Year of the Four Emperors

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Year of the Four Emperors

The Year of the Four Emperors was a year in the history of the Roman Empire

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, AD 69, in which four emperors ruled in a remarkable succession. These four emperors were Galba

Galba

Servius Sulpicius Galba , also called Servius Sulpicius Galba Caesar Augustus, was Roman Emperor from June 8, 68 until his death. He was the first emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors....
, Otho

Otho

For other uses, see Otho .Marcus Salvius Otho , also called Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus, was Roman Emperors from 15 January to 16 April 69, the second emperor of the Year of the four emperors....
, Vitellius

Vitellius

Aulus Vitellius Germanicus, born Aulus Vitellius and commonly known as Vitellius , was a Roman Emperors who reigned from 16 April 69 to 22 December of the same year....
, and Vespasian

Vespasian

Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 69 A.D. until his death in 79 A.D. Vespasian was the founder of the short lived Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 69 A.D....
.

The forced suicide

Forced suicide

Forced suicide is a method of execution where the victim is given the choice of committing suicide or facing an alternative they perceive as worse, such as suffering torture; having friends or family members imprisoned, tortured or killed; or losing honor, position or means....
of emperor Nero

Nero

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and final Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty....
, in AD 68, was followed by a brief period of civil war, the first Roman civil war since Mark Antony

Mark Antony

Marcus Antonius , known in English as Marc Antony, was a Roman Republic politician and General. He was an important supporter and the best friend of Julius Caesar as a military commander and administrator, being Caesar's second cousin, once removed, by his mother Julia Antonia....
's death in 30 BC. Between June of AD 68 and December of AD 69, Rome

Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC....
witnessed the successive rise and fall of Galba

Galba

Otho

Vitellius

Aulus Vitellius Germanicus, born Aulus Vitellius and commonly known as Vitellius , was a Roman Emperors who reigned from 16 April 69 to 22 December of the same year....
until the final accession of Vespasian

Vespasian

Flavian dynasty

The Flavian dynasty was a Ancient Rome imperial dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 69 and 96 AD, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian , and his two sons Titus and Domitian ....
.

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Encyclopedia

The Year of the Four Emperors was a year in the history of the Roman Empire

Roman Empire

Galba

Otho

Vitellius

Aulus Vitellius Germanicus, born Aulus Vitellius and commonly known as Vitellius , was a Roman Emperors who reigned from 16 April 69 to 22 December of the same year....
, and Vespasian

Vespasian

Forced suicide

Nero

Mark Antony

Ancient Rome

Galba

Otho

Vitellius

Vespasian

Flavian dynasty

The Flavian dynasty was a Ancient Rome imperial dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 69 and 96 AD, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian , and his two sons Titus and Domitian ....
. This period of civil war has become emblematic of the cyclic political disturbances in the history of the Roman Empire

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The military and political anarchy created by this civil war had serious repercussions, such as the outbreak of the Batavian rebellion

Batavian rebellion

Succession

Nero to Galba

In AD 65, the Pisonian conspiracy

Pisonian conspiracy

The conspiracy of Gaius Calpurnius Piso in 65 represented one of the major turning points in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero ....
attempted to restore the Republic, but failed. A number of executions followed leaving Nero

Nero

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and final Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty....
with few political allies left in the Senate. In late AD 67 or early AD 68, Caius Julius Vindex

Vindex

Gaius Iulius Vindex, of a noble Gaulish family of Aquitania given senatorial status under Claudius, was a Roman Empire governor in the province of Gallia Lugdunensis....
, governor of Gallia Lugdunensis

Gallia Lugdunensis

Gallia Lugdunensis was a Roman province of the Roman Empire in what is now the modern country of France, part of the Celtic territory of Gaul....
rebelled against Nero's tax policy, with the purpose of substituting Servius Sulpicius Galba

Galba

Hispania Tarraconensis

Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the Mediterranean coast of Spain along with the central plateau and the north coast, and part of northern Portugal....
for Nero.

Vindex's revolt in Gaul

Gaul

Gaul is the name used for the region of Western Europe comprising part of present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the River Rhine....
was unsuccessful. The legions

Roman legion

The Roman Legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the Roman Empire....
stationed at the border to Germania marched to meet Vindex and confront him as a traitor. Led by Lucius Verginius Rufus

Lucius Verginius Rufus

Lucius Verginius Rufus was a Roman commander of upper Germany during the late 1st century, most notable for his refusal of the imperial purple in 69....
, the Rhine army defeated Vindex in battle and Vindex killed himself. Galba was at first declared a public enemy by the Senate.

By June of AD 68, the Senate took the initiative to rid itself of Nero, declaring him a public enemy and Galba emperor. Nymphidius Sabinus

Nymphidius Sabinus

Gaius Nymphidius Sabinus, or Nymphidius Sabinus, was a Praetorian prefect of the Ancient Rome imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, during the rule of Roman Emperor Nero from 65 until his death in 68....
, desiring to become emperor himself, bribed the Praetorian Guard

Praetorian Guard

The Praetorian Guard was a special force of guards used by Roman empire List of Roman Emperorss. Before being appropriated for the use of the Emperors' personal guards, the title was used for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC....
to betray Nero. Nero committed suicide. Galba was recognized as emperor and welcomed into the city at the head of his legions.

Galba's legions

Roman legion

Legio VI Victrix

Legio sexta Victrix was a Roman legion founded by Augustus in 41 BC. It was the twin legion of Legio VI Ferrata and perhaps held veterans of that legion, and some soldiers kept to the traditions of the Caesarian legion....
, I Macriana liberatrix

Legio I Macriana liberatrix

Legio prima Macriana liberatrix was a Roman legion levied in Africa by the governor Lucius Clodius Macer in 68.The purpose of the legion was to join forces with Legio III Augusta in the rebellion of Galba against emperor Nero....
, I Adiutrix

Legio I Adiutrix

Legio prima Adiutrix , was a Roman legion formed in 68, possibly by Galba under orders of Nero. The last record mentioning the Adiutrix is in 344, when it was stationed at Brigetio , in the Roman province of Pannonia....
, III Augusta and VII Gemina

Legio VII Gemina

Legio septima Gemina was a Roman legion; its full name was Legio VII Gemina Felix. VII Gemina dates back to the Year of the four emperors , when the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, Galba, levied a legion to march on Rome....
.

Galba to Otho

This turn of events gave the German legions not the reward for loyalty that they had expected, but rather accusations of having obstructed Galba's path to the throne. Their commander, Rufus, was immediately replaced by the new emperor. Aulus Vitellius

Vitellius

Germania Inferior

Germania Inferior was a Ancient Rome Roman provinces located on the left bank of the Rhine, in today's southern and western Netherlands, parts of Flanders, and North Rhine-Westphalia left of the Rhine....
. The loss of political confidence in Germania's loyalty also resulted in the dismissal of the Imperial Batavian

Batavian rebellion

The Revolt of the Batavi took place in the Roman province of Germania Inferior between 69 and 70 AD. It was an uprising against Roman rule by the Batavi and other tribes in the province and in Gaul....
Bodyguards and rebellion.

Galba did not remain popular for long. On his march to Rome, he either destroyed or took enormous fines from towns that did not accept him immediately. In Rome, Galba cancelled all the reforms of Nero, including benefits for many important persons. Like his predecessor, Galba had a fear of conspirators and executed many senators and equites without trial. The army was not happy either. After his safe arrival to Rome, Galba refused to pay the rewards he had promised to soldiers who had supported him. Moreover, in the start of the civil year of AD 69 in January 1, the legions of Germania Inferior refused to swear allegiance and obedience to the new emperor. On the following day, the legions acclaimed Vitellius, their governor, as emperor.

Hearing the news of the loss of the Rhine legions, Galba panicked. He adopted a young senator, Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus

Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus

Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi Licinianus was a Ancient Rome nobleman that lived in the 1st century. Licinianus was one among the sons of consul of 27 Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi and Scribonia ....
, as his successor. By doing this he offended many people, and above all Marcus Salvius Otho, an influential and ambitious man who desired the honour for himself. Otho bribed the Praetorian Guard

Praetorian Guard

The Praetorian Guard was a special force of guards used by Roman empire List of Roman Emperorss. Before being appropriated for the use of the Emperors' personal guards, the title was used for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC....
, already very unhappy with the emperor, to his side. When Galba heard about the coup d'état he went to the streets in an attempt to normalize the situation. It proved a mistake, because he could attract no supporters. Shortly afterwards, the Praetorian Guard killed him

Sempronius Densus

Sempronius Densus was a Centurion in the Praetorian Guard in the first century. He was bodyguard to the deputy Roman Emperor, and is remembered by history for his courage and loyalty in singlehandedly defending his charge from scores of armed assassins, while all his comrades deserted or switched sides....
in the Forum

Roman Forum

The Roman Forum , sometimes known by its original Latin name, is located between the Palatine hill and the Capitoline hill of the city of Rome. It is the central area around which the Ancient Rome developed....
.

Otho's legions: XIII Gemina

Legio XIII Gemina

Legio decima tertia Gemina , is one of the more historically remarkable Roman legions. It was one of Julius Caesar's key units in Gaul, and in the Roman Republican civil wars, and was the legion with which he famously crossing the Rubicon on January 10, 49 BC....
and I Adiutrix

Legio I Adiutrix

Otho to Vitellius

Otho was recognised as emperor by the Senate that same day. The new emperor was saluted with relief. Although ambitious and greedy, Otho did not have a record for tyranny or cruelty and was expected to be a fair emperor. However, trouble in the form of Vitellius was marching down on Italy from Germany.

Vitellius had behind him the finest elite legions of the empire, composed of veterans of the Germanic Wars

Germanic Wars

The Germanic Wars is a name given to a series of Wars between the Ancient Rome and various Germanic tribes between 113 BC and 439 A.D. The nature of these wars varied through time between Roman conquest, Germanic uprisings and later Germanic invasions in Roman Empire that started in the late 2nd century....
, such as I Germanica

Legio I Germanica

Legio prima Germanica , was a Roman legion, possibly levied in 48 BC by Julius Caesar to fight for him in the civil war against Pompey. After the Batavian rebellion , the remaining men of the Germanica were added to Galba's seventh legion, which became Legio VII Gemina....
and XXI Rapax

Legio XXI Rapax

Legio vigesima prima Rapax was a Roman legion levied in 31 BC by Augustus, probably from men previously enlisted in other legions. The XXI Rapax was destroyed in 92 by the Dacians and Sarmatians....
. These would prove to be his best arguments to gain power. Otho was not keen to begin another civil war and sent emissaries to propose a peace and inviting Vitellius to be his son-in-law. It was too late to reason; Vitellius' generals had half of his army heading to Italy. After a series of minor victories, Otho was defeated in the Battle of Bedriacum

Battle of Bedriacum

The Battle of Bedriacum refers to two battles fought during the Year of the four emperors near the village of Bedriacum , about 35 kilometers from the town of Cremona in northern Italy....
. Rather than flee and attempt a counter-attack, Otho decided to put an end to the anarchy and committed suicide. He had been emperor for a little more than three months.

Vitellius' legions: I Germanica

Legio I Germanica

Legio V Alaudae

Legio quinta Alaudae sometimes known as Gallica, was levied by Julius Caesar in 52 BC from native Gauls. Their emblem was an elephant, and their cognomen Alaudae came from the high crest on their helmets, typical of the Gauls, which made them look like larks....
, I Italica

Legio I Italica

Legio prima Italica was a Roman legion levied by emperor Nero on September 22, 66 . There are still records of the I Italica in the Danube border in the beginning of the 5th century....
, XV Primigenia

Legio XV Primigenia

Legio decima quinta Primigenia - a name of the goddess Fortuna) was a legion of the Roman army.It was originally levied by the emperor Caligula in 39, to aid in the Germanic campaigns and was stationed in the Rhine frontier until 70, when it was destroyed during the Batavian rebellion with the Legio V Alaudae....
, I Macriana liberatrix

Legio I Macriana liberatrix

Legio XXI Rapax

Legio vigesima prima Rapax was a Roman legion levied in 31 BC by Augustus, probably from men previously enlisted in other legions. The XXI Rapax was destroyed in 92 by the Dacians and Sarmatians....

Otho legions: I AdiutrixLegio I Adiutrix

Legio prima Adiutrix , was a Roman legion formed in 68, possibly by Galba under orders of Nero. The last record mentioning the Adiutrix is in 344, when it was stationed at Brigetio , in the Roman province of Pannonia....

Vitellius to Vespasian
On the news of Otho's suicide, Vitellius was recognised as emperor by the Senate. Granted this recognition, Vitellius set out for Rome. However, he faced problems from the start of his reign. The city was left very skeptical when Vitellius chose the anniversary of the Battle of the Allia
Battle of the Allia

The Battle of the Allia was a battle of the first Gallic invasion of Italy. The battle was fought near the Allia river: the defeat of the Roman army opened the route for the Gauls to sack Rome....
(in 390 BC), a day of bad auspice
Auspice

An auspice is a type of omen already familiar to the king of Alasia in Cyprus who, in the Amarna correspondence has need of an 'eagle diviner' to be sent from Egypt....
s according to Roman superstition, to accede to the office of Pontifex Maximus

Pontifex Maximus

The Pontifex Maximus was the high priest of the Ancient Rome College of Pontiffs. This was the most important position in the Ancient Roman religion, open only to patricians until 254 BC, when a plebeian first occupied this post....
.

Events would seemingly prove them right. With the throne tightly secured, Vitellius engaged in a series of feasts, banquets (Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars

De vita Caesarum commonly known as The Twelve Caesars, is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 Roman Emperor of the Roman Empire written by Suetonius....
refers to three a day: morning, afternoon and night) and triumphal parades that drove the imperial treasury close to bankruptcy. Debts were quickly accrued and money-lenders started to demand repayment. Vitellius showed his violent nature by ordering the torture and execution of those who dared to make such demands. With financial affairs in a state of calamity, Vitellius took the initiative of killing citizens who named him as their heir, often together with any co-heirs. Moreover, he engaged in a pursuit of every possible rival, inviting them to the palace with promises of power only to have them assassinated.

Meanwhile, the legions stationed in the African province of Ægyptus (Egypt) and the Middle East provinces of Iudaea (Judea/Palestine)
Iudaea Province

Iudaea was a Roman province that extended over the former region of the Hasmonean and Herodian kingdoms of Israel. It was named after the tetrarchy of Judea of which it was an expansion, the latter name deriving from the Kingdom of Judah of the 6th century BCE....
and Syria
Syria (Roman province)

Syria was a Roman province, annexed in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursuing victory in the Third Mithridatic War....
had acclaimed Vespasian
Vespasian

Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 69 A.D. until his death in 79 A.D. Vespasian was the founder of the short lived Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 69 A.D....
as emperor. Vespasian had been given a special command in Iudaea by Nero in AD 67 with the task of putting down the Great Jewish Revolt. He gained the support of the governor of Syria, Gaius Licinius Mucianus. A strong force drawn from the Judaean and Syrian legions marched on Rome under the command of Mucianus. Vespasian himself travelled to Alexandria
Alexandria

Alexandria , with a population of 4.1 million, is the second-largest city in Egypt, and is the country's largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt's imports and exports....
where he had been acclaimed Emperor on July 1, thereby gaining control of the vital grain supplies from Egypt. Vespasian's son Titus
Titus

Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Titus , was a Roman Emperor who briefly reigned from 79 until his death in 81. Titus was the second emperor of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 69 and 96, encompassing the reigns of Titus's father Vespasian , Titus himself and his younger brother Domitian ....
remained in Judaea to deal with the Jewish rebellion. Before the eastern legions could reach Rome, the Danubian legions of the provinces of Raetia
Raetia

File:REmpire Rhetia.pngRaetia was a Roman province of the Roman Empire, bounded on the west by the country of the Helvetii, on the east by Noricum, on the north by Vindelicia, and on the south by Cisalpine Gaul....
and Moesia
Moesia

Moesia was an ancient region and Roman province situated in the areas of modern Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania along the south bank of the Danube River....
also acclaimed Vespasian as Emperor in August, and led by Marcus Antonius Primus
Marcus Antonius Primus

Marcus Antonius Primus was a Roman Empire general.Primus was born at Tolosa in Gaul. During the reign of Nero, he was resident in Rome and a member of the Senate, from which he was expelled for forgery in connection with a will and was banished from the city....
invaded Italy. In October, the forces led by Primus won a crushing victory over Vitellius' army at the Second Battle of Bedriacum
Battle of Bedriacum

The Battle of Bedriacum refers to two battles fought during the Year of the four emperors near the village of Bedriacum , about 35 kilometers from the town of Cremona in northern Italy....
.

Surrounded by enemies, Vitellius made a last attempt to win the city to his side, distributing bribes and promises of power where needed. He tried to levy by force several allied tribes, such as the Batavians, only to be refused. The Danube army was now very near Rome. Realising the immediate threat, Vitellius made a last attempt to gain time and sent emissaries, accompanied by Vestal Virgin
Vestal Virgin

In Ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins , were the virgin holy female priests of Vesta , the goddess of the hearth. Their primary task was to maintain the sacred fire of Vesta....
s, to negotiate a truce and start peace talks. The following day, messengers arrived with news that the enemy was at the gates of the city. Vitellius went into hiding and prepared to flee, but decided on a last visit to the palace. There he was caught by Vespasian's men and killed. In seizing the capital, they burned down the temple of Jupiter.

The Senate acknowledged Vespasian as emperor on the following day. It was the 21st of December of AD 69, the year that had begun with Galba on the throne.

Vitellius legions: XV Primigenia
Legio XV Primigenia

Legio decima quinta Primigenia - a name of the goddess Fortuna) was a legion of the Roman army.It was originally levied by the emperor Caligula in 39, to aid in the Germanic campaigns and was stationed in the Rhine frontier until 70, when it was destroyed during the Batavian rebellion with the Legio V Alaudae....

Vespasian legions: III Augusta, I Macriana liberatrix
Legio I Macriana liberatrix

Legio prima Macriana liberatrix was a Roman legion levied in Africa by the governor Lucius Clodius Macer in 68.The purpose of the legion was to join forces with Legio III Augusta in the rebellion of Galba against emperor Nero....

Aftermath
Vespasian did not meet any direct threat to his imperial power after the death of Vitellius. He became the founder of the stable Flavian dynasty
Flavian dynasty

The Flavian dynasty was a Ancient Rome imperial dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 69 and 96 AD, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian , and his two sons Titus and Domitian ....
that succeeded the Julio-Claudians and died of natural causes as emperor in AD 79, with the famous last words, "Vae, puto deus fio:" ("Dear me, I must be turning into a god...")

Chronology

AD 68

April – Galba
Galba

Servius Sulpicius Galba , also called Servius Sulpicius Galba Caesar Augustus, was Roman Emperor from June 8, 68 until his death. He was the first emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors....
, governor of Hispania Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis

Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the Mediterranean coast of Spain along with the central plateau and the north coast, and part of northern Portugal....
, and Vindex
Vindex

Gaius Iulius Vindex, of a noble Gaulish family of Aquitania given senatorial status under Claudius, was a Roman Empire governor in the province of Gallia Lugdunensis....
, governor of Gallia Lugdunensis
Gallia Lugdunensis

Gallia Lugdunensis was a Roman province of the Roman Empire in what is now the modern country of France, part of the Celtic territory of Gaul....
rebel against Nero
Nero

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and final Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty....
May – The Rhine legions defeat and kill Vindex in Gaul

June – Nero is declared a public enemy (hostis) by the senate (June 8) and commits suicide (June 9); on that same day, Galba is recognized emperor.
November – Vitellius
Vitellius

Aulus Vitellius Germanicus, born Aulus Vitellius and commonly known as Vitellius , was a Roman Emperors who reigned from 16 April 69 to 22 December of the same year....
nominated governor of Germania Inferior
Germania Inferior

Germania Inferior was a Ancient Rome Roman provinces located on the left bank of the Rhine, in today's southern and western Netherlands, parts of Flanders, and North Rhine-Westphalia left of the Rhine....

AD 69

January 1 – The Rhine legions refuse to swear loyalty to Galba
January 2 – Vitellius acclaimed emperor by the Rhine
January 15 – Galba killed by the Praetorian Guard
Praetorian Guard

The Praetorian Guard was a special force of guards used by Roman empire List of Roman Emperorss. Before being appropriated for the use of the Emperors' personal guards, the title was used for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC....
; in the same day, the senate recognizes Otho
Otho

For other uses, see Otho .Marcus Salvius Otho , also called Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus, was Roman Emperors from 15 January to 16 April 69, the second emperor of the Year of the four emperors....
as emperor
April 14 – Vitellius defeats Otho
April 16 – Otho commits suicide; Vitellius recognized emperor
July 1 – Vespasian
Vespasian

Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 69 A.D. until his death in 79 A.D. Vespasian was the founder of the short lived Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 69 A.D....
, commander of the Roman army in Judaea, proclaimed emperor by the legions of Egypt
Aegyptus (Roman province)

File:Roman Africa.JPGThe History of Roman Egypt begins with the conquest of Egypt in 30 BC by Augustus , following the defeat of Mark Antony and History of Ptolemaic Egypt Queen Cleopatra VII in the Battle of Actium....
under Tiberius Julius Alexander
Tiberius Julius Alexander

Tiberius Julius Alexander was an Equestrian governor and general in the Roman Empire. Born into a wealthy Jewish family of Alexandria but abandoning or neglecting the Judaism, he rose to become Promagistrate of Iudaea Province under Claudius....
August – The Danubian legions announce support to Vespasian (in Syria) and invade Italy in September on his behalf
October – The Danube army defeats Vitellius and Vespasian occupies Egypt
December 20 –Vitellius killed by soldiers in the Imperial Palace
December 21 – Vespasian recognized emperor

See also

Tacitus
Tacitus

Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a Roman Senate and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories —examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those that reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors....
, Histories
Histories (Tacitus)

Histories is a book by Tacitus, written c. 100–110, which covers the Year of Four Emperors following the downfall of Nero, the rise of Vespasian, and the rule of the Flavian Dynasty up to the death of Domitian....
Year of the Five Emperors
Year of the Five Emperors

The Year of the Five Emperors refers to 193, in which there were five claimants for the title of Roman Emperor.The year 193 opened with the murder of Commodus on New Year's Eve, 31 December 192 and the proclamation of the City Prefect Pertinax as Emperor on New Year's Day, 1 January 193....
(193)
Year of the Six Emperors
Year of the Six Emperors

The Year of the Six Emperors refers to the year 238, during which six people were recognised as Roman Emperor.The emperor at the beginning of the year was Maximinus Thrax, who had ruled since 235....
(238)
West Indian cricket team in England in 1988
West Indian cricket team in England in 1988

The West Indian cricket team played 16 First-class cricket cricket matches in England in 1988, under the Captain of Viv Richards. The West Indies cricket team enjoyed tremendous success during the tour, while England cricket team endured a "disastrous summer" of continuous change....
, a tour often referred to as the Summer of the four captains