Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
husband, and brought her to his own house as his wife, and was
not content afterwards to have a share in her, but grudged to
have Nero for a claimant, Poppaea herself, they say, being
rather pleased than otherwise with this jealousy; she sometimes
excluded Nero, even when Otho was not present, either to prevent
his getting tired with her, or, as some say, not liking the
prospect of an imperial marriage, though willing enough to have
the emperor as her lover. So that Otho ran the risk of his
life, and strange it was he escaped, when Nero, for this very
marriage, killed his wife and sister. But he was beholden to
Seneca's friendship, by whose persuasions and entreaty Nero was
prevailed with to dispatch him as praetor into Lusitania, on the
shores of the Ocean; where he behaved himself very agreeably and
indulgently to those he had to govern, well knowing this command
was but to color and disguise his banishment.
When Galba revolted from Nero, Otho was the first governor of
any of the provinces that came over to him, bringing all the
gold and silver he possessed in the shape of cups and tables, to
be coined into money, and also what servants he had fitly
qualified to wait upon a prince. In all other points, too, he
was faithful to him, and gave him sufficient proof that he was
inferior to none in managing public business. And he so far
ingratiated himself, that he rode in the same carriage with him
during the whole journey, several days together. And in this
journey and familiar companionship, he won over Vinius also,
both by his conversation and presents, but especially by
conceding to him the first place, securing the second, by his
interest, for himself. And he had the advantage of him in
avoiding all odium and jealousy, assisting all petitioners,
without asking for any reward, and appearing courteous and of
easy access towards all, especially to the military men, for
many of whom he obtained commands, some immediately from the
emperor, others by Vinius's means, and by the assistance of the
two favorite freedmen, Icelus and Asiaticus, these being the
men in chief power in the court. As often as he entertained
Galba, he gave the cohort on duty, in addition to their pay, a
piece of gold for every man there, upon pretense of respect to
the emperor, while really he undermined him, and stole away his
popularity with the soldiers.
So Galba consulting about a successor, Vinius introduced Otho,
yet not even this gratis, but upon promise that he would marry
his daughter, if Galba should make him his adopted son and
successor to the empire. But Galba, in all his actions, showed
clearly that he preferred the public good before his own private
interest, not aiming so much to pleasure himself as to advantage
the Romans by his selection. Indeed he does not seem to have
been so much as inclined to make choice of Otho, had it been but
to inherit his own private fortune, knowing his extravagant and
luxurious character, and that he was already plunged in debt
five thousand myriads deep. So he listened to Vinius, and made
no reply, but mildly suspended his determination. Only he
appointed himself consul, and Vinius his colleague, and it was
the general expectation that he would declare his successor at
the beginning of the new year. And the soldiers desired nothing
more than that Otho should be the person.
But the forces in Germany broke out into their mutiny whilst he
was yet deliberating, and anticipated his design. All the
soldiers in general felt much resentment against Galba for not
having given them their expected largess but these troops made a
pretense of a more particular concern, that Virginius Rufus was
cast off dishonorably, and that the Gauls who had fought with
them were well rewarded, while those who had refused to take
part with Vindex were punished; and Galba's thanks seemed all to
be for him, to whose memory he had done honor after his death
with public solemnities as though he had been made emperor by
his means only. Whilst these discourses passed openly
throughout the army, on the first day of the first month of the
year, the Calends, as they call it, of January, Flaccus
summoning them to take the usual anniversary oath of fealty to
the emperor, they overturned and pulled down Galba's statues,
and having sworn in the name of the senate and people of Rome,
departed. But the officers now feared anarchy and confusion, as
much as rebellion; and one of them came forward and said: "What
will become of us, my fellow-soldiers, if we neither set up
another general, nor retain the present one? This will be not
so much to desert from Galba as to decline all subjection and
command. It is useless to try and maintain Flaccus Hordeonius,
who is but a mere shadow and image of Galba. But Vitellius,
commander of the other Germany, is but one day's march distant,
whose father was censor and thrice consul, and in a manner
co-emperor with Claudius Caesar; and he himself has the best
proof to show of his bounty and largeness of mind, in the
poverty with which some reproach him. Him let us make choice
of, that all may see we know how to choose an emperor better
than either Spaniards or Lusitanians." Which motion whilst some
assented to, and others gainsaid, a certain standard-bearer
slipped out and carried the news to Vitellius, who was
entertaining much company by night. This, taking air, soon
passed through the troops, and Fabius Valens, who commanded one
legion, riding up next day with a large body of horse, saluted
Vitellius emperor. He had hitherto seemed to decline it,
professing a dread he had to undertake the weight of the
government; but on this day, being fortified, they say, by wine
and a plentiful noonday repast, he began to yield, and submitted
to take on him the title of Germanicus they gave him, but
desired to be excused as to that of Caesar. And immediately the
army under Flaccus also, putting away their fine and popular
oaths in the name of the senate, swore obedience to Vitellius as
emperor, to observe whatever he commanded.
Thus Vitellius was publicly proclaimed emperor in Germany; which
news coming to Galba's ear, he no longer deferred his adoption;
yet knowing that some of his friends were using their interest
for Dolabella, and the greatest number of them for Otho, neither
of whom he approved of, on a sudden, without anyone's privity,
he sent for Piso, the son of Crassus and Scribonia, whom Nero
slew, a young man in general of excellent dispositions for
virtue, but his most eminent qualities those of steadiness and
austere gravity. And so he set out to go to the camp to declare
him Caesar and successor to the empire. But at his very first
going forth, many signs appeared in the heavens, and when he
began to make a speech to the soldiers, partly extempore, and
partly reading it, the frequent claps of thunder and flashes of
lightning and the violent storm of rain that burst on both the
camp and the city were plain discoveries that the divine powers
did not look with favor or satisfaction on this act of adoption,
that would come to no good result. The soldiers, also, showed
symptoms of hidden discontent, and wore sullen looks, no
distribution of money being even now made to them. However,
those that were present and observed Piso's countenance and
voice could not but feel admiration to see him so little
overcome by so great a favor, of the magnitude of which at the
same time he seemed not at all insensible. Otho's aspect, on
the other hand, did not fail to let many marks appear of his
bitterness and anger at his disappointment; since to have been
the first man thought of for it, and to have come to the very
point of being chosen, and now to be put by, was in his feelings
a sign of the displeasure and ill-will of Galba towards him.
This filled him with fears and apprehensions, and sent him home
with a mind full of various passions, whilst he dreaded Piso,
hated Galba, and was full of wrath and indignation against
Vinius. And the Chaldeans and soothsayers about him would not
permit him to lay aside his hopes or quit his design, chiefly
Ptolemaeus, insisting much on a prediction he had made, that
Nero should not murder Otho, but he himself should die first,
and Otho succeed as emperor; for the first proving true, he
thought he could not distrust the rest. But none perhaps
stimulated him more than those that professed privately to pity
his hard fate and compassionate him for being thus ungratefully
dealt with by Galba; especially Nymphidius's and Tigellinus's
creatures, who, being now cast off and reduced to low estate,
were eager to put themselves upon him, exclaiming at the
indignity he had suffered, and provoking him to revenge himself.
Amongst these were Veturius and Barbius, the one an optio, the
other a tesserarius (these are men who have the duties of
messengers and scouts), with whom Onomastus, one of Otho's
freedmen, went to the camp, to tamper with the army, and brought
over some with money, others with fair promises, which was no
hard matter, they being already corrupted, and only wanting a
fair pretense. It had been otherwise more than the work of four
days (which elapsed between the adoption and murder) so
completely to infect them as to cause a general revolt. On the
sixth day ensuing, the eighteenth, as the Romans call it,
before the Calends of February, the murder was done. On that
day, in the morning, Galba sacrificed in the Palatium, in the
presence of his friends, when Umbricius, the priest, taking up
the entrails, and speaking not ambiguously, but in plain words,
said that there were signs of great troubles ensuing, and
dangerous snares laid for the life of the emperor. Thus Otho
had even been discovered by the finger of the god; being there
just behind Galba, hearing all that was said, and seeing what
was pointed out to them by Umbricius. His countenance changed
to every color in his fear, and he was betraying no small
discomposure, when Onomastus, his freedman, came up and
acquainted him that the master-builders had come, and were
waiting for him at home. Now that was the signal for Otho to
meet the soldiers. Pretending then that he had purchased an old
house, and was going to show the defects to those that had sold
it to him, he departed; and passing through what is called
Tiberius's house, he went on into the forum, near the spot
where a golden pillar stands, at which all the several roads
through Italy terminate.
Here, it is related, no more than twenty-three received and
saluted him emperor; so that, although he was not in mind as in
body enervated with soft living and effeminacy, being in his
nature bold and fearless enough in danger, nevertheless, he was
afraid to go on. But the soldiers that were present would not
suffer him to recede, but came with their drawn swords about his
chair, commanding the bearers to take him up, whom he hastened
on, saying several times over to himself, "I am a lost man."
Several persons overheard the words, who stood by wondering,
rather than alarmed, because of the small number that attempted
such an enterprise. But as they marched on through the forum,
about as many more met him, and here and there three or four at
a time joined in. Thus returning towards the camp, with their
bare swords in their hands, they saluted him as Caesar;
whereupon Martialis, the tribune in charge of the watch, who
was, they say, noways privy to it, but was simply surprised at
the unexpectedness of the thing, and afraid to refuse, permitted
him entrance. And after this, no man made any resistance; for
they that knew nothing of the design, being purposely
encompassed by the conspirators, as they were straggling here
and there, first submitted for fear, and afterwards were