AD 70

Events

By place

Roman Empire

• Emperor Vespasian and his son Caesar Vespasian become Roman consuls.
• 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 the 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.
• 14th of Xanthikos - Siege of [Jerusalem (AD 70)|Siege of Jerusalem]: Titus surrounds the Jewish capital, with three legions on the western side and a fourth 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.
• About April 21 - Titus opens a full-scale assault on Jerusalem, concentrating his attack on the city's Third Wall to the northwest. The Roman army begins trying to breach the wall using testudos, mantlets, siege towers, and battering rams.
• 7th of Artemisios - The Third Wall of Jerusalem collapses and the Jews withdraw from Bezetha to the Second Wall, where the defences are unorganized.
• 12th of Artemisios - Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. The Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans start building a circumvallation; all trees within 90 stadia of the city are cut down.
• 21st of Artemisios – A "certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon", "chariots and troops" seen running in the clouds around Jerusalem
• Pentecost – Priests in the Temple in Jerusalem feel a quaking and hear "a sound as of a great multitude saying, Let us remove hence".
• 17th of Panemos – Sacrifices cease in the temple.
• 24th of Panemos - 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 - 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, which began in 66 AD. Following this event, the Jewish religious leadership moves from Jerusalem to Jamnia, and this date is mourned annually as the Jewish fast of Tisha B'Av.
• August - Titus captures Jerusalem.
• 8th of Gorpiaios – 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.
• Neapolis is founded in Iudaea Province.
• Naval clashes on the Rhine during the Batavian Revolt; the crew of a captured Roman flagship is imprisoned at Augusta Treverorum.
• 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, 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

Africa

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

By topic

Religion

• Following the destruction of Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin moved to Jamnia.
• 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

• Demonax, Greek Cynic philosopher
• Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus, Roman politician
• Marinus of Tyre, Greek geographer and writer
• Menelaus of Alexandria, Greek mathematician

Deaths

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