AD 5 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Messalla and Cinna (or, less frequently, year 758 Ab urbe condita). The denomination “AD 5” 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
- Rome acknowledges Cunobelinus, king of the Catuvellauni, as king of Britain.
- The Germanic tribes of Cimbri and Charydes send ambassadors to Rome.
- Tiberius conquers Germania Inferior.
- Agrippina the Elder marries Germanicus, her second cousin.
The legionary’s term of service is lengthened from 16 to 20 years and that of a praetorian guardsman from 12 to 16. A legionary receives 10 asses (5/8ths of a denarius) a day and a gratuity of 3000 denarii; a praetorian guard receives 2 denarii a day and a gratuity of 5000 denarii. The denarius is the `penny´ of the New Testament and was supposed to represent a day’s pay for a labourer, though this was increasingly not the case.
