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Do not fill this in! ===Revolt of Vindex and Galba and Nero's death=== In March 68, [[Vindex|Gaius Julius Vindex]], the governor of [[Gallia Lugdunensis]], rebelled against Nero's tax policies.<ref name="Cassius-22">Cassius Dio, [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/63*.html#22 63.22].</ref><ref>Donahue, John, [http://www.roman-emperors.org/galba.htm "Galba (68β69 A.D.)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911211039/http://www.roman-emperors.org/galba.htm |date=11 September 2008 }} at ''De Imperatoribus Romanis''.</ref> [[Lucius Virginius Rufus|Lucius Verginius Rufus]], the governor of [[Germania Superior]], was ordered to put down Vindex's rebellion.<ref name="cassiusdio-lxiii-24">[[Cassius Dio]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/63*.html#24 63.24].</ref> In an attempt to gain support from outside his own province, Vindex called upon [[Galba|Servius Sulpicius Galba]], the governor of [[Hispania Tarraconensis]], to join the rebellion and to declare himself emperor in opposition to Nero.<ref name="Plutarch-galba-5">[[Plutarch]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Galba*.html#5 Galba 5].</ref> [[Image:Nero Palatino Inv618.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A marble bust of Nero, Antiquarium of the [[Palatine]].]] At the [[Battle of Vesontio (68)|Battle of Vesontio]] in May 68, Verginius' forces easily defeated those of Vindex, and the latter committed suicide.<ref name="cassiusdio-lxiii-24"/> However, after defeating the rebel, Verginius' legions attempted to proclaim their own commander as Emperor. Verginius refused to act against Nero, but the discontent of the legions of Germania and the continued opposition of Galba in Hispania did not bode well for him.<ref>[[Cassius Dio]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/63*.html#25 63.25].</ref> While Nero had retained some control of the situation, support for Galba increased despite his being officially declared a "public enemy".<ref name="Plutarch-galba-5"/> The prefect of the [[Praetorian Guard]], [[Gaius Nymphidius Sabinus]], also abandoned his allegiance to the Emperor and came out in support of Galba.{{sfn|Plutarch|loc=[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Galba*.html#8 Galba 8]}} In response, Nero fled Rome with the intention of going to the port of [[Ostia Antica|Ostia]] and, from there, to take a fleet to one of the still-loyal eastern provinces. According to Suetonius, Nero abandoned the idea when some army officers openly refused to obey his commands, responding with a line from [[Virgil]]'s ''[[Aeneid]]'': "Is it so dreadful a thing then to die?" Nero then toyed with the idea of fleeing to [[Parthian Empire|Parthia]], throwing himself upon the mercy of Galba, or appealing to the people and begging them to pardon him for his past offences "and if he could not soften their hearts, to entreat them at least to allow him the [[Egypt (Roman province)|prefecture of Egypt]]". Suetonius reports that the text of this speech was later found in Nero's writing desk, but that he dared not give it from fear of being torn to pieces before he could reach the Forum.{{sfn|Suetonius|loc=47}} Nero returned to Rome and spent the evening in the palace. After sleeping, he awoke at about midnight to find the palace guard had left. Dispatching messages to his friends' palace chambers for them to come, he received no answers. Upon going to their chambers personally, he found them all abandoned. When he called for a [[gladiator]] or anyone else adept with a sword to kill him, no one appeared. He cried, "Have I neither friend nor foe?" and ran out as if to throw himself into the [[Tiber]].{{sfn|Suetonius|loc=47}} Returning, Nero sought a place where he could hide and collect his thoughts. An imperial freedman, [[Phaon (freedman)|Phaon]], offered his villa, located {{convert|4|mi|abbr=on}} outside the city. Travelling in disguise, Nero and four loyal [[freedman|freedmen]], [[Epaphroditus (freedman of Nero)|Epaphroditus]], [[Phaon (freedman)|Phaon]], [[Neophytus (freedman)|Neophytus]], and [[Sporus]], reached the villa, where Nero ordered them to dig a grave for him.<ref>[[Aurelius Victor]], ''[[Epitome de Caesaribus]] 5''</ref> At this time, Nero learned that the Senate had declared him a public enemy.{{sfn|Suetonius|loc=48β49}} Nero prepared himself for [[forced suicide|suicide]], pacing up and down muttering ''Qualis artifex pereo'' ("What an artist the world is losing!"). Losing his nerve, he begged one of his companions to set an example by killing himself first. At last, the sound of approaching horsemen drove Nero to face the end. However, he still could not bring himself to take his own life, but instead forced his private secretary, Epaphroditus, to perform the task.{{sfn|Suetonius|loc=49}}[[File:A select collection of views and ruins in Rome and its vicinity - recently executed from drawings made upon the spot (1815) (14592716650).jpg|thumb|upright|An 1815 illustration of the alleged tomb of Nero; actually tomb of proconsul [[Gaius Vibius Marianus]].]] When one of the horsemen entered and saw that Nero was dying, he attempted to stop the bleeding, but efforts to save Nero's life were unsuccessful. Nero's final words were "Too late! This is fidelity!".{{sfn|Suetonius|loc=49}} He died on 9 June 68,{{efn-lr|[[Cassius Dio]] [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/66*.html 66.4]: "from the death of Nero to the beginning of Vespasian's rule a year and twenty-two days elapsed". Vespasian's reign officially began on 1 July ([[Suetonius]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Vespasian*.html#6 ''Vespasian'' 6]), which places the death on 9 June. Furthermore, [[Epiphanius of Salamis|Epiphanius]]' ''[[On Weights and Measures]]'' ([https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/epiphanius_weights_03_text.htm III]) gives a reign length of "thirteen years and seven months and twenty-seven days". [[Jerome]] ([https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_chronicle_03_part2.htm 2070]) gives "13 years, 7 months and 28 days" (using [[inclusive counting]]).}} the anniversary of the death of his first wife, [[Claudia Octavia]], and was buried in the Mausoleum of the Domitii Ahenobarbi, in what is now the [[Villa Borghese]] ([[Pincian Hill]]) area of Rome.{{sfn|Suetonius|loc=49}} According to [[Sulpicius Severus]], it is unclear whether Nero took his own life.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211/npnf211.ii.vi.ii.xxix.html#fnf_ii.vi.ii.xxix-p2.1|title=Philip Schaff: NPNF-211. Sulpitius Severus, Vincent of Lerins, John Cassian β Christian Classics Ethereal Library|website=ccel.org|access-date=24 November 2019}}</ref> With his death, the [[Julio-Claudian dynasty]] ended.<ref name=agrippina>{{cite book|last = Barrett| first = A. A| title = Agrippina: sister of Caligula, wife of Claudius, mother of Nero| location = London| date = 1996|isbn=978-0713468540|publisher=Routledge}}</ref>{{rp|19}} Chaos would ensue in the [[year of the Four Emperors]].<ref name="tacitus-histories-I.2">Tacitus, ''Histories'' [[s:The Histories (Tacitus)/Book 1#2|I.2]].</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page