The Reigns of Roman Emperors 

    Herod's reign began in the fall of the 185th Olympiad year (in 43 

B.C.

) and the battle at Actium ended in the 

fall of the 187th Olympiad year. Since Olympiad years are spaced four years apart, this places the end of the 

battle at Actium in the 8th year of Herod's reign (in 35 

B.C.

). But Josephus states that the battle at Actium 

occurred during Herod's 7th year:  At this time it was that the fight happened at Actium, between Octavius 

Caesar and Antony, in the seventh year of the reign of Herod . 

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 Therefore, the conflict at Actium between 

Augustus (Octavian) and Marc Anthony was not brief, but began in Herod's 7th year (36 

B.C.

) and ended in 

his 8th year (35 

B.C.

), which coincided with the start of the 187th Olympiad year. 

5. A solar eclipse before death of Augustus 

    Dio Cassius describes a solar eclipse as one of the portents occurring before the death of Caesar Augustus.

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He does not say how long before the death of Augustus, nor at what time of year, the eclipse occurred. The 

usual date given for the death of Augustus is August 19 of 

A.D.

 14. However, an analysis of the solar eclipse 

data for the early first century 

A.D.

 shows that there were no solar eclipses visible from anywhere in the 

Roman Empire from 

A.D.

 11 through 

A.D.

 14, inclusive.

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 (See chapter 17 for a list of solar eclipses from 

A.D.

10 to 

A.D.

 14.) 

    The solar eclipse closest to the usual date for the death of Augustus, and visible from the Roman Empire, 

was an eclipse on Nov. 24 of 

A.D.

 10. This eclipse was a partial solar eclipse visible from northern Italy and 

northern Europe. However, since it occurred almost 4 full years prior to Augustus' death, this eclipse could not 

be the eclipse referred to by Dio. 

    On the other hand, the solar eclipse on June 30 of 

A.D.

 10 was a total solar eclipse, and was visible from 

most of Europe and most of Italy as a partial solar eclipse.

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 If Augustus died on August 19 of 

A.D.

 10, a solar 

eclipse occurring less than two months earlier, visible from most of the Roman Empire, would likely have been 

seen as a foreshadowing of his death. 

    Now Dio tells us  the sun suffered a total eclipse,  and he describes the eclipse in rather dramatic terms: 

 most of the sky seemed to be on fire; glowing embers appeared to be falling from it and blood red comets 

were seen. 

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 His description fits that of a total eclipse of the sun. When the moon obscures the view of the 

sun during a solar eclipse, the sky dims, stars can be seen, and any meteors would also be visible. So the blood 

red comets could be a reference to a meteor shower.

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 And, during a total or annular eclipse of the sun, the 

sky might well be described as looking like it is  on fire.  There was no distinction at that time in history 

between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse, so Dio could have been referring to either. In either 

case, the appearance of the sky would be quite remarkable and would fit Dio's description well. 

    The eclipse on June 30 of 

A.D.

 10 was a total eclipse, but would only have appeared to be a partial eclipse 

from anywhere in the Roman Empire. Eclipses of the sun were predictable by the scholars of Rome.

838

 So 

perhaps Dio, writing several generations after this event, knew from scholars of his day that the eclipse was, in 

fact, a total eclipse. Then, when he wrote about the eclipse, he described what a total solar eclipse would look 

like. Perhaps he did not have before him a text describing what people saw at the time the eclipse occurred. 

    The information on this solar eclipse supports the date of August 19, 

A.D.

 10 for the death of Augustus. The 

information on the eclipse and comet following the death of Julius Caesar places Julius' death in 49 

B.C.

 And, 

when we calculate the date for the death of Augustus from the length of his reign and the revised date of Julius 

Caesar's death, we arrive at the same date of 

A.D.

 10. If only one piece of evidence pointed to an earlier date 

for the death of Augustus, such a conclusion would be questionable. But numerous pieces of this puzzle agree 

and fit together well. A solar eclipse before the death of Augustus, a solar eclipse and comet after the death of 

Julius Caesar, the length of Augustus' reign, the chronology of Herod's reign and the battle at Actium, all 

support a revision of the usual dates and all fit together. And much further evidence, presented below, also 

supports and fits into this revised chronology. 

    On the other hand, the usual dates given for the deaths of Augustus and Julius are not supported by the data 

on solar eclipses and comets. In general, as will be shown in the points below, the usual chronology is a poor 

fit for the eclipse and comet data. Additional evidence, aside from the astronomical evidence, also favors a 

revised chronology over the usual chronology and is discussed below. 

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