Latest / Nero: Mad Tyrant or Misunderstood Emperor? — Fexingo History / Nero and the Jewish Revolt of 66 AD
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Nero's building projects, his obsession with Egypt, his musical ambitions, and the Great Fire. But there's one massive event that happened right at the end of his reign that we haven't touched yet, and it reshaped the empire. Luna: The Jewish revolt? Lucas: Exactly. 66 AD. A rebellion that started in the multicultural city of Caesarea and spiraled into a full-blown war that ended with the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Nero didn't live to see the end of it, but his mishandling of the early stages was catastrophic. Lucas: The flashpoint was a dispute between Greek and Jewish communities in Caesarea over civic rights. The Jews claimed equal status under Nero, but the Greeks, supported by the Roman governor Gessius Florus, provoked them. Florus was notoriously corrupt and anti-Jewish—Tacitus calls him a brute. Luna: What did Florus actually do? Lucas: He allowed the Greeks to sacrifice birds in front of a synagogue—a deliberate insult. When Jewish leaders protested, Florus arrested them. Then he sent troops to Jerusalem to seize seventeen talents from the Temple treasury, claiming it was for the emperor. That's when the city erupted. Lucas: The crowd mocked Florus by passing a basket around asking for alms for the poor governor. Florus responded by sending in the legions. They massacred thousands in the streets and even crucified some Jewish citizens who were Roman equestrians. Luna: That's horrific. So the revolt was a direct response to that brutality? Lucas: Partly. But there were deeper currents. Jewish society was split into factions. The Sicarii—literally 'dagger-men'—were radical assassins who targeted Roman collaborators. The Zealots were more openly rebellious. In 66, these groups united long enough to seize control of Jerusalem and cut off the Roman garrison. Lucas: The garrison commander, Metilius, surrendered under a truce—but the rebels massacred them anyway. That was a point of no return. Rome could not tolerate the slaughter of its soldiers. Luna: So Nero had to respond. Lucas: He did, but poorly. He entrusted the war to his general Vespasian—a capable commander—but Nero was distracted by his artistic tour of Greece. He didn't go east himself, which some saw as weakness. Vespasian spent 67 AD systematically reconquering Galilee, using his son Titus as his second-in-command. Lucas: One of the key sieges was Jotapata, led by the Jewish commander Josephus. After a 47-day siege, the city fell. Josephus hid in a cave with forty followers and they drew lots to kill each other rather than surrender. Josephus survived—he was the last one left—and surrendered to Vespasian, correctly prophesying that Vespasian would become emperor. Luna: That's the same Josephus who wrote the history of the war. Lucas: Yes. He was a controversial figure—seen as a traitor by many Jews, but his writings are our main source for this war. He claims his prophecy impressed Vespasian, who kept him as a slave turned interpreter. When Vespasian did become emperor in 69, he freed Josephus. Lucas: But Nero never saw that. By the time Vespasian was preparing to besiege Jerusalem in 68, Nero was dead, and the empire plunged into civil war. The Jewish revolt actually helped Vespasian—it gave him a loyal army and a reason to stay in the east, away from the chaos in Rome. Luna: So in a way, the revolt made him emperor. Lucas: You could argue that. Nero's mishandling of the rebellion, his neglect of the eastern frontier, and the ensuing instability—all contributed to his downfall. The revolt itself dragged on until 73 with the fall of Masada, but Nero's legacy is tied to its outbreak. Luna: This is exactly the kind of specific story that makes history so vivid. It reminds me why we do this show—to bring these details to light. Lucas: That's the thing about Fexingo. We're listener-supported, ad-free, and it's people like you who make it possible. If you've gotten something out of these episodes, a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps us going. You can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, every little bit adds up and keeps these conversations going. Lucas: Anyway, to wrap up this thread: Nero's reaction to the revolt was a mix of indifference and poor judgment. He sent Vespasian but didn't give him full support, and he prioritized his own pleasures. The war would consume Roman resources for years and set the stage for the Flavian dynasty. Luna: A bitter irony. The emperor who wanted to be remembered as an artist is remembered for a war he barely fought. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a lesson in how history treats the choices we make.