had seen the defeat of Otho by Vitellius’s army only a few months before. This time Vitellius was not so lucky, and when the victorious army of Vespasian reached Rome (on 20^th December) they murdered Vitellius and threw his body into the River Tiber.

Meanwhile Vespasian was still in Judea trying to sort out the Jewish Revolt that would end the following year with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. He left his son Titus to finish the job while he set off for Rome, which he reached a year after he had originally been declared emperor by his troops.

Vespasian had a long and distinguished military record, his exploits including the defeat of Celtic tribes in southern Britain during the invasion instituted by Claudius in 43 AD. As emperor he proved to be the right man for the job, despite being over 60 when he took office. He ruled firmly but justly and was respected and revered by the people of Rome.

One lasting result of Vespasian’s reign was his decision to tear down Nero’s pleasure palace and build an amphitheatre in place of the artificial lake that Nero had constructed. Although it was completed after Vespasian’s death in June 79, much of the building survives to this day and is one of Rome’s chief tourist attractions under the name of The Colosseum.

© John Welford