AD 6 facts for kids

6 AD was a regular year that started on a Friday, according to the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, people often called it the Year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Lucius Arruntius. This way of naming years, "AD 6," became popular much later, during the medieval period, when the Anno Domini system was widely used in Europe.

What Happened in the Year 6 AD?

Events in the Roman Empire

• A huge fire broke out in Rome. To help fight fires faster, the Roman leader Augustus created a special group called the vigiles. These were like firefighters and police officers, and at first, only freed slaves could join.
• There wasn't enough food in Rome. So, Augustus gave out twice as much grain to the people. He also sent away his own slaves and stopped meetings of the Roman Senate for a while.
• Augustus also set up a special fund called the aerarium militare. This fund, which had 170 million sestertii (an old Roman coin), was specifically for paying bonuses to soldiers when they retired from the army. This money came from a 5% tax on inheritances.
• The Temple of Castor and Pollux, an important building in Rome, was officially opened again by Tiberius.
• Some people in Rome were spreading ideas against Augustus through pamphlets. Augustus stopped this, and a man named Publius Plautius Rufus was accused but found innocent.
• Augustus sent his adopted son, Agrippa Postumus, away to an island called Planasia.
• Tiberius, a Roman general, set up his main camp at Carnuntum. From there, he planned to fight against a Germanic leader named Maroboduus. The Roman army unit, XX Valeria Victrix, joined Tiberius in this fight.
• A Roman fort was built, which marked the beginning of the city we now know as Wiesbaden in Germany.
• Tribes in Dalmatia and Pannonia (areas in modern-day Croatia and Hungary) started a big rebellion against the Romans. This was known as the Bellum Batonianum or Great Illyrian Revolt.
• To fight the rebels, new soldiers were recruited in Rome. Even freed slaves were allowed to join the army for this purpose.
• Tiberius marched his army from the northern border back to Illyricum to start fighting the rebellious tribes.
• Gaius Caecina Severus became the governor of Moesia (an area in modern-day Serbia and Bulgaria). He was heavily involved in the first battles of the Great Illyrian Revolt.
• Marcus Plautius Silvanus became governor of Galatia and Pamphylia (areas in modern-day Turkey). He stopped an uprising by the Isaurian people in Pamphylia.
• Herod Archelaus, who ruled over Samaria, Judea, and Idumea, was removed from his position and sent away to Vienne in Gaul (modern-day France).
• Judea and Moesia officially became Roman provinces, meaning they were directly ruled by Rome.
• A Roman official named Quirinius conducted a census (a count of the population) in Judea. This led to a revolt in the area, led by Judas of Galilee. The revolt was stopped, but it helped start the Zealot movement, whose members believed only God should be their ruler.

Events in China

• In January, some people in China were worried about their young emperor, Ping Di, because he was sick. Their fear grew when the planet Mars seemed to disappear behind the moon.
• On February 3, the young emperor, Ping Di, died unexpectedly at the age of 14. A powerful official named Wang Mang then chose the next emperor, Ruzi Ying, who was only 2 years old. This marked the beginning of a new period called Jushe in the Han dynasty.
• During this time, people who wanted to work for the government had to take special tests called civil-service examinations.
• The royal Liu family in China started to suspect Wang Mang's plans. They began to encourage rebellions among farmers during the rule of Ruzi Ying. The first of these revolts was led by Liu Chong, a marquis, starting in May or June.

Important People Born in 6 AD

• Gaius Manlius Valens, a Roman senator and important official (died in AD 96)
• John the Apostle, a Jewish Christian who was a mystic (around this time)
• Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, a Roman politician (died in AD 39)
• Milonia Caesonia, a Roman empress (died in AD 41)
• Nero Julius Caesar, son of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder (died in AD 30)

Important People Who Died in 6 AD

• February 3 – Ping, the Chinese emperor of the Han dynasty (born in 9 BC)
• Cleopatra Selene II, an Egyptian ruler of Cyrenaica and Libya (born in 40 BC)
• Orodes III, a king of the Parthian Empire
• Terentia, the wife of Marcus Tullius Cicero (born in 98 BC)