Geopolitics & Diplomacy in the 1st century

129 sourced entries, 3 CE to 97 CE, oldest first. Also see Geopolitics & Diplomacy across every century or everything else in the 1st century.

• 3AD 3 – The rule of Emperor Augustus is renewed for a ten-year period.source
• 4AD 4 – Wang Mang is given the title "superior duke".source
• 4AD 4 – A pact of non-aggression and friendship is signed between the Roman Empire, represented by Tiberius, and the German tribe the Cherusci, represented by their King Segimer. Arminius and Flavus, sons of Segimer, are brought into the Roman army as leaders of the auxiliary troops.source
• 4AD 4 – Tiberius also adopts Germanicus as his own heir.source
• 4AD 4 – Julia the Elder returns from exile to live in Rhegium in disgrace.source
• 4AD 4 – The Lex Aelia Sentia regulates the manumission of slaves.source
• 6AD 6 – Iudaea and Moesia become Roman provinces.source
• 6AD 6 – Candidates for government office must take civil-service examinations.source
• 7AD 7 – Illyrian tribes in Pannonia and Dalmatia continue the Great Illyrian Revolt against Roman rule.source
• 7AD 7 – Publius Quinctilius Varus is appointed governor of Germania, charged with organizing Germania between the Rhine and Elbe rivers. He carries out a census, devises tributes and recruits soldiers, all of which creates dissension among the Germanic tribes.source
• 7AD 7 – Vonones I becomes ruler of the Parthian Empire (approximate date).source
• 7AD 7 – The epoch of the Ethiopian calendar begins.source
• 8AD 8 – Vonones I becomes king (shah) of the Parthian Empire.source
• 10Senatus consultum Silanianum is adopted.source
• 11Satakarni begins his reign as Emperor of the Andhra Empire (AD 11–29).source
• 12Quirinius returns from Judea to become a counselor to Tiberius.source
• 12Annius Rufus is appointed Prefect of Judea.source
• 13Abgarus of Edessa is reinstalled as king of Osroene.source
• 13The Senate passes a senatus consultum restricting the reduced Vigintisexviri to the Ordo Equester.source
• 14Sextus Appuleius and Sextus Pompeius serve as Roman consuls.source
• 14Augustus' third (and final) 20-year census of the Roman Empire reports a total of 4,973,000 citizens.source
• 15In Rome, the election of magistrates passes from the people to the Emperor and the Senate.source
• 17May 26 – Germanicus returns to Rome as a conquering hero; he celebrates a triumph for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti and other Germanic tribes west of the Elbe.source
• 17Cappadocia (Asia Minor) becomes a Roman province.source
• 17Lucius Aelius Sejanus becomes Praetorian prefect.source
• 18Germanicus concludes a peace treaty with Artabanus II of Parthia, in which he is recognized as king and friend of Rome.source
• 22Drusus Julius Caesar receives the tribunicia potestas (tribunician power).source
• 24June 30 – The terms of Servius Cornelius Cethegus and Lucius Visellius Varro as Roman consuls expire. During their terms, two laws pertaining to slavery had been passed, the lex Visellia de iure Quiritium Latinorum qui inter vigiles militaverant granting freed slaves Roman citizenship after six years service, and the Lex Visellia de poenis libertinorum qui ingenuorum honores usurpabant which penalized non-citizens who falsely claimed to be ingenui or freeborn Romans.source
• 24King Yuri ascends to the throne as ruler of Silla (Korea).source
• 25August 5 – The Han dynasty is restored in China as Liu Xiu proclaims himself Emperor Guangwu of Han, starting the Jianwu era (until AD 56).source
• 25November 27 – Luoyang becomes the capital of the Houhan or Eastern Han dynasty.source
• 28Frisians revolt against Roman authorities, hanging tax collectors and besieging a local fort. Frisians achieve victory and gain considerable prestige among other local tribes.source
• 28The Frisians negotiate a treaty with the Roman Empire at the River Rhine.source
• 29Agrippina the Elder is exiled to the island of Pandataria, and her sons (except Caligula) are imprisoned by Lucius Aelius Sejanus.source
• 34The original inhabitants of Dacia revolt against the Sarmatian tribe of Iazyges, who had enslaved them.source
• 35Tiridates III becomes king of Parthia (until AD 36).source
• 36December 25 – Wu Han commands the forces of Emperor Guang Wu of the Eastern Han to conquer the separatist Chengjia Empire, reuniting China.source
• 36Marcellus becomes governor of Judaea and Samaria.source
• 39Legio XV Primigenia and XXII Primigenia are levied by Caligula for the German frontier.source
• 39Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Caligula) and Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo become Roman consuls.source
• 40Noricum and Mauretania are incorporated into the Roman Empire.source
• 40Caligula reforms the principatus into a Hellenistic Autocracy. He distributes honors carelessly, declares himself a god and orders that all the heads of the Greek deity statues be replaced by his. He also appoints his horse, Incitatus, to the Senate.source
• 40Philo teaches that all men are born free.source
• 41January 25 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as emperor by the Senate.source
• 41Claudius makes Agrippa king of Judea.source
• 41Emperor Guang Wu of the Han Dynasty deposes his wife, Guo Shengtong, as empress, and makes his consort Yin Lihua empress in her place.source
• 41Messalina, wife of Claudius, persuades Claudius to have Seneca the Younger banished to Corsica on a charge of adultery with Julia Livilla.source
• 42The territories of the current Algeria and Morocco become a Roman province.source
• 42Suro becomes the first king of Geumgwan Gaya, on the Korean Peninsula.source
• 43Vietnam is designated a province of China.source
• 43The Romans now have complete control of the Mediterranean Sea.source
• 43Claudius annexes Lycia in Asia Minor, combining it with Pamphylia as a Roman province.source
• 44The Isle of Rhodes returns to the Roman Empire.source
• 44Mauretania becomes a Roman province.source
• 45The Senate holds consultations regarding real estate speculation in Rome.source
• 46The settlement at Celje gets municipal rights, and is named municipium Claudia Celeia.source
• 47Publius Ostorius Scapula replaces Aulus Plautius as governor of Britain. The south-east of the island is now a Roman province, while certain states on the south coast are ruled as a nominally independent client kingdom by Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, whose seat is probably at Fishbourne near Chichester. Ostorius immediately faces incursions from unconquered areas, which he puts down.source
• 48Mobon becomes ruler of the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo.source
• 48Gallic nobles are admitted to the Roman Senate. Claudius grants the rights of citizenship to the Aedui.source
• 48Emperor Guang Wu of Han, restores Chinese domination of Inner Mongolia. The Xiongnu are made confederates and guard the Northern border of the empire.source
• 50The Yuezhi tribes are united under the Kushan leader Kujula Kadphises, thus creating the Kushan Empire in Afghanistan and northern India (approximate date).source
• 50Utrecht is founded, and a Roman fortification (castellum) is constructed at the Rhine border in the present-day Netherlands.source
• 50Cologne is raised to the status of a city.source
• 51Emperor Claudius and future emperor Titus Flavius Vespasianus become Roman Consuls.source
• 53Decimus Junius Silanus Torquatus and Quintus Haterius Antoninus become Roman consuls.source
• 53Claudius secures a senatorial decree that gives jurisdiction in financial cases to imperial procurators. This marks a significant strengthening of imperial powers at the expense of the Senate.source
• 54Palestine is returned piecemeal to Herod Agrippa's son Marcus Julius Agrippa between 48 and 54.source
• 54Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo arrives in the East and takes up an assignment as governor of Asia, with a secret brief from Nero and his chief ministers, Seneca and Burrus, to return Armenia to the Roman Empire.source
• 55Emperor Nero becomes a Roman Consul.source
• 56The Jianwu era of the Eastern Han dynasty changes to the Jianwuzhongyuan era.source
• 56Publius Clodius Thrasea Paetus becomes a consul in Rome.source
• 57Accession of King Talhae as Korean ruler of Silla.source
• 57Quintus Veranius Nepos becomes governor in place of Aulus Didius Gallus. He begins a campaign against the Silures of south Wales.source
• 57Emperor Nero becomes a Roman consul again.source
• 58Agrippina the Younger, conspired with the senators in late 58 to overthrow Nero.source
• 58Emperor Nero and Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus become Roman consuls.source
• 60Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, Roman governor of Britain, captures the island of Mona (Anglesey), the last stronghold of the Druids.source
• 61Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, Roman governor of Britain, captures the island of Mona (Anglesey), the last stronghold of the Druids.source
• 61Publius Petronius Turpilianus and Lucius Caesennius Paetus become Roman consuls.source
• 61Galba becomes governor of Hispania Tarraconensis.source
• 64Seneca proclaims the equality of all men, including slaves.source
• 66Suetonius Paullinus, governor of Britannia, becomes a Roman Consul.source
• 68June 9 – The Roman Senate accepts Servius Sulpicius Galba, as Roman Emperor.source
• 68Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, father of Trajan, becomes consul.source
• 68Legio I Macriana liberatrix and Legio I Adiutrix are created.source
• 69January 1 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor.source
• 69July 1 – two legions in Egypt, a legion in Syria, and a legion in Judea declare Vespasian emperorsource
• 69The Danubian legions of Raetia and Moesia proclaim Vespasian as emperor.source
• 69Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaims himself emperor, and reigns for three months before committing suicide.source
• 70Emperor Vespasian and his son Caesar Vespasian (the future Emperor Titus) become Roman consuls.source
• 71Titus is made praetorian prefect of the Praetorian Guard and receives pro-consular command and also tribunician power, all of which indicates that Vespasian will follow the hereditary tradition of succession.source
• 72Vespasian and Titus are Roman Consuls.source
• 73Emperor Vespasian begins conquest of territory east of the upper Rhine and south of the Main. In addition, he reorganizes the defenses of the upper and lower Danube.source
• 73Titus Flavius Domitianus becomes Roman Consul.source
• 74Emperor Ming of Han appoints Chen Mu to the revived office of Protector of the Western Regions.source
• 74Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus Caesar Vespasianus become Roman Consuls.source
• 75Frontinus begins his conquest of Wales; Legio II Augusta is moved to the border of the River Usk.source
• 75Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus Caesar Vespasianus become Roman Consuls.source
• 75Sextus Julius Frontinus becomes governor of Britannia and makes his headquarters in Isca Augusta (Wales).source
• 76Emperors Vespasianus Augustus and Titus Caesar Vespasianus become Roman Consuls.source
• 77Gnaeus Julius Agricola is named governor of Britannia, a post he occupies until AD 84. He extends the Roman influence to the mouth of the River Clyde (Scotland), and builds fortifications.source
• 77Agricola subdues the Ordovices in Wales, and pursues the remnants of the tribe to Anglesey, the holy island of the Druids.source
• 78Gnaeus Julius Agricola replaces Sextus Julius Frontinus as governor of Roman Britain, which leads to the conquering of portions of Wales and northern England.source
• 78Pacorus II becomes king of the Parthian Empire (r. 78–115).source
• 79Agricola enters Caledonia (modern-day Scotland) but is resisted by the natives.source
• 79Vespasianus Augustus and Titus Caesar Vespasianus become Roman Consuls.source
• 80King Pasa becomes ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla.source
• 81September 14 – Domitian succeeds his brother Titus as emperor. Domitian is not a soldier like his two predecessors, and his administration is directed towards the reinforcement of a monarchy. By taking the title of Dominus ("lord"), he scandalizes the senatorial aristocracy. Romanisation progresses in the provinces, and life in the cities is greatly improved. Many provincials – Spanish, Gallic, and African – become Senators.source
• 82Calgacus unites the Picts (30,000 men) in Scotland, and is made chieftain of the Caledonian Confederacy.source
• 82Emperor Domitian becomes Roman Consul.source
• 82Domitian levies Legio I Minervia.source
• 83Emperor Domitian fights the Chatti, a Germanic tribe. His victory allows the construction of fortifications (Limes) along the Rhine-frontier.source
• 83Domitian is, again, also a Roman Consul.source
• 84Emperor Domitian recalls Agricola back to Rome, where he is rewarded with a triumph and the governorship of the Roman province of Africa, but he declines it.source
• 84Through his election as consul for ten years and censor for life, Domitian openly subordinates the republican aspect of the state to the monarchical.source
• 85Domitian appoints himself censor for life, which gives him the right to control the Senate. His totalitarian tendencies put the senatorial aristocracy firmly in opposition to him.source
• 86Germania is divided into two provinces, Germania Inferior and Germania Superior (approximate date).source
• 86Ban Gu (Pan Kou) and his sister Ban Zhao (Pan Tchao) compose the History of China.source
• 87Sextus Julius Sparsus gains power in the Roman Senate (approximate date).source
• 87Decebalus becomes king of Dacia.source
• 88The First Dacian War ends: Decebalus becomes a client king of Rome, he receives money, craftsmen and war machines to protect the borders (limes) of the Roman Empire.source
• 91Ban Chao is made protector-general of the Western Regions.source
• 91Manius Acilius Glabrio and Marcus Ulpius Traianus become Roman Consuls.source
• 92Emperor Domitian becomes a Roman Consul.source
• 93The Xianbei incorporates 100,000 Xiongnu, and establishes the Xianbei State in Mongolia (approximate date).source
• 95Emperor Domitian and Titus Flavius Clemens become Roman Consuls.source
• 96Nerva is declared emperor by the Roman Senate as the new ruler of the Roman Empire. He recalls citizens exiled by Domitian; this is the beginning of the Era of the Five Good Emperors. The Antonines Dynasty starts.source
• 96Marcus Ulpius Traianus becomes governor of Upper Germany.source
• 97Tacitus advances to consulship.source