70

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Year 70 (LXX) was a common year starting on Monday (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 Vespasianus (or, less frequently, year 823 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 70 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

• Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus Caesar Vespasian become Roman Consuls.
• Vespasian starts the building of the Colosseum; the amphitheatre is used for gladiatorial games and public spectacles, such as sea battles, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas of Classical mythology.
• Panic strikes Rome as adverse winds delay grain shipments from Africa and 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 8,000 tons per week it normally consumes.
• Sextus Julius Frontinus is praetor of Rome. Legio II Adiutrix is created from marines of Classis Ravennatis.
• Pliny the Elder serves as procurator in Gallia Narbonensis.
• April 14 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus surrounds the Jewish capital, with three legions (V Macedonica, XII Fulminata and XV Apollinaris) on the western side and a fourth (X Fretensis) on the Mount of Olives to the east. He puts pressure on the food and water supplies of the inhabitants by allowing pilgrims to enter the city to celebrate Passover and then refusing them egress.
• May 10 – Titus opens a full-scale assault on Jerusalem, he concentrates his attack on the city's Third Wall to the northwest. The Roman army tries to breach the wall using testudos, mantlets, siege towers, and battering rams.
• May 25 – The Third Wall of Jerusalem collapse and the Jews withdrew from Bezetha to the Second Wall, where the defences are unorganized.
• May 30 – Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. The Jewish defenders retreats to the First Wall. The Romans built a circumvallation, all trees within fifteen kilometres of the city are cut down.
• July 20 – Titus storms the Fortress of Antonia north of the Temple Mount. The Romans are drawn into street fighting with the Zealots.
• 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–September – Titus assaults the Temple Mount and detroys Herod's Palace in the Upper City of Jerusalem. Jewish resistance ends on September 26.
• Neapolis (present day Nablus) is founded in Iudaea Province.
• Naval clashes on the Rhine during the Batavian Revolt; 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 disbanded four Rhine legions (I Germanica, IIII 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 Empire under Vespasian.

Asia

• India sees the end of the Hellenistic dynasties.

Africa

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

By topic

Religion

• Avignon becomes the seat of a bishopric.
• Members of The Oneida Community, a now non-existent religious group formed in the Nineteenth Century, believed this was the year Jesus Christ returned.

Births

• Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus, Roman general at Judaea (d. 117 AD)

Deaths

• Hero of Alexandria (approximate date)

References