The world in 66 AD — what happened that year

28 events the sources record for this year, grouped by region.

What happened

West Asia (22)

• At Caesarea on the Sabbath, a Syrian overturns an earthenware pot at the synagogue entrance and sacrifices birds on it, an insult that starts the riot (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.289–292)
• Florus orders his soldiers to plunder the Upper Market and kill whoever they meet, causing a great massacre (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.305–308)
• Agrippa II gathers the people and speeches against fighting Rome, pleading in tears with his sister (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.345–401)
• Rebels take the fortress of Masada by treachery and kill the Roman garrison (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.408–410)
• Eleazar halts the sacrifices for foreigners, cutting off those for Rome, which marks the start of the war (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.408–410)
• On the 15th of Loüs (Ab), rebels attack the Antonia fortress, besiege the garrison for two days, then kill them and burn it (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.430–432)
• Menahem, son of Judas the Galilean, comes to Jerusalem and leads the revolt but is soon removed (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.433–440)
• The high priest Ananias, caught after hiding in an aqueduct, is killed with his brother Hezekiah by the bandits (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.441–448)
• The people of Caesarea kill every Jew at the very day and hour the soldiers were killed (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.457–460)
• At Scythopolis the Jews fought on the city's side but, being suspected, were massacred (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.466–468)

More on the map (+12)

Egypt & North Africa (1)

• When the Jewish-Greek conflict in Alexandria turns into a riot, the governor looses the legions to suppress it (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.494–498)

Southern Europe (5)

• Tiridates's entry into Rome: with cohorts drawn up in the Forum, Nero sat on a curule chair on the platform and, at the king's request, removed the turban and crowned him. (Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars Nero 13)
• Claiming that only Greeks had an ear for music, he set out without delay on a journey to Greece. (Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars Nero 22)
• On Nero's way to Campania, Petronius is detained at Cumae (Tacitus, Annals and Histories Ann. 16.19)
• Nero tries to remove Thrasea Paetus and Barea Soranus (Tacitus, Annals and Histories Ann. 16.21)
• The last scene of Thrasea (Tacitus, Annals and Histories Ann. 16.35)

Same events recorded in this year

• Judaea (66) — the same event in Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews and…

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