Ancient Literature — Volume 6 (E-Book)

Ancient Literature — Significant Excerpts from the Books of Classical Authors Which You Can Use to Supplement Your History Curriculum — Volume Six: Nero, Paul, and the Destruction of Jerusalem

Compiled by Laurie Bluedorn

Published by Trivium Pursuit

Use primary sources to enhance your study of ancient history.

This 276-page ebook can be used to supplement any ancient history curriculum and is suitable for ages ten through adult. For this volume, we combed through the books of 16 ancient authors to find 137 significant excerpts concerning the time period from A.D. 54 to A.D. 70. We then arranged the excerpts chronologically and provided the text and citation for each.

Also available in this series:

Volume One: Julius Caesar
Volume Two: Alexander the Great
Volume Three: Augustus, Jesus Christ, and Tiberius
Volume Four: Ancient Egypt
Volume Five: Caligula, Claudius, and Paul
Volume Six: Nero, Paul, and the Destruction of Jerusalem

Look for our soon-to-be-released ebooks on other ancient history topics.

276-page ebook; 8.5 X 11; black & white

Contents of this Ebook

Tacitus
Annals
Claudius dies; Nero declared emperor (A.D. 54)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Claudius dies and Nero now rules; (A.D. 54)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
Claudius dies (A.D. 54)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Nero adds more territory to Agrippa (A.D. 55)

Tacitus
Annals
Early years of Nero’s rule; Seneca is one of his counselors

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
At beginning of Nero’s reign, Judea is filled with crime; Felix kills the high priest; the prophet from Egypt (A.D. 55)

Luke
Bible: Acts
The prophet from Egypt (A.D. 55)

Luke
Bible: Acts
Paul remains in Corinth a good while; travels to Ephesus; arrives at Caesarea and travels to Antioch of Syria (A.D. 56)

Luke
Bible: Acts
Paul begins third missionary journey; travels through Galatia and Phrygia (A.D. 56)

Josephus
The Life of Flavius Josephus
Josephus joins the Pharisees (A.D. 56)

Luke
Bible: Acts
Apollos converted (A.D. 56)

Luke
Bible: Acts
Paul in Ephesus and surrounding areas (A.D. 56-59)

Pliny
Natural History
Eclipse of the sun (A.D. 59)

Tacitus
Annals
Eclipse of the sun (A.D. 59)

Tacitus
Annals
Eclipse of the sun in Rome while sacrifice made on behalf of Agrippina who had been killed by Nero (A.D. 59)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
Nero kills his mother Agrippina; eclipse of the sun (A.D. 59)

Luke
Bible: Acts
Paul leaves Ephesus and departs for Macedonia (A.D. 59)

Luke
Bible: Acts
Paul went from Macedonia into Greece, back through Macedonia and Asia and arrives in Jerusalem, ending the third missionary journey (A.D. 60)

Luke
Bible: Acts
Paul arrested by the Romans and kept in bonds by Felix in Caesarea for two whole years; Paul conversed often with Felix (A.D. 60-62)

Tacitus
Annals
Earthquake destroys Laodicea (A.D. 60)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
An argument between the Caesarean Jews and the Syrians (A.D. 61)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Ismael becomes high priest (A.D. 61)

Eusebius
The History of the Church
Mark the Evangelist dies (A.D. 61)

Josephus
The War of the Jews
Felix tries to end the argument between the Jews and Syrians of Caesarea by sending envoys from both sides to Nero to argue their causes (A.D. 62)

Josephus
The Life of Flavius Josephus
Felix sent some priests as prisoners to Rome; Josephus helps in their release and becomes friends with Nero’s wife (A.D. 62)

Luke
Bible: Acts
Paul still a prisoner in Caesarea when Porcius Festus arrives from Nero as Felix’s successor (A.D. 62)

Luke
Bible: Acts
Paul appears before Festus; Paul appeals to Caesar; Paul appears before Agrippa and Bernice (A.D. 62)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Some Jews travel to Rome to accuse Felix before Nero; Syrians get Nero to revoke a decree which protected the Jews in Caesarea (A.D. 62)

Tacitus
Annals
Seneca falls out of favor with Nero

Tacitus
Annals
Felix’s brother Pallas killed by Nero (A.D. 62)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Conditions in Judea upon the coming of Festus

Luke
Bible: Acts
Paul travels to Rome and remains under guard for two years (A.D. 62)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Judea afflicted by robbers and imposters (A.D. 63)

Matthew
Bible: Matthew
Jesus warns of false prophets

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Concerning the wall built by the Jews (A.D. 63)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Festus dies and Nero replaces him with Albinus; high priesthood given to Ananus; Ananus convened the Sanhedrin and brought James, the brother of Jesus before them; James stoned; priesthood taken from Ananus (A.D. 63)

Eusebius
The History of the Church
James is killed (A.D. 63)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Albinus (replacement for Festus) arrives in Jerusalem (A.D. 63)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Thieves in Jerusalem (A.D. 63)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
King Agrippa is hated; civil state of Jews degenerates (A.D. 63)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Jesus, son of Ananias, a common person, cries out (A.D. 63)

Photius
Bibliotheca
Signs preceding the taking of Jerusalem

Josephus
War of the Jews
Albinus proves to be a thief (A.D. 64)

Tacitus
Annals
Fire in Rome (A.D. 64)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Nero
Nero burns Rome (A.D. 64)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
Nero burns Rome (A.D. 64)

Tacitus
Annals
Nero blames the Christians for the burning of Rome (A.D. 64)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Nero
Nero persecutes the Christians (A.D. 64)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Nero
Nero’s character

Tertullian
Apology
Nero was the first emperor who persecuted the Christians (A.D. 64)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Nero replaces Albinus with Gessius Florus as governor of Judea (A.D. 64)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Nero appoints Cestius Gallus as governor of Syria (A.D. 64)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Albinus empties the prisons when he heard he had been replaced by Gessius Florus (A.D. 64)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Levites persuade King Agrippa to allow them the use of the linen robe (A.D. 64)

Paul
Bible: Philippians
Epaphroditus brings money to Paul in Rome (A.D. 64)

Paul
Bible: Philemon
Onesimus is converted while Paul is in prison (A.D. 64)

Paul
Bible: Colossians
Onesimus is converted while Paul is in prison (A.D. 64)

Paul
Bible: Hebrews
Timothy set free from prison (A.D. 64)

Paul
Bible: Philippians
Some of Caesar’s guard converted to Christ (A.D. 64)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
King Agrippa and the rebuilding of the temple (A.D. 65)

Paul
Bible: Acts
Paul released from prison (A.D. 65)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Signs of the coming war (A.D. 65)

Tacitus
Histories
Signs of the upcoming war (A.D. 65)

Luke
Bible: Luke
Jesus speaks about the destruction of Jerusalem

Josephus
The Life of Flavius Josephus
Josephus returns home from Rome; observes rebellion among his people in Jerusalem (A.D. 65)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Concerning Florus and how he abused the jews (A.D. 65)

Seneca
Moral Letters: On Crowds
Seneca’s opinion of the arena and of crowds

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Nero
Nero kills Seneca and commits other atrocities (A.D. 65)

Josephus
War of the Jews
The Jews appeal to Cestius Gallus to save them from Gessius Florus (A.D. 66)

Tacitus
Histories
The war with the Jews started when Gessius Florus was governor (A.D. 66)

Josephus
War of the Jews
The war with the Jews begins (A.D. 66)

Josephus
War of the Jews
King Agrippa tries to persuade the Jews not to go to war (A.D. 66)

Josephus
War of the Jews
How the war of the Jews with the Romans began (A.D. 66)

Josephus
War of the Jews
The calamities that came upon the Jews (A.D. 66)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Cestius Gallus, governor of Syria, comes to Judea with his troops (A.D. 66)

Paul
Bible: II Timothy
Paul again imprisoned at Rome (A.D. 66)

Frontinus
On Water
Description of the water supply and water thieves in first century A.D. Rome

Josephus
War of the Jews
Cestius Gallus marches on Jerusalem (A.D. 66)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Cestius Gallus almost captures the temple but then retreats (A.D. 66)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Cestius sends ambassadors to Nero; the people of Damascus slay those Jews that lived with them; the people of Jerusalem after they had left off pursuing Cestius return to the city and get things ready for its defense and make a great many generals for their armies and particularly Josephus the writer of these books (A.D. 66)

Josephus
War of the Jews
The Jews make all ready for the war; Simon the son of Gioras falls to plundering (A.D. 66)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Vespasian is sent into Syria by Nero in order to make war with the Jews (A.D. 66)

Lactantius
Divine Institutes
The apostles Peter and Paul foretold the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 67)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Vespasian comes to Ptolemais (A.D. 67)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Titus comes with a great army to Ptolemais (A.D. 67)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Placidus attempts to take Jotapata and is beaten off; Vespasian marches into Galilee; Vespasian, when he had taken the city Gadaea, marches to Jotapata; after a long siege the city is betrayed by a deserter and taken by Vespasian (A.D. 67)

Chrysostom
II Corinthians, Homily 26
Paul is beheaded at Rome and the exact day is commonly known (A.D. 67)

Eusebius
The History of the Church
Peter was martyred at the same time as Paul (A.D. 67)

Eusebius
The History of the Church
Peter was crucified at Rome with his head downward (A.D. 67)

Clement of Rome
Epistle to the Corinthians
Earliest reference to deaths of Peter and Paul

Josephus
War of the Jews
Vespasian captures Josephus (A.D. 67)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Vespasian defeats the city of Tiberias (A.D. 67)

Josephus
War of the Jews
The siege and taking of Gamala (A.D. 67)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Great dissension throughout all Judea and in Jerusalem (A.D. 67)

Josephus
War of the Jews
John (a leader of the Zealots) leads the robbers in treachery (A.D. 67)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Jews are destroying themselves with these discords; Vespasian roused to action by the cries of those who fled to him and prepares to siege Jerusalem (A.D. 67)

Josephus
War of the Jews
How Vespasian upon hearing of some commotions in Gaul made haste to finish the Jewish war (A.D. 68)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Nero
Nero hears of the revolt in Gaul and then of Galba and Spain (A.D. 68)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Nero
Nero kills himself (A.D. 68)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
Nero kills himself (A.D. 68)

Pliny the Elder
Natural History
Description of the first-century A.D. city of Rome

Tacitus
Histories
Galba seized power after Nero’s suicide, with support of the Spanish legions; Galba murdered by Praetorian Guard (A.D. 68)

Tacitus
Histories
Galba murdered by Praetorian Guard (A.D. 69)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Vespasian hears that Galba is slain (A.D. 69)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Otho
Otho appointed as emperor by Praetorian Guard; committed suicide after losing Battle of Bedriacum to Vitellius (A.D. 69)

Tacitus
Histories
Vitellius seized power with support of German Legions in opposition to Galba/Otho (A.D. 69)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Vitellius
Vitellius murdered by Vespasian’s troops (A.D. 69)

Tacitus
Histories
Vespasian’s army in Judea swear loyalty to him (A.D. 69)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Vespasian
Vespasian seized power with the support of the eastern Legions; his army in Judea swears loyalty to him (A.D. 69)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Vespasian leaves Judea and travels to Alexandria and then to Rome; sends son Titus to destroy Jerusalem (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
The situation in Jerusalem as Titus was coming (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Titus marches on Jerusalem (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Titus has Jerusalem under seige; famine in the city (A.D. 70)

Moses
Bible: Deuteronomy
God tells his people what happens during sieges

Josephus
War of the Jews
Conflict within the city of Jerusalem

Josephus
War of the Jews
The progress of Titus as he destroys Jerusalem (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Titus builds a wall around the city (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
A great number of people die and the famine is severe (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Conflict among the Jews within the city (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Titus destroys the Tower of Antonia (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Titus burns the temple -- against his actual wishes, according to Josephus (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Titus now possesses the city (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Titus razes the city but leaves the west part of the wall and three towers (A.D. 70)

Dio Cassius
Roman History
Dio Cassius’ version of the destruction of Jerusalem; Jerusalem was destroyed on a Saturday (A.D. 70)

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Titus
Titus completes the conquest of Judea (A.D. 70)

Philostratus
Apollonius
Titus declines to be crowned by the neighboring countries (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Dead men discovered in underground caves in the city (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Jewish captives slain in fighting with beasts (A.D. 70)

Josephus
War of the Jews
Titus stores the Book of the Law and the purple veil of the sanctuary in his palace (A.D. 70)

Pliny the Elder
Natural History
Eclipses during the reign of Vespasian

Matthew
Bible: Matthew
Eclipses foretold by Jesus

Orosius
A History against the Pagans
Orosius’ version of the destruction of Jerusalem

Justus Lipsius
Book of Constancy
Catalogue from Josephus of those who died outside of Jerusalem during the War of the Jews

Photius
Bibliotheca
Agrippa had his kingdom augmented by Vespasian

Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Titus
Titus’ relationship with Bernice

Dio Cassius
Roman History
Titus’ relationship with Bernice

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Herod and his children