17
For this and other purposes he needed great sums of
money; and as he was a promoter of great enterprises
and a liberal giver and at the same time feared an attack
from the persons of most influence while he was
thus engaged, he destroyed many excellent men. Of
most of these I shall omit any mention, merely saying
that the stock complaint under which all of them were
brought before him was uprightness, wealth, and
family: all of them either killed themselves or were
slaughtered by others. I shall pause to consider only
Corbulo and (of the Sulpicii Scribonii) Rufus and
Proculus. These two deserve attention because they
were in a way brothers and contemporaries, never doing
anything separately but united in purpose and in
property as they were in family: they had for a long
time administered the affairs of the Germanies and
had come to Greece at the summons of Nero, who affected
to want something from them. A complaint of
the kind which that period so prodigally afforded was
lodged against them. They could obtain no hearing on
the matter nor even get within sight of Nero; and as
this caused them to be slighted by all persons without
exception, they began to long for death and so met
their end by slitting open their veins.--And I notice
Corbulo, because the emperor, after giving him also a
most courteous summons and invariably calling him
(among other names) "father" and "benefactor,"
then, as this general approached Cenchrea, commanded
that he be slain before he had even entered his presence.
Some explain this by saying that Nero was about to
sing with zither accompaniment and could not endure
the idea of being seen by Corbulo while he wore the
long ungirded tunic. The condemned man, as soon as
he understood the import of the order, seized a sword,
and dealing himself a lusty blow exclaimed: "Your
due!" Now for the first time in his career was he
ready to believe that he had done ill both in sparing the
zither-player and in going to him unarmed.
18
This is the substance of what took place in Greece.
Does it add much to mention that Nero ordered Paris
the dancer killed because he wished to learn dancing
from him and was disappointed? Or that he banished
Caecina Tuscus, governor of Egypt, for bathing in the
tub that had been specially constructed for his coming
visit to Alexandria?
In Rome about this same time Helius committed
many acts of outrage. One of these was his killing of
a distinguished man, Sulpicius Camerinus, together
with his son; the complaint against them was that
whereas they were called
Pythici
after some of their
ancestors they would not abandon possession of this
name, thus blaspheming Nero's Pythian victories by
the use of a similar title.--And when the Augustans
offered to build a shrine to the emperor worth a thousand
librae, the whole equestrian order was compelled
to help defray the expense they had undertaken.--As
for the doings of the senate, it would be a task to describe
them all in detail. For so many sacrifices and
days of thanksgiving were announced that the whole
year would not hold them all.
19
Helius having for some time sent Nero repeated
messages urging him to return as quickly as possible,
when he found that no attention was paid to them,
went himself to Greece on the seventh day and frightened
him by saying that a great conspiracy against him
was on foot in Rome. This news made him embark at
double quick rate. There was some hope of his perishing
in a storm and many rejoiced, but to no purpose:
he came safely to land. And cause for destroying some
few persons was found in the very fact that they had
prayed and hoped that he might perish.
A.D. 68 (a.u. 821)
20
So, when he marched into Rome, a portion of the wall was torn
down and a section of the gates broken in, because
some asserted that each of these ceremonies was customary
upon the return of garlanded victors from the
games. First entered men wearing the garlands which,
had been won, and after them others with boards
borne aloft on spears, upon which were inscribed the
name of the set of games, the kind of contest, and a
statement that "Nero Caesar first of all the Romans
from the beginning of the world has conquered in it."
Next came the victor himself on a triumphal car in
which Augustus once had celebrated his many victories:
he wore a vesture of purple sprinkled with gold
and a garland of wild olive; he held in his hand the
Pythian laurel. By his side in the vehicle sat Diodorus
the Citharoedist. After passing in this manner through
the hippodrome and through the Forum in company
with the soldiers and the knights and the senate he ascended
the Capitol and proceeded thence to the palace.
A.D. 68 (a.u. 821)
The city was all decked with garlands, was ablaze with
lights and smoky with incense, and the whole population,--the
senators themselves most of all,--kept
shouting aloud: "Vah, Olympian Victor! Vah
Pythian Victor! Augustus! Augustus! Hail to Nero
the Hercules, hail to Nero the Apollo!! The one National
Victor, the only one from the beginning of time!
Augustus! Augustus! O, Divine Voice! Blessed are
they that hear thee!"--Why should I employ circumlocutions instead of
letting you see their very words? The actual expressions
used do not disgrace my history: no, the concealment
of none of them rather lends it distinction.
21
When he had finished these ceremonies, he announced
a series of horse-races, and transferring to the
hippodrome these crowns and all the rest that he had
secured by victories in chariot racing, he put them
about the Egyptian obelisk. The number of them was
one thousand eight hundred and eight. After doing
this he appeared as charioteer.--A certain Larcius, a
Lydian, approached him with an offer of twenty-five
myriads if he would play and sing for them. Nero
would not take the money, disdaining to do anything
for pay; and so Tigillinus collected it, as the price of
not putting Larcius to death. However, the emperor
did appear on the stage with an accompanied song and
he also gave a tragedy. In the equestrian contests he
was seldom absent, and sometimes he would voluntarily
let himself be defeated in order to make it more
credible that he really won at other times.
Dio 62nd Book: "And he inflicted uncounted woes on many cities."
22
This was the kind of life Nero led, this was the way
he ruled. I shall narrate also how he was put down
and driven from his throne.
While Nero was still in Greece, the Jews revolted openly and he sent
Vespasian against them. The inhabitants of Britain and of Gaul,
likewise, oppressed by the taxes, experienced an even keener distress, which
added fuel to the already kindled fire of their indignation.
--There was a Gaul named Gaius Julius Vindex
[an Aquitanian]
, descended from the native royal race
and on his father's side entitled to rank as a Roman
senator. He was strong of body, had an intelligent
mind, was skilled in warfare and was full of daring
for every enterprise.
[He was to the greatest degree
a lover of freedom and was ambitious; and he stood at
the head of the Gauls.]
Now this Vindex made an assembly
of the Gauls, who had suffered much during the
numerous forced levies of money, and were still suffering
at Nero's hands. And ascending a tribunal
he delivered a long and detailed speech against Nero,
saying that they ought to revolt from the emperor and
join him in an attack
[upon him]
,--"because," said
he, "he has despoiled the whole Roman world, because
he has destroyed all the flower of their senate, because
he debauched and likewise killed his mother, and does
not preserve even the semblance of sovereignty. Murders,
seizures and outrages have often been committed
and by many other persons: but how may one find
words to describe the remainder of his conduct as it
deserves? I have seen, my friends and allies,--believe
me,--I have seen that man (if he is a man, who
married Sporus and was given in marriage to Pythagoras)
in the arena of the theatre and in the orchestra,
sometimes with the zither, the loose tunic, the
cothurnus,
[
]
sometimes with wooden shoes
[
]
and mask. I have
often heard him sing, I have heard him make proclamations,
I have heard him perform tragedy. I have seen
him in chains, I have seen him dragged about, pregnant,
bearing children, going through all the situations
of mythology, by speech, by being addressed, by being
acted upon, by acting. Who, then, will call such a person
Caesar and emperor and Augustus? Let no one for
any consideration so abuse those sacred titles. They
were held by Augustus and by Claudius. This fellow
might most properly be termed Thyestes and Oedipus,
Alcmeon and Orestes. These are the persons he represents
on the stage and it is these titles that he has
assumed rather than the others. Therefore now at
length rise against him: come to the succor of yourselves
and of the Romans; liberate the entire world!"
23
Such words falling from the lips of Vindex met with
entire approval from all. Vindex was not working to
get the imperial office for himself but chose Servius
Sulpicius Galba for that position: this man was distinguished
for his upright behavior and knowledge of
war, was governor of Spain, and had a not inconsiderable
force. He was also nominated by the soldiers as
emperor.
24
Rufus, governor of Germany, set out to make war on
Vindex; but when he reached Vesontio he sat down to
besiege the city, for the alleged reason that it had not
received him. Vindex came against him to the aid of
the city and encamped not far off. They then sent
messages back and forth to each other and finally held
a conference together at which no one else was present
and made a mutual agreement,--against Nero, as it
was thought. After this Vindex set his army in motion
for the apparent purpose of occupying the town: and
the soldiers of Rufus, becoming aware of their approach,
and thinking the force was marching straight
against them, set out without being ordered to oppose
their progress. They fell upon the advancing troop
while the men were off their guard and in disarray,
and so cut down great numbers of them. Vindex seeing
this was afflicted with so great grief that he slew
himself. For he felt, besides, at odds with Heaven itself, in that
he had not been able to attain his goal in an undertaking of so great
magnitude, involving the overthrow of Nero and the liberation of the
Romans.
This is the truth of the matter. Many afterwards
inflicted wounds on his body, and so gave currency to
the erroneous supposition that they had themselves
killed him.
25
Rufus mourned deeply his demise, but refused to
accept the office of emperor, although his soldiers frequently
obtained it. He was an energetic man and had a large,
wide-awake body of troops. His soldiers tore down
and shattered the image of Nero and called their general
Caesar and Augustus. When he would not heed
them, one of the soldiers thereupon quickly inscribed
these words on one of his standards. He erased the
terms, however, and after a great deal of trouble
brought the men to order and persuaded them to submit
the question
[
]
to the senate and the people. It is
hard to say whether this was merely because he did not
deem it right for the soldiers to bestow the supreme
authority upon any one (for he declared this to be the
prerogative of the senate and the people), or because
he was entirely highminded and felt no personal desire
for the imperial power, to secure which others were
willing to do everything.
26
[Nero was informed of the Vindex episode as he was
in Naples viewing the gymnastic contest just after
luncheon. He was naturally far from sorry, and leaping
from his seat vied in prowess with some athlete.
He did not hurry back to Rome but merely sent a letter
to the senate, in which he asked them to regard
leniently his non-arrival, because he had a sore throat,
implying that when he did come he wanted to sing to
them. And he continued to devote the same care and
attention to his voice, to his songs, and to the zither
tunes, not only just then but also subsequently: so he
would not try a tone of his intended program. If he
was at any time compelled by circumstances to make
some exclamation, yet somebody, reminding him that
he was to appear as citharoedist, would straightway
check and control him.
It is stated that Nero having offered by proclamation
two hundred and fifty myriads to the person who
should kill Vindex, the latter when he heard of it
remarked: "The person who kills Nero and brings his
head to me may take mine in return." That was the
sort of man Vindex was.
In general he still behaved in his accustomed manner
and he was pleased with the news brought him because
he had been expecting in any event to overcome Vindex
and because he thought he had now secured a justifiable
ground for money-getting and murders. He enjoyed
the same degree of luxury; and upon the completion
and adornment of the heroum of Sabina he gave it a
brilliant dedication, taking care to have inscribed upon
it: "The Women have built This to Sabina, the
Goddess Venus." And the writing told the truth:
for the building had been constructed with money of
which a great part had been stolen from women. Also
he had his numerous little jokes, of which I shall mention
only one, omitting the rest.]
One night he suddenly
summoned in haste the foremost senators and
knights, apparently to make some communication to
them regarding the political situation. When they
were assembled, he said: "I have discovered a way by
which the water organ"--I must write exactly what
he said--"will produce a greater and more harmonious
volume of sound." Such were his jokes about
this period. And little did he reck that both sets of
doors, those of the monument and those of the bedchamber
of Augustus, opened of their own accord in
one and the same night, or that at Albanum it rained
so much blood that rivers of it flowed over the land,
or that the sea retreated a good distance from Egypt
and covered a large portion of Lycia.
27
But when he
heard about Galba's being proclaimed emperor by the
soldiers and about the desertion of Rufus, he fell into
great fear: he made preparations in person at Rome
and he sent against the rebels Rubrius Gallus and some
others.
On learning that Petronius,
[26]
whom he had sent ahead against the
rebels with the larger portion of the army, also favored the cause of
Galba, Nero reposed no further hope in arms.
Being abandoned by all without exception he began
forming plans to kill the senators, burn the city to the
ground, and sail to Alexandria. He dropped this hint
in regard to his future course: "Even though we be
driven from our empire, yet this little artistic gift of
ours shall support us there." To such a pitch of folly
had he come as to believe that he could live for a
moment as a private citizen and would be able to appear
as a musician.
He was on the point of putting those measures into effect when the
senate first withdrew the guard that surrounded Nero, then entered the
camp, and declared Nero an enemy but chose Galba in his place as
emperor.
But when he perceived that he had been deserted
also by his body-guards (he happened to be asleep in
some garden), he undertook to make his escape. Accordingly,
he assumed shabby clothing and mounted a
horse no better than his attire. Closely veiled he rode
while it was yet night towards an estate of Phao, a
Caesarian, in company with the owner of the place, and
Epaphroditus and Sporus.
28
While he was on the
way an extraordinary earthquake occurred, so that
one might have thought the whole world was breaking
apart and all the spirits of those murdered by
him were leaping up to assail him. Being recognized,
they say, in spite of his disguise by some one
who met him he was saluted as emperor; consequently
he turned aside from the road and hid himself
in a kind of reedy place. There he waited till
daylight, lying flat on the ground so as to run the least
risk of being seen. Every one who passed he suspected
had come for him; he started at every voice,
thinking it to be that of some one searching for him:
if a dog barked anywhere or a bird chirped, or a bush
or twig was shaken by the breeze, he was thrown into a
violent tremor. These sounds would not let him have
rest, yet he dared not speak a word to any one of those
that were with him for fear some one else might hear:
but he wept and bewailed his fortune, considering
among other things how he had once stood resplendent
in the midst of so vast a retinue and was now dodging
from sight in company with three freedmen. Such
was the drama that Fate had now prepared for him, to
the end that he should no longer represent all other
matricides and beggars, but only himself at last. Now
he repented of his haughty insolence, as if he could
make one of his acts undone. Such was the tragedy
in which Nero found himself involved, and this verse
constantly ran through his mind:
"Both spouse and father bid me pitiably die."
After a long time, as no one was seen to be searching
for him, he went over into the cave, where in his hunger
he ate such bread as he had never before tasted
and in his thirst drank water such as he had never
drunk before. This gave him such a qualm that he
said:
"So this is my famous frigid decocta." [27]
29
While he was in this plight the Roman people were
going wild with delight and offering whole oxen in
sacrifice. Some carried small liberty caps, and they
voted to Galba the rights pertaining to the imperial
office. For Nero himself they instituted a search in all
directions and for some time were at a loss to know
whither he could have betaken himself. When they
finally learned, they sent horsemen to dispose of him.
He, then, perceiving that they were drawing near, commanded
his companions to kill him. As they refused
to obey, he uttered a groan and said:
"I alone have
neither friend nor foe."
By this time the horsemen
were close at hand, and so he killed himself, uttering
that far-famed sentence:
"Jupiter, what an artist
perishes in me!"
And as he lingered in his agony
Epaphroditus dealt him a finishing stroke.
He had
lived thirty years and nine months, out of which he had
ruled thirteen years and eight months. Of the descendants
of Aeneas and of Augustus he was the last, as was plainly
indicated by the fact that the laurels planted by Livia
and the breed of white chickens perished somewhat before his death.
There was no one who might not hope to lay hands on the
sovereignty in a time of so great confusion.
Rufus visited Galba and could obtain from him no important
privileges, unless one reckons the fact that a man who had
frequently been hailed as emperor was allowed to live. Among
the rest of mankind, however, he had acquired a great name,
greater than if he had accepted the sovereignty,
for refusing to receive it.
Galba, now that Nero had been destroyed and the senate had
voted him the imperial authority and Rufus had made advances
to him, plucked
up courage. However, He did not adopt the name "Caesar," until
envoys of the senate had paid him a visit. Nor had he
hitherto inscribed the name "emperor" in any document.
DURATION OF TIME
C. Silius Italicus, Galerius Trachalus Turpilianus.
(A.D. 68 = a.u. 821, from the 9th of June).
Galba Caes. Aug. (II), T. Vinius.
(A.D. 69 = a.u. 822, to January 15th).
(A.D. 68 = a.u. 821, from the 9th of June).
Galba Caes. Aug. (II), T. Vinius.
(A.D. 69 = a.u. 822, to January 15th).
A.D. 68 (a.u. 821)
1
Thus was Galba declared emperor just as Tiberius
had foretold when he said to him: "You also shall
have a little taste of sovereignty." The event was
likewise foretold by unmistakable omens. He beheld
in visions the Goddess of Fortune telling him that she
had now stuck by him for a long time yet no one appeared
ready to take her into his house; and if she
should be barred out much longer she should take up
her abode with some one else. During those very days
also boats full of weapons and under the guidance of
no human being came to anchor off the coast of Spain.
And a mule brought forth young, an occurrence which
had been previously interpreted as destined to portend
the possession of authority by him. Again, a boy that
was bringing him incense in the course of a sacrifice
suddenly had his hair turn gray; whereupon the seers
declared that dominion over the younger generation
should be given to his old age.
2
These, then, were the signs given beforehand that
had a bearing on his sovereignty. Personally his conduct
was in most ways moderate and he avoided giving
offence since he bore in mind that he had not taken the
emperor's seat but it had been given him;--indeed, he
said so frequently:--unfortunately, he collected money
greedily since his wants were numerous, though he
spent comparatively little after all, bestowing upon
some persons not even denarii but merely asses. His
freedmen, however, committed a great number of
wrongs, the responsibility for which was laid upon
him. Ordinary individuals need only keep themselves
from crime, but those who hold sovereign power must
see to it that no dependent of theirs practices villany
either. For it makes little difference to the ones who
suffer wrong at whose hands they happen to be ill
treated. Consequently, even though Galba abstained
from inflicting injury, yet he was ill spoken of because
he allowed these others to commit crimes, or at least
was ignorant of what was taking place. Nymphidius
and Capito, in particular, were allowed by him to run
riot. For instance, Capito, when one day some one
appealed a case from his jurisdiction, changed his seat
hastily to a high chair near by and then cried out:
"Now plead your case before Caesar!" He went
through the form of deciding it and had the man put to
death. Galba felt obliged to proceed against them for
this.
3
As he drew near the City, the guards of Nero met
him and asked that their organization be preserved intact.
At first he was for postponing his decision and
averred that he wanted to think the matter over.
Since, however, they would not obey but kept up a
clamor, the army submitted to them. As a consequence
about seven thousand of his soldiers lost their lives and
the guardsmen were decimated. This shows that even
if Galba was bowed down with age and disease, yet his
spirit was keen and he did not believe in an emperor's
being compelled to do anything unwillingly. A further
proof is that when the Pretorians asked him for
the money which Nymphidius had promised them, he
would not give it, but replied: "I am accustomed to
levy soldiers, not to buy them." And when the populace
brought urgent pressure to bear on him to kill
Tigillinus and some others who had before been
wantonly insolent, he would not yield, though he would
probably have disposed of them had not their enemies
made this demand. Helius, however, as well as Narcissus,
Patrobius, Lucusta the poison merchant, and
some others who had been active in Nero's day, he
ordered to be carried in chains all over the city and
afterwards to receive punishment. The slaves, likewise, who
had been guilty of any act or speech detrimental to their masters were
handed over to the latter for punishment.
Some disdained receiving their own slaves, wishing to be rid of
rascally slaves.
Galba demanded the return of all moneys and objects of value which
any persons had received from Nero. However, if anybody had been
exiled by the latter on the charge of impiety towards the emperor, he
restored him to citizenship; and he also transferred to the tomb of
Augustus the bones of members of the imperial family who had been
murdered, and he set up their images anew.
For this he was praised. On the other hand he was
the victim of uproarious laughter for wearing a sword
whenever he walked on the street, since he was so old
and weak of sinew.
A.D. 69 (a.u. 822)
4
I shall relate also the circumstances of his death.
The soldiers in Germany under control of Rufus became
more and more excited because they could not
obtain any favors from Galba; and, having failed to
secure the object of their desire through the medium
of Rufus, they sought to obtain it through somebody
else. This they did. With Aulus Vitellius, governor
of Lower Germany, at their head they revolted. All
that they had in mind regarding him was the nobility
of his birth, and they paid no attention to the fact that
he had been a favorite of Tiberius and was a slave to
the licentious habits of his former master; or perhaps
they thought that on this very account he would suit
their purpose all the better. Indeed, Vitellius himself
deemed himself of so little account that he made fun of
the astrologers and used their prediction as evidence
against them, saying: "Certainly they know nothing
who declare that I shall become emperor." Nero when
he heard it also laughed, and felt such contempt for the
fellow that he did not try to injure him.
5
Galba on being informed of his defection adopted
Lucius Piso, a youth of good family, affable and prudent,
and appointed him Caesar. At the same time
Marcus Salvius Otho, angry because
he
had not been
adopted by Galba, brought about once more a beginning
of countless evils for the Romans. He was always
held in honor by Galba, so much so that on the
day of the latter's death he was the only one of the
senators to attend him at the sacrifice. And to him
most of all was the catastrophe due. For when the
diviner declared that Galba would be the victim of conspiracy
and therefore urged him by no means to go
abroad anywhere, Otho heard it, and hastening down
immediately as if on some other errand was admitted
within the wall by some few soldiers who were in the
conspiracy with him. The next step was the winning
over or rather the buying up of the rest, who were displeased
at Galba, by means of many promises. From
them he received the imperial office at once and later
his claim was acknowledged by the others.
6
Galba
on learning what was taking place thought he could
bring the men into a better frame of mind and
sent some emissaries to the camp for this purpose.
Meanwhile a soldier holding aloft a bare blade covered
with blood had approached him and said: "Be of good
cheer, emperor: I have killed Otho, and no further
danger awaits you." Galba, believing this, said to
him: "And who ordered you to do that?" He himself
started for the Capitol to offer sacrifice. As he
reached the middle of the Roman Forum, horsemen
and footsoldiers met him and then and there cut down
in the presence of many senators and crowds of plebeians
the old man, their consul, high priest, Caesar,
emperor. After abusing his body in many ways they
cut off his head and stuck it on a pole.--So he was
struck by a javelin hurled into the very chair in which
he was being carried, was wounded at the very moment
he was bending forward from it, and only said:
"Why, what harm have I done?" Sempronius Densus,
a centurion, defended him as long as he was able,
and finally, when he could accomplish nothing, let himself
be slain with his sovereign. This is why I have
included his name, for he richly deserves to be mentioned.
Piso also was killed and numerous others, but
not in aiding the emperor.
When the soldiers had done this, they cut off their heads, which they
then carried to Otho (who was in the camp) and also into the senate-house;
and the senators, though terror-stricken, affected to be glad.
Moreover, the senate voted him all the privileges
pertaining to his office. He said that he had been
forced to do as he did, had been brought within the
walls against his will, and had actually risked his life
after that by opposing the scheme. He regularly
talked in a considerate manner and assumed a kindly
expression and attitude; he threw kisses on his fingers
to everybody and made many promises. But the fact
did not escape men that his rule was sure to be more
licentious and oppressive than Nero's. (Indeed, he
had immediately applied to himself the latter's name).
Galba had lived seventy-two years and twenty-three
days, out of which he ruled nine months and thirteen
days. Piso perished after him, making this atonement
for having been appointed Caesar.
7
This was the end that befell Galba. But retribution
was destined full soon enough to seek out Otho in his
turn, as he at once learned. As he was offering his
first sacrifice, the omens were seen to be unfavorable,
so that he repented of what had been done and said:
"What need was there of my playing on the long
flutes?" This is a colloquial and proverbial expression
that has reference to those who do anything out of
their usual line. Later he was so disturbed in his sleep
at night that he fell out of the bed and alarmed the
guards who slept at the door. They rushed in and
found him lying on the ground. Yet once he had entered
upon the imperial office he could not put it off;
and he remained in it and paid the penalty, in spite of
many temperate acts intended to conciliate people. It
was not particularly his nature to behave that way, but
since on account of Vitellius his prospects were in a
somewhat precarious state, he did not wish to alienate
the bulk of the population.
8
Just at this time, to be sure, he annulled the sentences
against some senators and granted various
slight favors to others. By way of gaining the public
approval he constantly frequented the theatres: he
bestowed citizenship upon foreigners and made many
other attractive announcements. Yet he did not succeed
in winning the attachment of any one save a certain
few, like himself.
[For his restoration of the
images of those under accusation and]
his life and
habits, his keeping Sporus as a companion and employing
the rest of the Neronians, alarmed everybody.
9
They hated him most of all, however, because he had
demonstrated the fact that the imperial office was for
sale and had put the city in the power of the boldest
spirits; likewise because he held the senate and the
people in slight esteem and had impressed upon the
soldiers also this idea,--that they could kill or again
create a Caesar. Moreover, he had brought the soldiers
into such a daring and lawless condition by his gifts
and his immoderate attentions that one day they forced
an entrance just as they were into the palace while a
number of the senators were dining there with Otho.
before departing they rushed into the banquet-room
itself, killing those that strove to bar their progress.
And they would have slaughtered everybody found
there had not the guests jumped up and hid themselves
prior to their irruption. For this behavior the men
received money, it being assumed that their act was
due to their liking for Otho.
About this time also a man was caught pretending
to be Nero. His name was unknown to Dio. And at
last he paid the penalty.
10
Otho, not succeeding by frequent invitations in persuading
Vitellius to come and share the imperial office,
eventually plunged into open war against him. And
he sent soldiers whom he put in charge of several different
leaders; this fact was largely responsible for
his reverses.
Otho declined battle, saying that he could not see a
battle fought between kindred, just as if he had become
emperor in some legitimate fashion and had not killed
the consuls and the Caesar
[
]
and the emperor
[
]
in Rome
itself. There fell in the battles which took place near
Cremona four myriads of men on both sides. Here,
they say, various omens appeared before the battle,
most noteworthy being an unusual bird, such as men
had never before beheld, that was seen for a number
of days.