AD 70

• Emperor Vespasian and his son Caesar Vespasian (the future Emperor Titus) become Roman consuls.
• Panic strikes
  Egypt, producing a bread shortage. Ships laden with wheat from North Africa sail 300 miles to Rome's port of Ostia in 3 days, and the 1,000 mile voyage from Alexandria
  averages 13 days. The vessels often carry 1,000 tons each to provide the city with the 8,000 tons per week it normally consumes.
• Classis Ravennatis
  .
• Pliny the Elder serves as procurator in Gallia Narbonensis.
• 14th of
  egress
  .
• About April 21 – Titus opens a full-scale assault on Jerusalem, concentrating his attack on the city's Third Wall (HaHoma HaShlishit) to the northwest. The Roman army begins trying to breach the wall using testudos, mantlets, siege towers, and battering rams.
• 7th of
  Artemisios^[2] (7th of Iyar, about May 6) – The Third Wall of Jerusalem collapses and the Jews withdraw from Bezetha
  to the Second Wall, where the defences are unorganized.
• 12th of Artemisios
  circumvallation; all trees within 90 stadia
  (ca. fifteen kilometres) of the city are cut down.
• 21st of Artemisios (about May 20 or 21) – A "certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon", "chariots and troops" seen running in the clouds around Jerusalem[4]
• Pentecost (Shavuot, 6th of Sivan, about June 4) – Priests in the Temple in Jerusalem feel a quaking and hear "a sound as of a great multitude saying, Let us remove hence".^[4]
• 17th of
  Panemos (17th of Tammuz), about July 14) – Sacrifices cease in the temple.^[5]
• 24th of Panemos[6] (about July 20) – Romans set fire to a cloister after the capture of the Fortress of Antonia, north of the Temple Mount. The Romans are drawn into street fighting with the Zealots.
• 10th of
  Loios^[7] (9th or 10th of Av, about August 4) – Titus destroys the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Roman troops are stationed in Jerusalem and abolish the Jewish high priesthood and Sanhedrin. This becomes known as the Fall of Jerusalem, a conclusive event in the First Jewish–Roman War (the Jewish Revolt), which began in 66 AD. Following this event, the Jewish religious leadership moves from Jerusalem to Jamnia (present-day Yavne), and this date is mourned annually as the Jewish fast of Tisha B'Av
  .
• August – Titus captures Jerusalem.[8]
• 8th of
  Gorpiaios (8th of Elul, about September 2) – Romans gain control of all of Jerusalem and proceed to burn it and kill its remaining residents, except for some who are taken captive to be killed later or enslaved.^[9]
• Iudaea Province
  .
• Naval clashes on the Rhine during the Batavian Revolt; the crew of a captured Roman flagship is imprisoned at Augusta Treverorum (modern Trier).
• Roman legions V Alaudae and XV Primigenia are destroyed by the Batavi. Later, Quintus Petillius Cerialis puts down the Batavian rebellion of Gaius Julius Civilis.
• Vespasian disbands four Rhine legions (I Germanica, IV Macedonica, XV Primigenia and XVI Gallica), disgraced for having surrendered or lost their eagles during the revolt of Julius Civilis.
• Later Roman emperor Domitian marries Domitia Longina.
• Romans make a punitive expedition against the Garamantes – they are forced to have an official relationship with the Roman Empire.
• Annexation of the island of Samothrace by the Roman Empire under Vespasian.

Asia

• India sees the end of the Hellenistic dynasties.
• A flood in the yellow river returns the river north of Shandong, to essentially its present course^[10]

Africa

• Expedition by the Roman Septimius Flaccus to southern Egypt. He probably reaches Sudan.
• Ze-Hakèlé (Zoskales in Greek) becomes king of Aksum.

By topic

Religion

• Following the destruction of Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin moved to Jamnia.
• Members of the
  Jesus Christ
  returned.

Births

• Demonax, Greek Cynic philosopher (approximate date)
• Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus, Roman politician (d. AD 117)
• Marinus of Tyre, Greek geographer and writer (d. AD 130)
• Menelaus of Alexandria, Greek mathematician (d. AD 140)

Deaths

• Eleazar ben Simon, Jewish leader of the Zealots
• Gaius Dillius Vocula, Roman general (murdered)
• Hero of Alexandria, Greek mathematician and engineer
• Lucius Calpurnius Piso, Roman consul and governor
• Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella, Roman writer
• Nabatea
• Phannias ben Samuel, high priest of Israel
• Simeon ben Gamliel, Jewish leader (nasi)
• Simon bar Giora, Jewish leader (executed)
• Emperor Suinin of Japan, according to legend.

References