AD 66

Events

By place

Roman Empire

• September 22 - Emperor Nero creates the Legio I Italica. He appoints Titus Flavius Vespasian legate of the army of Judea, which gives him command of three legions — V Macedonica, X Fretensis and XV Apollinaris.
• October - The Jewish Revolt commences against the Roman Empire. The Zealots lay siege to Jerusalem and annihilate the Roman garrison. The Sicarii capture the fortress of Masada overlooking the Dead Sea.
• Mid–late October - Cestius Gallus, legate of Syria, marches into Judea and leads a Roman army of 30,000 men to put down the Jewish rebellion. At its core is Legio XII Fulminata, plus 2,000 selected men from the other three Syrian legions, six more cohorts of infantry and four alae of cavalry, plus over 14,000 auxiliaries furnished by Rome's eastern allies, including Herod Agrippa II and two other client kings, Antiochus IV of Commagene and Sohaemus of Emesa, who lead their forces in person.
• Gallus leads his main force down the coast from Caesarea via Antipatris to Lydda, detaching other units, by land and sea, to neutralize the rebel strongholds at Joppa, Narbata and the Tower of Aphek. With Galilee and the entire Judean coast in his hands, Gallus assumes his campaign before the winter rains render the roads impassable. He turns inland and marches on Jerusalem, taking the road via the plain at Emmaus. Gallus succeeds in conquering Beit She'arim on the Bezetha Hill.
• November - Battle of Beth-Horon: Gallus abandons the siege of Jerusalem and chooses, for uncertain reasons, to withdraw west to winter quarters, where he is ambushed and defeated by Judean rebels. Some 5,300 Roman troops are killed, as well as all their pack animals, their artillery, and the greatest disgrace of all, the eagle standard of Legio XII Fulminata. Gallus abandons his troops in disarray, fleeing to Syria.

  Britannia

• Suetonius Paullinus, governor of Britannia, becomes a Roman Consul.
• The Roman Legio II Augusta is stationed at Gloucester.

  Asia

• Baekje invades Silla in the Korean Peninsula, and captures Castle Ugok.

  By topic

Arts and sciences

• Dioscorides writes his De Materia Medica, a treatise on the methodical treatment of disease by use of medicine.

  Astronomy

• Halley's Comet is visible.

  Religion

• The First Epistle to Timothy is written.

  Deaths

• Claudia Antonia, daughter of Claudius
• Gaius Anicius Cerialis, Roman suffect consul
• Gaius Petronius Arbiter, Roman politician
• Lucius Annius Vinicianus, Roman politician
• Marcia Servilia Sorana, Roman noblewoman
• Rufrius Crispinus, Roman praetorian prefect