Four emperor year

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The Roman Empire in 69 AD. Areas of power of the pretenders

The year 69 AD is designated as the year of the Four Emperors . In that year Galba , who had ruled as successor to Nero since 68 , raised Otho , Vitellius and Vespasian to the imperial dignity of the Roman Empire . Finally, Vespasian, who founded the new Flavian dynasty, was able to prevail .

The emperors of the four-emperor year

Galba

On April 3, 68, Galba, the governor of the province of Hispania Tarraconensis , was proclaimed emperor in Carthago Nova . The Senate in Rome confirmed Galba and declared Nero a public enemy, whereupon the suicide committed. As emperor, Galba tried to regain 2.2 billion sesterces of funds given away by Nero . This, along with the corruption of several of his newly appointed officials, turned soldiers and people against him. Since he made himself unpopular with the troops of the Roman Rhine Army, the governor Vitellius in Cologne was proclaimed emperor by his troops on January 2, 69. On the news of this uprising, Galba adopted Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi Licinianus on January 10th and thus determined him as the future successor, thus deciding against Otho, who had raised hopes as one of his most prominent supporters. Thereupon Otho bribed the Praetorian Guard to proclaim him emperor on January 15, 69. On the same day, Otho was recognized by the Senate and soon after in most of the provinces. The insurgents killed Galba and Calpurnius Piso in the forum .

Otho and Vitellius

While Otho initially reigned unchallenged in Italy and was also recognized by the Danube regions, the uprising of the Rhine Army, which Vitellius had raised, continued, which had already begun before his rising. The governors in Gaul, Britain and Hispania joined this uprising. Vitellius's troops entered Italy before Otho could mobilize support from the Danube region. On April 14th, Otho's army was defeated in the First Battle of Bedriacum . Otho killed himself the day after next. On April 19, the Senate recognized Vitellius as emperor, but the new ruler did not enter Rome until July 18. In the eastern provinces, Vitellius was initially formally recognized, but met with great reservations.

Vespasian

In the east of the empire the general Vespasian had already been commissioned by Nero to lead the Jewish War , so he was at the head of a strong armed force in Judea . After Nero's death, he could be considered as the new ruler because with the Jewish War he had defused what was probably the most serious military crisis since the Varus Battle and thus achieved a special authority. He probably thought about taking power early on, but first waited and recognized Galba and then Vitellius. After the three Moslem legions had intended to elect an emperor in April 69 , Vespasian was elevated to emperor by the troops there on July 1, 69 in Alexandria . He had previously secured the support of the governor of Syria, Gaius Licinius Mucianus . Soon a total of 15 legions declared themselves for Vespasian, especially the Danube regions. While these troops advanced west, he himself remained in the East. Vitellius did not undertake a counter-offensive, but remained passive for a long time. So Vespasian's troops under the leadership of the general Mark Antony Primus were able to penetrate Italy effortlessly, whereupon some of Vitellius's previous supporters changed fronts. On 24./25. October 69 came the decisive battle , again at Bedriacum ( Second Battle of Bedriacum ). Antonius Primus defeated Vitellius' forces. Large parts of his troops surrendered on December 17th.

After negotiations about the abdication of Vitellius, who was allegedly prepared to renounce the imperial dignity, failed due to the resistance of his supporters, a very bloody battle for Rome ensued on December 20, 69. As the Flavian troops approached the city, Vespasian's followers holed up in Rome on the Capitol , which was captured by the Vitellians. The temples on the hill burned down. After the Flavians stormed the city, Vitellius was captured and killed.

On December 22, 69, Vespasian was recognized by the Senate as emperor; a Lex de imperio Vespasiani officially granted him all the powers of a princeps and at the same time declared all acts of his followers during the civil war to be legal. Vespasian was now able to assert himself throughout the empire, but he did not arrive in Rome until October 70. With him the Flavian dynasty began.

  • The emperors of the four-emperor year

  • Galba

  • Otho

  • Vitellius

  • Vespasian

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Michael Sommer : Roman History II. Rome and its Empire in the Imperial Era (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 458). 2nd, updated and supplemented edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2014, ISBN 978-3-520-45802-5 , p. 176.