Latest / Nero: Mad Tyrant or Misunderstood Emperor? — Fexingo History / Nero's Jewish Policy: The First Jewish-Roman War Begins
Transcript
- Lucas: If you've been stepping into history with us episode by episode, you'll remember we've covered Nero's building projects, his Parthian settlement, and even his Olympic games. But one huge story from his reign that we haven't touched yet is the outbreak of the First Jewish-Roman War in 66 AD. Luna: That's the war that ended with the destruction of the Second Temple, right? I always thought that happened later, under Vespasian and Titus. Lucas: You're right, the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD by Titus. But the war started under Nero, and it began right there in Jerusalem. The Roman procurator of Judaea at the time was a man named Gessius Florus. He was appointed by Nero around 64 AD, and by all accounts, he was a disaster. Lucas: The historian Josephus, our main source for this period, paints Florus as corrupt, cruel, and deliberately provocative. He plundered temple funds, and when the Jewish population protested, he responded with brutal violence. In 66 AD, he sent soldiers into Jerusalem to suppress a protest, and they ended up killing thousands in the streets. Luna: So he basically lit the fuse. Lucas: Exactly. The spark came when Florus demanded seventeen talents from the Temple treasury for some imperial debt. The people rioted, and some mocked him by passing around a basket as if collecting money for a beggar emperor. Florus was furious. He brought in troops from Caesarea, and the violence spiraled. Lucas: The situation escalated when the Jewish high priest and moderate leaders tried to calm things down. But a group of radical temple priests, led by a man named Eleazar ben Hanania, took a dramatic step. They convinced the Temple authorities to stop accepting sacrifices on behalf of the Roman emperor. This was effectively a declaration of independence. Luna: That's huge. The daily sacrifice for the emperor was a symbol of loyalty. Stopping it was outright rebellion. Lucas: Right. And it wasn't just the Zealots — a group of radical nationalists called the Sicarii, named for their short daggers, or sicae, had already been active. They assassinated moderates and Romans alike. One of their leaders, a man named Eleazar ben Simon, seized control of part of Jerusalem. Lucas: Meanwhile, King Agrippa II, a Jewish client king loyal to Rome, tried to mediate. He gave a speech in Jerusalem urging peace, pointing out the overwhelming power of Rome. But the rebels drove him out of the city, and he went over to the Roman side. Luna: So there was a real split among the Jewish leadership — some wanted to avoid war, but the radicals won out. Lucas: Exactly. The moderate high priests were killed or forced to flee. The rebels took control of the upper city and the Temple Mount. Then they attacked the Roman garrison in Jerusalem. The Roman soldiers surrendered in exchange for safe passage, but the rebels massacred them anyway. That was a point of no return. Lucas: Word of the revolt spread quickly. The rebels also took the fortress of Masada, a stronghold near the Dead Sea, and killed its Roman garrison. So now there were armed Jewish forces in control of key positions. The Roman governor of Syria, Cestius Gallus, decided he had to act. Luna: Cestius Gallus — we haven't mentioned him before. What did he do? Lucas: He marched south with the Legio XII Fulminata and auxiliary troops, about 30,000 men. He reached Jerusalem in late 66 AD and initially made good progress. He even managed to break into the northern part of the city and the Temple Mount. But then, for reasons that historians still debate, he suddenly withdrew. Lucas: The Jewish rebels, under the command of Eleazar ben Simon and others, pursued the retreating Romans. In the narrow pass of Beth Horon, they ambushed Cestius's column. The Romans were routed, losing thousands of men and the legion's eagle standard. It was a humiliating defeat. Luna: That must have been a shock to the Roman establishment. A full legion beaten by rebels. Lucas: Absolutely. Nero was in Greece at the time, performing at the Isthmian Games. When he heard the news, he reportedly panicked. But he acted decisively. He appointed a seasoned general, Titus Flavius Vespasianus — Vespasian — to take command of the war in Judaea. Vespasian was given three legions and his son Titus as his second-in-command. Lucas: Vespasian's campaign was methodical. He didn't march straight on Jerusalem. Instead, he spent 67 and 68 AD subduing the countryside — Galilee, Samaria, the coast. He besieged and destroyed rebel strongholds one by one, including the fortress of Jotapata, which was defended by the historian Josephus himself. Luna: Josephus — he's our main source, right? He was a Jewish commander who switched sides. Lucas: Exactly. He was captured at Jotapata, but he prophesied that Vespasian would become emperor. When that came true in 69 AD, Josephus was freed and became a Roman client and historian. His account, 'The Jewish War', is our best source for these events. Lucas: So by the time Nero died in June 68 AD, the war was well underway. Vespasian had isolated Jerusalem and was preparing to besiege it. But then the Year of the Four Emperors intervened, and Vespasian paused operations to secure the imperial throne. The war wouldn't reach its climax — the destruction of the Temple — until 70 AD, under Titus. Luna: So Nero never saw the end of the war he started. But he set it in motion. Lucas: He did. And it's a complex legacy. On one hand, Nero's reign saw relative peace on the eastern frontier with Parthia. On the other, his appointment of a corrupt procurator like Florus helped ignite a devastating rebellion in Judaea. The war would ultimately destroy the Second Temple and lead to the diaspora of the Jewish people. It's a turning point in world history. Luna: It's amazing how much of what we think of as 'later Roman history' actually has its roots in Nero's reign. Talking about this, I realize how much these episodes give me a new framework for understanding the empire. Lucas: That's exactly why we do the show. And if today was actually useful to you, the way these stay ad-free is listener support. You can buy me a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It helps keep us going. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to say this kind of deep dive matters. And it really does help. Lucas: So back to the war. One of the most interesting figures to emerge from this period is the Jewish commander Josephus. After his capture, he became an advisor to Vespasian and Titus. His writings are our window into the tragedy of the war. He describes the horrors of the siege of Jerusalem, the famine, the infighting among the rebels. It's brutal reading. Luna: And he wrote it knowing his Roman patrons would read it. So there's a certain slant, right? Lucas: Definitely. Josephus is often criticized for being pro-Roman and for exaggerating his own importance. But he also includes details that are embarrassing to the Romans, like the defeat of Cestius Gallus. So while he's not impartial, he's invaluable. Luna: It makes you wonder how different things might have been if Florus had been a better governor. Or if Nero had paid more attention to Judaea. Lucas: That's the kind of counterfactual that haunts historians. But the war happened, and it reshaped the Roman Empire and Jewish history forever. And Nero's role in it, while often overlooked, was crucial. He set the stage for a conflict that would outlive him and define the Flavians. Luna: Looking forward to next time — maybe we can finally talk about the destruction of the Temple itself? Lucas: That's a good idea. There's a lot more to say about the war, and the fall of Jerusalem is one of the most dramatic events in ancient history. We'll save it for another episode. For now, thanks for listening.