90s

Note: Sometimes the '90s is used as shorthand for the 1990s, the 1890s, or other such decades in various centuries – see List of decades.

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	1st century BC – 1st century – 2nd century
Decades:	60s 70s 80s – 90s – 100s 110s 120s
Years:	90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
Categories:	Births – Deaths – Architecture Establishments – Disestablishments

90s: events by year

Contents: 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

By place

Roman Empire

• The Romans build a small garrison in the suburbs of modern Regensburg (approximate date).
• Pliny the Younger's appointment as urban quaestor ends.
• Emperor Domitian and Nerva are Roman Consuls.
• Cologne becomes the capital of Germania Inferior.
• A humiliating peace is bought by Domitian from Decebalus of Dacia.
• Artabanus III king of Parthia dies after a 10-year period in which he has challenged the suzerainty of Pacorus II, who will continue his reign until 105 AD.

Asia

• Continuing his conquest of the Tarim basin, Chinese General Ban Chao defeats the Kushan led by Kanishka.

By topic

Art

• Young Flavian Woman is made. It is now kept at Musei Capitolini, Rome (approximate date).

Literature

• The Roman epic poet Gaius Valerius Flaccus dies, having written works that include the Argonautica, describing the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the mythical land of Colchis.

Religion

• Drafting of The Gospel of John and the Acts of the Apostles.

By place

Roman Empire

• Roman emperor Domitian becomes a Roman Consul.
• The Marcomanni are defeated by the Romans at the Danube. However, they are not entirely subdued.
• The Roman army moves into Mesopotamia.

Dacia

• A coalition of Dacians and Rhoxolani Sarmatians completely slaughtered the Legio XXI Rapax at Tropaeum Traiani, modern Romania, in the First Battle of Adamclisi

By place

Roman Empire

• Pliny the Younger is named a Praetor.
• Josephus completes his Jewish Antiquities (or in 94).
• Emperor Domitian persecutes the Christians.

Asia

• The Xianbei incorporates 100,000 Xiongnu in Mongolian steppe.

Roman Empire

• Emperor Domitian rebuilds and rededicates the Curia Julia (meeting place of the Roman Senate), which had burned down in 64.
• Domitian bans philosophers from Rome.

Asia

• The Chinese General Ban Chao completes his conquest of the Tarim Basin by taking Yanqi.

By topic

Arts and sciences

• The Roman poet Statius retires to Naples from Rome.

By place

Roman Empire

• Emperor Domitian and Titus Flavius Clemens become Roman Consul.
• Domitian execute senators out of paranoiac fears that they are plotting to kill him.
• Manius Acilius Glabrio is commanded by Domitian to descend into the arena of the Colosseum to fight a lion. After he kills the animal, the crowd greets him with applause, but the emperor banished and put him to death.
• Sextus Julius Frontinus is appointed superintendent of the aqueducts (curator aquarum) in Rome. At least 10 aqueducts supply the city with 250 million US gallons (950,000 m³) of water per day, the public baths used half the supply.

By topic

Medicine

• In Rome a severe form of malaria appears in the farm districts and will continue for the next 500 years, taking out of cultivation the fertile land of the Campagna, whose market gardens supply the city with fresh products. The fever drives small farmers into the crowded city, they bring the malaria with them, and lowers Rome's live-birth rate while rates elsewhere in the empire rising.

Religion

• Latest date for the writing of The Book of Revelation.

By place

Roman Empire

• September 18 – Emperor Domitian is stabbed to death by a freedman at age 44 after a 15-year reign in a palace conspiracy involving officers of the Praetorian Guard. The Flavian dynasty ends.
• Nerva is declared emperor by the Senate as the new ruler of the Roman Empire. He recalls citizens exiled by Domitian, this is the beginning of the Era of the Five Good Emperors. The Antonines dynasty starts.
• Under Nerva, the Roman Senate regains much of the power usurped by Domitian.
• Marcus Ulpius Traianus becomes governor of Upper Germany.
• Construction begins on the Forum of Nerva in Rome.
• The Arch of Titus is completed in Rome.

By topic

Arts and sciences

• End of the period covered by Tacitus in his Histories.

Religion

• The Book of Revelation is written (traditional date).
• A schism in Buddhism creates a new, popular religion in India, mahâyâna (Grand Vehicle).

By place

Roman Empire

• October 28 – Emperor Nerva recalls his general Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, age 44, from the German frontier and is forced by the Praetorian Guard to adopt him as his successor.
• Tacitus advances to consulship.
• The Roman colony of Cuicul is started in Numidia.
• Nerva recognizes the Sanhedrin of Jamnia as an official governmental body of the Jews, and the patriarch or nasi is designated as the representative of the Jewish people in Rome.

Asia

• Chinese general Ban Chao orders his lieutenant, Gan Ying, to establish regular relations with the Parthians.

By topic

Religion

• Pope Evaristus succeeds Pope Clement I as the fifth pope (according to Catholic tradition; none of the Popes until the mid second century is certain).

By place

Roman Empire

• Emperor Nerva suffers a stroke during a private audience. Shortly after he dies of a fever at his villa in the Gardens of Sallust.
• January 27 – Nerva is succeeded by his adopted son Trajan.
• Trajan is the first Roman Emperor born in Italica, near Seville. A brilliant soldier and administrator, he enters Rome without ceremony and wins over the public. Continuing the policies of Augustus, Vespasian and Nerva, he restores the Senate to its full status in the government. He has a specific vision of the Empire, and keeps a close watch on finances. Taxes, without any increase, are sufficient during his reign to pay the considerable costs of the budget.
• The informers used by Domitian to support his tyranny are expelled from Rome.
• In order to maintain the Port of Alexandria, Trajan reopens the canal between the Nile and the Red Sea.
• Carrying out an idea of Nerva's, Trajan begins a form of state welfare aimed at assuring that poor children are fed and taken care of.

By topic

Arts and sciences

• Tacitus finishes his Germania (approximate date).

Commerce

• The silver content of the Roman denarius rises to 93 percent under emperor Trajan, up from 92 percent under Domitian.

Significant people

• Titus Flavius Domitianus, Roman Emperor (81–96)
• Nerva, Roman Emperor (96–98)