AD 47

Updated on Dec 20, 2023

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AD 47 (XLVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. "At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Caesar and Vitellius (or, less frequently, year 800 Ab urbe condita). The denomination AD 47 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Roman Empire

Consuls are the emperor Claudius and Lucius Vitellius. Claudius revives the censorship and ludi saeculares and organises the order of the Haruspices with sixty members.

Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo is made commander of the Roman army in Germania Inferior. He conquers the Chauci and fights against the Cherusci and Frisians.

Cauci pirates led by the Roman deserter Gannascus ravage the Gallic coast; Corbulo uses the Rhine fleet against them. The Frisian revolt is suppressed.

Publius Ostorius Scapula becomes governor of Britain, in place of Aulus Plautius. The south-east of the island is now a Roman province, while certain states on the south coast are ruled as a nominally independent client kingdom by Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, whose seat is probably at Fishbourne near Chichester. Ostorius immediately faces incursions from unconquered areas, which he puts down.

Corbulo orders the construction of the canal Fossa Corbulonis, between the Rhine and Meuse in the Netherlands, which connects the city Forum Hadriani (Voorburg).

Romans build the Traiectum fortification near the mouth of the Rhine, which will later grow to be the city of Utrecht.

Claudius founds the city Forum Claudii Vallensium (modern Martigny) in the Alpes Poeninae (Switzerland).

Musselburgh is founded in Roman Britain (Scotland).

Pliny the Elder sees military service in Germany.