The Roman fort of Eboracum, from its…

Dou and Geng lead a major military expedition in 74 against a major remaining ally of the Northern Xiongnu, Cheshi (roughly modern Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang).

Cheshi submits, and at Dou's suggestion, the office of the Protector General of Xiyu is reinstituted.

Quintus Petillius Cerialis and Sextus Julius Frontinus, Vespasian 's first two appointments as governor after securing the empire, have taken on the task of subduing the Brigantes and Silures, respectively.

Frontinus, consul for the year 73, is appointed the following year.

Emperor Ming dies in 75.

His will orders that no temple be built for him, and that he only be worshiped as part of the worship of his mother Empress Dowager Yin. (This is to become a systematic reform that the rest of the Eastern Han Dynasty emperors largely follow; they do not have separate temples built for themselves, but instead are worshiped along with Emperor Guangwu. This represents a major economy when compared to the Western Han system of building a separate temple for each emperor.)

His son Crown Prince Da succeeds to the throne as Emperor Zhang.

Geng Gong, one of the deputies of the protector general, repels a Northern Xiongnu expedition in 75 to recapture Cheshi.

The garrison at Hami is withdrawn in 75 after allies of the Xiongnu in Karasahr and Kucha kill the new Protector General of the Western Regions Chen Mu.

Joseph ben Matthias, through the patronage of Vespasian, becomes a Roman citizen and changes his name to Flavius Josephus.

In 75, Josephus begins work on a firsthand account of the tragic events of the Jewish revolt.

The Jewish War, a description of Jewish history from the capture of Jerusalem by the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 164 BCE to the fall and destruction of Jerusalem in the First Jewish–Roman War in CE 70, is an invaluable, if biased, eyewitness history of the failed rebellion.

The book was written originally in Josephus's "paternal tongue", probably Aramaic, though this version has not survived.

It will later be translated into Greek, probably under the supervision of Josephus himself.

During the Jewish war, Titus had begun a love affair with Berenice, sister of Agrippa II.

The Herodians had collaborated with the Romans during the rebellion, and Berenice herself had supported Vespasian upon his campaign to become emperor.

In 75, she returns to Titus and openly lives with him in the palace as his promised wife.

The Romans are wary of the Eastern Queen and disapprove of their relationship.

When the pair is publicly denounced by Cynics in the theater, Titus caves in to the pressure and sends her away, but his reputation further suffers.

Between 71 and 79, much of Vespasian's reign is a mystery.

Historians report that Vespasian ordered the construction of several buildings in Rome.

Additionally, he survived several conspiracies against him.

Vespasian has helped rebuild Rome after the civil war, adding the temple of Peace and the temple to the Deified Claudius.

In 75, he erects a colossal statue of Apollo, begun under Nero, and he dedicates a stage of the theater of Marcellus.

He also begins construction of the Flavian Amphitheater, situated between the Esquiline and Palatine hills, near the southeast end of the Forum.

The structure is popularly called the Colosseum because it stands next to a colossal one hundred and twenty foot- (37.2 meter-) high statue (now demolished) of Nero.

Vespasian also begins rebuilding the temple on the Capitoline Hill, destroyed—for the second time—in the civil strife of 69.

Isca Augusta (or Isca Silurum) becomes the headquarters of the Legio II Augusta in about CE 75, when Frontinus begins the conquest of Roman Wales.

They build a large "playing-card" shaped fort with initially a timber palisade which is later replaced in stone.

The interior is fitted out with the usual array of military buildings: a headquarters building, legate's residence, tribunes' houses, hospital, large bath house, workshops, barrack blocks, granaries and an amphitheater.

Frontinus extends Roman rule to all of South Wales, initiating exploitation of the mineral resources and constructing a network of smaller forts fifteen to twenty kilometers apart for his auxiliary units.

One of these forts would have been Luentinum, which controls the gold mines of Dolaucothi, worked by numerous aqueducts.

Vespasian’s Stabilization and Expansion of the Roman Empire (69–79 CE)

Following the chaos of the Year of the Four Emperors (69 CE), Emperor Vespasian (r. 69–79 CE) worked to stabilize and strengthen the Roman Empire through shrewd foreign policies and military expansion. His rule marked a return to stability, reinforcing imperial authority and securing Rome’s frontiers.

Romanization and Citizenship Policies

• Vespasian expanded Roman influence by granting citizenship to select towns, accelerating the Romanization of provincials.
• He focused on integrating conquered peoples into the empire, reinforcing local loyalty and economic stability.
• This policy helped transform Roman provinces into more stable and productive regions, ensuring long-term imperial cohesion.

Territorial Expansion and Military Campaigns

Vespasian’s reign saw several significant territorial expansions across the empire:

1. New Territories in Anatolia and Germany

• Vespasian annexed parts of Anatolia (modern Turkey), expanding Rome’s influence in the east.
• In Germany, he strengthened Roman control, securing the Rhine frontier and consolidating the province of Germania Superior.

2. Reinforcing Roman Rule in Britannia

• Vespasian reinforced Roman control in Wales, completing the conquest of the Silures and Ordovices.
• His governors launched new campaigns into Scotland, extending Rome’s northern frontier beyond the Hadrianic and Antonine Walls in later years.
• His policies laid the foundation for the later full-scale invasions of Caledonia (Scotland) under Agricola (78–84 CE).

Legacy of Vespasian’s Foreign Policy

• His pragmatic approach to provincial governance ensured loyalty and stability across the empire.
• His military expansions strengthened Rome’s borders, reducing the threat from external enemies.
• By the time of his death in 79 CE, Vespasian had restored order and set the stage for the stable rule of the Flavian dynasty, allowing Rome to thrive for another century.

Through careful diplomacy, military conquests, and Romanization, Vespasian solidified the empire’s dominance, ensuring Rome’s continued expansion and internal security.

Domitian's Dacian War is a conflict between the Roman Empire and the Dacian Kingdom, which has invaded the province of Moesia.

The war occurs during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian, in the years 86–88.