73

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	1st century BC – 1st century – 2nd century
Decades:	40s 50s 60s – 70s – 80s 90s 100s
Years:	70 71 72 – 73 – 74 75 76

73 by topic
Politics
State leaders – Sovereign states
Birth and death categories
Births – Deaths
Establishment and disestablishment categories
Establishments – Disestablishments

Year 73 (LXXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

Spring—The Roman governor Lucius Flavius Silva lays siege to Masada, the last outpost of the Jewish rebels following the end in 70 of the First Jewish-Roman War (Jewish Revolt). The Roman army (Legio X Fretensis) surrounds the mountain fortress with a 7 mile long sieg wall (circumvallation) and built a rampart of stones and beaten earth against the western approach. After the citadel is conquered, 960 Zealots under the leadership of Eleazar ben Ya'ir commit mass suicide when defeat becomes imminent.
Pliny the Elder serves as procurator in Hispania Tarraconensis.
Titus Flavius Domitianus becomes Roman Consul.
Emperor Vespasian begins conquest of territory east of the upper Rhine and south of the Main. In addition, he reorganizes the defenses of the upper and lower Danube.

February—The Chinese Han Dynasty launches a major campaign against the Xiongnu, whom they confront in the Battle of Yiwulu in the Kumul oasis, an ultimate Han military victory led by General Dou Gu (d. 88).
Ban Chao (Pan-Ch’ao), competing with the Xiongnu, imposes a Chinese protectorate on the kings of Lop Nor and Khotan in the Tarim basin, with the aim of controlling the Silk Road.