Nero’s expedition to the sources of the Nile
Nero sent a small party of praetorians up the Nile to seek its sources; helped by the king of Ethiopia (Kush), they travelled far beyond Meroë until vast, impassable marshes — the Sudd of today’s South Sudan — barred the way.
- Date
- between 61 and 62exact date unknown: an interval is given
- Place
- Meroëtoday: near Shendi, River Nile State, Sudan · Africa
- Route
- Syene → Meroë → Sudd marshes
- Participants
- Nero, Roman Empire, Kingdom of Kush
- Threads
- Africa (1st–5th c.)
- Also known as
- Nero’s exploration of the Nile; Римская экспедиция в Эфиопию
The expedition is known from two contemporaries. Seneca heard the story from two of its centurions: the king of Ethiopia gave them help and letters of recommendation to the neighbouring rulers, and they pressed on until they reached immense marshes. Pliny the Elder says that the reconnaissance was also meant to prepare Nero’s planned war against Ethiopia, so the mission was part scientific inquiry and part military intelligence.
The date is not certain: the expedition is usually placed around 61–62, before Seneca’s death in 65. Since Seneca speaks of a king of Ethiopia and Pliny of a queen, some scholars believe there were two separate missions.
Connections
Related events
- Pliny the Elder’s Natural History77 · Western and Central EuropePliny the Elder is one of the two sources on the expedition
Same participants
- Temple of Apedemak at Naqabetween 1 BC and AD 70 · Africavia Kingdom of Kush
- Boudica’s revoltbetween 60 and 61 · Western and Central Europevia Nero
- Roman conquest of Britain43 – between 83 and 84 · Western and Central Europevia Roman Empire
- Great Fire of Rome19 July 64 – c. 27 July 64 · Western and Central Europevia Nero
Adjacent events in the thread
- Adulis and Aksum in the Periplus40s … 70s · Africa
Meanwhile in the world
Other regions, within a year of this event
Western and Central Europe
- Boudica’s revoltbetween 60 and 61
- Roman conquest of Britain43 – between 83 and 84
- Martyrdom of Peter and Paul in Romebetween 64 and 68
Eastern Europe
- The Alans appear on the Don and in the North Caucasusbetween 50 and 72
- Plautius Silvanus lifts the Scythian siege of Chersonesusbetween 61 and 66
- Zarubintsy culturec. 200 BC – c. 200
Balkans and Anatolia
- Dioscorides’ De materia medicabetween 50 and 70
Middle East and Egypt
- Roman–Parthian War of 58–6358–63
- Periplus of the Erythraean Sea40s … 70s
- Reign of Vologases I51–78
- Hero of Alexandria’s aeolipilebetween 50 and 100
Central and Northern Asia
- The burials of Tillya Tepe (the Bactrian Gold)between 16 and 100
South Asia
- Kushans conquer Gandhara and Taxilabetween 50 and 70
- Gandharan art: the first images of the Buddhabetween 30 BC and AD 100
- Heyday of Indo-Roman trade: Muziris and Arikameduc. 30 BC – c. 250
East Asia
- The Book of Han is writtenc. 54 – 111
Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Founding of Funan: Kaundinya and Queen Liuyebetween 1 and 100
- Óc Eo, the port of Funanbetween 1 and 100 – between 601 and 700
- Sa Huỳnh culturec. 1000 BC – c. 200
North America
- Hopewell traditionbetween 200 and 100 BC – c. 500
- Late Basketmaker II erac. 50 – c. 500
Latin America
- Monte Albán II: the Zapotec state expandsc. 100 BC – c. 200
- Rise of Teotihuacanc. 1 – c. 250
- Nazca culture and the Nazca Linesbetween 200 and 100 BC – between 500 and 800
The same period
Sources
- Wikipedia (English): Nero's exploration of the Nile
- Wikipedia (Russian): Римская экспедиция в Эфиопию
- Seneca. Naturales Quaestiones, VI.8.
- Pliny the Elder. Natural History, VI.181–187.
- Wikidata: Q3966450