Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

and Augustus' reigns. In looking for an August 1 eclipse, he inevitably decided upon the 

A.D.

 45 eclipse, since 

it was the only one that fit his time frame for Claudius' reign. 

    But why was Claudius concerned enough about a possible future solar eclipse to inquire of Roman scholars 

when the next one would occur? Dio states only that  some other portents had already occurred. 

937

 In the 

usual chronology, there were no other solar eclipses visible from the Roman Empire for more than a year 

previous to the August 1, 

A.D.

 45 eclipse. But in the revised chronology, there was a solar eclipse visible from 

Rome on Feb. 6 of 

A.D.

 26. This eclipse occurred only a couple of weeks after Claudius became emperor. This 

first eclipse of 

A.D.

 26 was a partial solar eclipse that was visible from Rome at, and well after, dawn. This 

impressive eclipse would have been seen by the Roman people as an omen associated with the reign of 

Claudius, because it occurred so soon after he became emperor. Thus, the revised chronology offers a clear 

explanation as to why Claudius consulted scholars about future solar eclipses in the first place. 

    The first solar eclipse (Feb. 6 of 

A.D.

 26) caused a stir among the Roman people, who were quite 

superstitious about eclipses. This caused Claudius to inquire when the next solar eclipse would occur. When 

Roman scholars informed Claudius of a second solar eclipse later that year, and one coinciding with his 

birthday, he became concerned about how the Roman people would interpret such an omen. For this reason, 

he issued his famous proclamation about the eclipse, in an attempt to prevent people from interpreting that 

eclipse as also an omen against him. Now, if the eclipse mentioned in the proclamation had actually been 

visible from the Roman Empire, a proclamation by the emperor would not have been likely to cause the 

Roman people as a whole to abandon their belief that celestial events are meaningful omens. Yet Dio 

mentions no reaction by anyone to the eclipse of the proclamation. The August 1, 

A.D.

 45 eclipse was visible 

from Rome and much of the Empire, but the August 1, 

A.D.

 26 eclipse was not visible from the Roman 

Empire, but only from central and southern Africa. The reason there is no mention by Dio of any reaction to 

the eclipse is that it was not visible to the Roman people. The revised chronology can explain why Claudius 

sought information about a future solar eclipse (his reaction to the Feb. eclipse) and can explain the lack of any 

response from the Roman people after the August eclipse (it was not visible to them). The usual chronology 

offers no explanation of either of these points. 

Nero's Comets 

    Tacitus mentions two comet sightings during the reign of Nero.  A brilliant comet now appeared. 

938

 This 

sighting is described alongside the events usually placed in 

A.D.

 60; my revised date for this comet sighting is 

A.D.

 46. There are recorded comet sightings from Chinese and Korean astronomers in 

A.D.

 60, and from 

Korean astronomers only in 

A.D.

 46.

939

    The poet Seneca describes a comet during the reign of Nero, when Paterculus and Vopiscus were consuls, 

usually dated to 

A.D.

 60. This comet began in the north, passed through the west, and ended in the southern 

sky.

940

 The path of this comet is similar to the comet described by Chinese astronomers for the year 

A.D.

 60, 

which was first observed in the northeast and last seen in the southern sky.

941

    My revised date for this comet sighting is 

A.D.

 46. Korean astronomers recorded a comet sighting in the 

southern sky in 

A.D.

 46.

942

 This location matches the final location of the comet described by Seneca. More 

details are available from the Chinese astronomers about the 

A.D.

 60 comet, but the available information for 

the 

A.D.

 46 comet does not conflict with any details given by Seneca. The description given by Seneca could 

refer to either the 

A.D.

 46 or the 

A.D.

 60 comet.  

    Tacitus reports a second comet a few years later, at the end of the year of the burning of Rome, (

A.D.

 64, 

usual; 

A.D.

 49, revised).

943

 Tacitus does not give many details about this comet, but he does tells us that this 

comet was  atoned for by Nero, as usual, by aristocratic blood . 

944

 The phrase `as usual' indicates Nero had 

previously killed members of the aristocracy in reaction to a comet or other celestial sign. Thus, Nero most 

likely killed members of the aristocracy in response to both comets. 

    There was a sighting recorded in 

A.D.

 64 by Chinese astronomers, which was thought to be either a comet 

or a nova (a new star). This object did not have a visible tail, hence the dispute as to whether it was a comet or 

a nova. It was seen from early May to mid July, in 

A.D.

 64. This comet or nova does not fit the description 

given by Tacitus of the second comet during Nero's reign. Tacitus tells us that the fire that destroyed Rome 

204