58 CE

Emperor Ming of Han introduces Buddhism to China inviting monks from the western Indus Valley. Roman-Parthian War: Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, commander in the East, launches his Armenian offensive against Parthia. He leads a Roman army (four legions) through the mountainous country of Armenia, against the fortress at Volandum, to the southwest of Artaxata. After a siege of eight hours Corbulo takes the city; the legionnaires massacre the defenders and plunder Volandum to their hearts' content. Agrippina the Younger is expelled from the imperial palace by her son Nero, who installs her in Villa Antonia in Misenum, and leaving more of the effective and real power of Empire in the hands of Nero.

In the 50s, the 1st century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Agrippina the Younger, conspired with the senators in late 58 to overthrow Nero.source
  • Emperor Nero and Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus become Roman consuls.source

Conflict & Security

  • Roman-Parthian War: Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, commander in the East, launches his Armenian offensive against Parthia. He leads a Roman army (four legions) through the mountainous country of Armenia, against the fortress at Volandum, to the southwest of Artaxata. After a siege of eight hours Corbulo takes the city; the legionnaires massacre the defenders and plunder Volandum to their hearts' content.source
  • Gnaeus Julius Agricola, 18 years old, is serving as a military tribune in Britain under Gaius Suetonius Paulinus and is attached to Legio II Augusta.source
  • Agrippina the Younger is expelled from the imperial palace by her son Nero, who installs her in Villa Antonia in Misenum, and leaving more of the effective and real power of Empire in the hands of Nero.source
  • Corbulo marches to Artaxata crossing the Aras River; along the valley he is shadowed by tens of thousands of mounted Parthian archers led by king Tiridates I. The city opens its gates to Corbulo, just as it had to Germanicus four decades before. When he takes the 250-year-old Armenian capital, Corbulo gives the residents a few hours to collect their valuables and burns the city to the ground.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • Emperor Ming of Han introduces Buddhism to China inviting monks from the western Indus Valley.source
  • Romans learn the use of soap from the Gauls (approximate date).source

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Start of Yongping era of the Chinese Han dynasty.source

Health & Medicine

  • The friendship between Nero and Marcus Salvius Otho ends when they both fall in love with Poppea Sabina, and Otho is sent to Lusitania as governor.source
  • In China, sacrifices to Confucius are ordered in all government schools.source

Crime & Justice

  • The apostle Paul returns to Jerusalem with the money he has collected to give the Christian community there. However, he is accused of defiling the temple, and is arrested and imprisoned in Caesarea. He then invokes his Roman citizenship and is sent to Rome to be judged.source

Climate & Environment

  • The Ficus Ruminalis begins to die (see Rumina).source
  • In Thuringia, conflict between two Germanic tribes erupts over access to water.source

Births

  • Juvenal, Roman poet and writer (approximate date)source
  • Xu Shen, Chinese politician and writer (approximate date)source

Deaths

  • Deng Yu, Chinese general of the Han dynasty (born AD 2)source
  • Pharasmanes I, Roman client king of Iberiasource
  • Geng Yan, Chinese general of the Han dynasty (born AD 3)source
  • Rhadamistus, Roman client king of Armeniasource