July 1, 69 CE – Vespasian Declared Emperor by His Egyptian Legions

July 1, 69 CE – Vespasian Declared Emperor by His Egyptian LegionsRate this post In the wake of Nero’s death in 68 CE, the Roman Empire became a free-for-all. The Year of the Four Emperors – a civil war by another name – saw Galba assume the throne, only to be murdered by Otho, a man soon overtaken by Vitellius in April. Otho’s backers, eager to find someone to remove the new Emperor, were pleased to see Vespasian declared the rightful heir by the Roman Army in Egypt on July 1, 69. (Not without a little help, for what it’s worth.) Titus Flavius Vespasianus was an Italian by birth. He’d […]