See also:

• MARCUS

MARCUS SALVIUS See also:

• MARCUS SALVIUS OTHO (32-69)

OTHO (32-69)  , See also:

• ROMAN

Roman See also:

• EMPEROR (Fr. empereur, from the Lat. imperator)

emperor from the 15th of See also:

• JANUARY

January to the 15th of See also:

• APRIL

April A.D . 69, was See also:

• BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born on the 28th of April A.D . 32 . He belonged to an See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient and See also:

• NOBLE, SIR ANDREW (1832- )

noble See also:

• ETRUSCAN

Etruscan See also:

• FAMILY

family settled at Ferentinum in See also:

• ETRURIA

Etruria . He appears first as one of the most reckless and extravagant of the See also:

• YOUNG
• YOUNG, A
• YOUNG, ARTHUR (1741-1820)
• YOUNG, BRIGHAM (1801-1877)
• YOUNG, CHARLES MAYNE (1777–1856)
• YOUNG, EDWARD (1683–1765)
• YOUNG, JAMES (1811-1883)
• YOUNG, THOMAS (1773-1829)

young nobles who surrounded See also:

• NERO (37-68)

Nero . But his friendship with Nero was brought to an abrupt See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close in 58, when See also:

• OTHO, MARCUS SALVIUS (32-69)

Otho refused to See also:

• DIVORCE

divorce his beautiful wife Poppea Sabina at the bidding of Nero, who at once appointed him See also:

• GOVERNOR (from the Fr. gouverneur, from gouverner, O. Fr. governer, Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, to direct, guide)

governor of the remote See also:

• PROVINCE
• PROVINCE (Lat. provincia; perhaps a contraction of providentia)

province of Lusitania . Here Otho remained ten years, and his See also:

• ADMINISTRATION (Lat. administrare, to serve)

administration was marked by a moderation unusual at the See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time . When in 68 his See also:

• NEIGHBOUR (O. Eng. neahgebiir, from Walt, " nigh," " near ")

neighbour See also:

• GALBA, SERVIUS SULPICIUS

Galba, the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, See also:

• ROSE
• ROSE (Rosa)
• ROSE, GEORGE (1744-1818)
• ROSE, HUGH JAMES (1795—1838)
• ROSE, WILLIAM STEWART (1775-1843)

rose in revolt against Nero, Otho accompanied him to See also:

• ROME
• ROME (Roma)

Rome . Resentment at the treatment he had received from Nero may have impelled him to this course, but to this See also:

• MOTIVE (from Lat. movere, to move)

motive was added before See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long that of See also:

• PERSONAL

personal ambition . Galba was far advanced in years, and Otho, encouraged by the predictions of astrologers, aspired to succeed him . But in January 69 his hopes were dissipated by Galba's formal See also:

• ADOPTION (Lat. adoptio, for adoptalio, from adoptare, to choose for oneself)

adoption of L . See also:

• CALPURNIUS, TITUS

Calpurnius See also:

• PISO

Piso as the fittest See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man to succeed him .

Nothing remained for Otho but to strike a bold See also:

• BLOW, JOHN (1648-1708)

blow . Desperate as was the See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state of his finances, thanks to his previous extravagance, he found See also:

• MONEY

money to See also:

• PURCHASE

purchase the services of some three-and-twenty soldiers of the praetorian guard . On the See also:

• MORNING

morning of January 15, five days only after the adoption of Piso, Otho attended as usual to pay his respects to the emperor, and then hastily excusing himself on the See also:

• SCORE (O.E. scor, from sceran, to cut, notch, cf. " shear ")

score of private business hurried from the See also:

• PALATINE (from Lat. palatium, a palace,)

Palatine to meet his accomplices . By them he was escorted to the praetorian See also:

• CAMP (from Lat. campus, field)

camp, where, after a few moments of surprise and indecision, he was saluted imperator . With an imposing force he returned to the See also:

• FORUM (Lat. from foris, " out of doors ")

Forum, and at the See also:

• FOOT

foot of the Capitol encountered Galba, who, alarmed by vague rumours of treachery, was making his way through a dense See also:

• CROWD, CROUTH, CROWTH

crowd of wondering citizens towards the See also:

• BARRACKS (derived through the French from the Late Lat. barra, a bar)
• BARRACKS, CAMP

barracks of the guard . The See also:

• COHORT (Lat. cohors)

cohort on See also:

• DUTY (from " due," that which is owing, O. Fr. deu, dil, past participle of devoir; Lat. debere, debitum; cf. " debt ")

duty at the Palatine, which had accompanied the emperor, instantly deserted him; Galba, Piso and others were brutally murdered by the See also:

• PRAETORIANS

praetorians . The brief struggle over, Otho returned in See also:

• TRIUMPH (triumphus)

triumph to the camp, and on the same See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day was duly invested by the senators with the name of See also:

• AUGUSTUS (a name 1 derived from Lat. augeo, increase, i.e. venerable, majestic, Gr. Ee0avr6s)

Augustus, the tribunician See also:

• POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power and the other dignities belonging to the principate . Otho had owed his success, not only to the resentment See also:

• FELT (cognate with Ger. Filz, Du. vilt, Swed. and Dan. fill; the root is unknown; the word has given Med. Lat. filtrum, " filter ")

felt by the praetorian See also:

• GUARDS, AND HOUSEHOLD TROOPS

guards at Galba's well-meant attempts to curtail their privileges in the interests of discipline, but also largely to the See also:

• ATTACHMENT

attachment felt in Rome for the memory of Nero; and his first acts as emperor showed that he was not unmindful of the fact . He accepted,or appeared to accept, the cognomen of Nero conferred upon him by the shouts of the populace, whom his See also:

• COMPARATIVE

comparative youth and the effeminacy of his See also:

• APPEARANCE (from Lat. apparere, to appear)

appearance reminded of their lost favourite . Nero's statues were again set up, his freedmen and See also:

• HOUSEHOLD, ROYAL

household See also:

• OFFICERS

officers reinstalled, and the intended completion of the See also:

• GOLDEN

Golden See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

House announced . At the same time the fears of the more sober and respectable citizens were allayed by Otho's liberal professions of his intention to govern equitably, and by his judicious clemency towards See also:

• MARIUS, GAIUS (r55–86 B.c.)

Marius See also:

• CELSUS (c. A.D. 178)

Celsus, See also:

• CONSUL
• CONSUL (in Gr. generally ihraros,ashortened form of errpavgybs 8hraeos, i.e. praetor maximus)

consul-designate, a devoted adherent of Galba . But any further development of Otho's policy was checked by the See also:

• NEWS

news which reached Rome shortly after his See also:

• ACCESSION (from Lat. accedere, to go to, to approach)

accession, that the See also:

• ARMY
• ARMY (from Fr. armee, Lat. armata)

army in See also:

• GERMANY
• GERMANY (Ger. Deutschland)

Germany had declared for See also:

• VITELLIUS, AULUS

Vitellius, the See also:

• COMMANDER

commander of the legions on the See also:

• LOWER

lower See also:

• RHINE (Lat. Rhenus, Ger. Rhein, Fr. Rhin, Dutch Rhyn, or Rijn)

Rhine, and was already advancing upon See also:

• ITALY
• ITALY (Italia)

Italy .

After in vain attempting to conciliate Vitellius by the offer of a See also:

• SHARE (O. Eng. scearu, chiefly in compounds, e.g. land-scearu, a share of land, from sceran to cut; cf. " shear" )

share in the See also:

• EMPIRE

empire, Otho, with unexpected vigour,' prepared for See also:

• WAR
• WAR (O. Eng. werre, Fr. guerre, of Teutonic origin; cf. O.H.G. werran, to confound)

war . From the remoter provinces, which had acquiesced in his accession, little help was to be expected; but the legions of See also:

• DALMATIA (Ger. Dalmatien; Ital. Dalmazia; Serbo-Croatian, Dalmacija)

Dalmatia, See also:

• PANNONIA

Pannonia and See also:

• MOESIA (Gr. Muck and Mveia i)

Moesia were eager in his cause, the praetorian cohorts were in themselves a formidable force and an efficient See also:

• FLEET

fleet gave him the mastery of the See also:

• ITALIAN

Italian seas . The fleet was at once despatched to secure See also:

• LIGURIA

Liguria, and on the 14th of See also:

• MARCH
• MARCH (1) (from Fr. marcher, to walk; the earliest sense in French appears to be " to trample," and the origin has usually been found in the Lat. marcus, hammer; Low Lat. marcare, to hammer; hence to beat the road with the regular tread of a soldier: cf.
• MARCH, AUZIAS (c. "1395-1458)
• MARCH, EARLS OF
• MARCH, FRANCIS ANDREW (1825– )

March Otho, undismayed by omens and prodigies, started See also:

• NORTH
• NORTH, BARONS
• NORTH, MARIANNE (1830—1890)
• NORTH, ROGER (1653-1734)
• NORTH, SIR THOMAS (1535?-16o1?)

north-wards at the See also:

• HEAD (in 0. Eng. heafad; the word is common to Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch hoofd, Ger. Haupt, generally taken to be in origin connected with Lat. caput, Gr. KerbOvi7)
• HEAD, SIR EDMUND WALKER, BART
• HEAD, SIR FRANCIS BOND, BART

head of his troops in the hopes of preventing the entry of the Vitellian troops into Italy . But for this he was too See also:

• LATE

late, and all that could be done was to throw troops into Placentia and hold the See also:

• LINE

line of the Po . Otho's advanced guard successfully defended Placentia against Alienus See also:

• CAECINA

Caecina, and compelled that See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general to fall back on See also:

• CREMONA
• CREMONA, LUIGI (1830-1903)

Cremona . But the arrival of See also:

• FABIUS

Fabius See also:

• VALENS

Valens altered the aspect of affairs . The Vitellian commanders now resolved to bring on a decisive See also:

• BATTLE

battle, and their designs were assisted by the divided and irresolute counsels which prevailed in Otho's camp . The more experienced officers urged the importance of avoiding a battle, until at least the legions from Dalmatia had arrived . But the rashness of the emperor's See also:

• BROTHER

brother Titianus and of Proculus, See also:

• PREFECT (prefet)

prefect of the praetorian guards, added to Otho's feverish impatience, overruled all opposition, and an immediate advance was decided upon, Otho himself remaining behind with a considerable reserve force at Brixellum, on the See also:

• SOUTHERN

southern See also:

• BANK

bank of the Po . When this decision was taken the Othonian forces had already crossed the Po and were encamped at Bedriacum (or Betriacum), a small See also:

• VILLAGE

village on the Via See also:

• POSTUMIA, VIA

Postumia, and on the route by which the legions from Dalmatia would naturally arrive . Leaving a strong detachment to hold the camp at Bedriacum, the Othbniah forces advanced along the Via Postumia in the direction of Cremona . At a See also:

• SHORT, FRANCIS JOB (1857– )

short distance from that See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

city they unexpectedly encountered the Vitellian troops .

The Othonians, though taken at a disadvantage, fought desperately, but were finally forced to fall back in disorder upon their camp at Bedriacum . Thither on the next day the victorious Vitellians followed them, but only to come to terms at once with their disheartened enemy, and to be welcomed into the camp as See also:

• FRIENDS, SOCIETY
• FRIENDS, SOCIETY OF

friends . More unexpected still was the effect produced at Brixellum by the news of the battle . Otho was still in command of a formidable force—the Dalmatian legions had already reached A'quileia; and the spirit of his soldiers and their officers was unbroken . But he was resolved to accept the See also:

• VERDICT (O. Fr. verdit, Lat. vere dictum, truly said, used in Late Latin in one word with its present significance)

verdict of the battle which his own impatience had hastened . In a dignified speech he bade farewell to those about hint, and then retiring to See also:

• REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest slept soundly for some See also:

• HOURS, CANONICAL

hours . See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

Early in the morning he stabbed him-self to the See also:

• HEART
• HEART, LUNG

heart with a See also:

• DAGGER

dagger which he had concealed under his See also:

• PILLOW (O. Eng. pylu; Lat. pulvinus, a cushion)

pillow, and died as his attendants entered the See also:

• TENT

tent . His funeral was celebrated at once, as he had wished, and not a few of his soldiers followed their See also:

• MASTER (Lat. magister, related to tnagis, more, as the corresponding minister is to minus, less; the English form is due partly to the O. Eng. maegister, and partly to O. Fr. maistre, mod. maitre; cf. Du. meester, Ger. Meister, Ital. maestro)

master's example by killing themselves at his pyre . A See also:

• PLAIN (O. Fr. plain, from Lat. plenum)

plain See also:

• TOMB (Gr. Tuµ/3a, Tuµ(3os, probably allied to Lat. tumulus, literally a swelling, tumere, to swell)

tomb was erected in his See also:

• HONOUR (Lat. honos or lwnor, honoris; in English the word was spelled with or without the u indifferently until the 17th century, but during the 18th century it became fashion-able to spell the word " honor "; Johnson's and Webster's Dictionaries stereoty

honour at Brixellum, with the See also:

• SIMPLE

simple inscription " Diis Manibus Marci Othonis." At the time of his See also:

• DEATH

death (the 15th of April 69) he was in his See also:

• THIRTY

thirty-eighth See also:

• YEAR

year, and had reigned just three months . In all his See also:

• LIFE

life nothing became him so well as his manner of leaving it; but the fortitude he then showed, even if it was not merely the courage of despair, cannot See also:

• BLIND, MATHILDE (1841—1896)

blind us to the fact that he was little better than a reckless and vicious spendthrift, who was not the less dangerous because his fiercer passions were concealed beneath an affectation of effeminate dandyism . (H . F .

P.) See See also:

• TACITUS, CORNELIUS (c. 55-120)
• TACITUS, MARCUS CLAUDIUS

Tacitus, Histories, i . 12-50, 71-90, ii . 11-51; Lives by Suetonius and See also:

• PLUTARCH
• PLUTARCH (Gr. llXoi rapxos) (c. A.D. 46–120)

Plutarch; Dio See also:

• CASSIUS
• CASSIUS, AVIDIUS (d. A.D. 175)
• CASSIUS, GAIUS

Cassius lxiv.; See also:

• MERIVALE, CHARLES (1808-1893)
• MERIVALE, HERMAN (1806-1874)

Merivale, See also:

• HISTORY

History of the See also:

• ROMANS
• ROMANS, EPISTLE TO THE

Romans under the Empire, ch . 56; H . See also:

• SCHILLER, JOHANN CHRISTOPH FRIEDRICH VON (1759-18o5)

Schiller, Geschichte der romischen Kaiserzeit (1883) ; L . See also:

• PAUL
• PAUL (PAULUS)

Paul, " Kaiser M . Salvias Otho " in Rhein . See also:

• MUS

Mus. lvii . (1902); W . A . Spooner, On the Characters of Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, in Introd. to his edition (1891) of the Histories of Tacitus; B . W .

See also:

• HENDERSON
• HENDERSON, ALEXANDER (1583-1646)
• HENDERSON, EBENEZER (1784-1858)
• HENDERSON, GEORGE FRANCIS ROBERT (1854-1903)
• HENDERSON, JOHN (1747-1785)

Henderson, See also:

• CIVIL

Civil War and See also:

• REBELLION

Rebellion 'in the Roman Empire, A.D . 0-70 (1908) .