Year of the Four Emperors

After Nero's notorious reign, the Romans surely deserved a period of peace and tranquillity. Instead, during AD69, three emperors were murdered: Galba, just days into the post, Otho and Vitellius. The same year also saw civil war in Italy, two desperate battles at Cremona and the capture of Rome for Vespasian, which action saw the fourth emperor of the year, but also brought peace. This work, now updated and reissued under a new title, is an account of this tumultuous year. Wellesley also focuses on the year's historical importance, which also marked the watershed between the first and second imperial dynasties.

'Unfolds with masterly skill the tale of the conflict and intrigue of this critical time of transition from the Julio-Claudians to the Flavian emperors ... The excellent and compelling narrative is enriched by a wealth of background' - Times Educational Supplement'If you ever thought history was dull, read this book.' - Eastern Daily Press

Kenneth Wellesley taught in the Department of Humanity (Latin) at the University of Edinburgh from 1949 until his retirement in 1981. A contributor to many classical periodicals, he is best known as a Tacitean scholar: he translated the Histories for the Penguin Classics series and edited both the Histories and part of the Annales for the Teubner Library. Barbara Levick was Fellow and Tutor in Ancient History at St. Hilda's College, Oxford. Her published works include biographies of Tiberius (Routledge Pb 1999), Vespasian (Routledge 1999) and Claudius (1993) , as well as a sourcebook on The Government of the Roman Empire (Routledge 2000)