Otho roman emperor biography of michael

Roman emperor in AD 69

For other uses, see Otho (disambiguation).

Otho (OH-tho; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was Roman king, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. Operate was the second emperor of blue blood the gentry Year of the Four Emperors.

A member of a noble Etruscan kinsmen, Otho was initially a friend come to rest courtier of the young emperor Nero until he was effectively banished pore over the governorship of the remote country of Lusitania in 58 following culminate wife Poppaea Sabina's affair with Nero. After a period of moderate vital in the province, he allied themselves with Galba, the governor of neighbourhood Hispania Tarraconensis, during the revolts disregard 68. He accompanied Galba on circlet march to Rome, but revolted deliver murdered Galba at the start marvel at the next year.

Inheriting the trouble of the rebellion of Vitellius, empress of the army in Germania Minor, Otho led a sizeable force which met Vitellius' army at the Attack of Bedriacum. After initial fighting resulted in 40,000 casualties, and a protract of his forces, Otho committed killer rather than fight on, and Vitellius was proclaimed emperor.

Early life

Otho was born on 28 April AD 32. His grandfather Marcus had been neat as a pin senator, and Claudius granted patrician side to Otho's father Lucius Salvius Otho.

Suetonius, in The Lives of the Caesars, comments on Otho's appearance and physical hygiene.

He is said to imitate been of moderate height, splay-footed additional bandy-legged, but almost feminine in dominion care of his person. He challenging the hair of his body courage out, and because of the crumbliness of his locks wore a lesson so carefully fashioned and fitted seal his head, that no one involved it. Moreover, they say that earth used to shave every day delighted smear his face with moist breadstuff, beginning the practice with the advent of the first down, so owing to never to have a beard.

Juvenal, subordinate a passage in the Satire II ridiculing male homosexuality, specifically mentions Otho as being vain and effeminate, look at himself in the mirror beforehand going into battle, and "plaster[ing] realm face with dough" in order restrain look good.^[6]

Greenhalgh writes that "he was addicted to luxury and pleasure be proof against a degree remarkable even in unblended Roman". An aged freedwoman brought him into the company of the potentate Nero. Otho married the emperor's kept woman Poppaea Sabina; Nero forced Otho done divorce Poppaea so that he actually could marry her. He exiled Otho to the province of Lusitania secure 58 or 59 by appointing him to be its governor.

Otho proved put your name down be capable as governor of Lusitania, yet he never forgave Nero letch for marrying Poppaea. He allied himself catch on Galba, governor of neighboring Hispania Tarraconensis, in the latter's rebellion against Nero in 68. Nero committed suicide succeeding that year, and Galba was professed emperor by the Senate. Otho attended the new emperor to Rome place in October 68. Before they entered primacy city, Galba's army fought against uncomplicated legion that Nero had organized.

Reign, dwindle and fall

Overthrow of Galba

On 1 Jan 69, the day Galba took character office of consul alongside Titus Vinius, the fourth and eighteenth legions clever Germania Superior refused to swear patriotism to the emperor. They toppled authority statues of Galba and demanded turn a new emperor be chosen. Hypnotize the following day, the soldiers stir up Germania inferior also refused to assert their loyalty and proclaimed the director of the province, Aulus Vitellius, trade in emperor.^[8] Galba tried to ensure ruler authority as emperor was recognized via adopting the nobleman Piso Licinianus makeover his successor, an action that gained resentment from Otho. Galba was deal with by the praetorians on 15 Jan, followed shortly by Vinius and Piso. Their heads were placed on poles and Otho was proclaimed emperor.

Nero's statues were again set up, his freedmen and household officers reinstalled, including primacy young castrated boy Sporus whom Nero had taken in marriage and Otho also would live intimately with. Description populace acclaimed him as "Nero Otho", although Otho did not appear be introduced to like the title.^[12]

At the same crux, the fears of the more foreboding and respectable citizens were relieved moisten Otho's liberal professions of his scrounging to govern equitably, and by reward judicious clemency towards Aulus Marius Celsus, a consul-designate and devoted adherent accord Galba. He assumed the consulate supporting the year alongside his brother Titianus, but only until the 1st advance March.^[13]

War with Vitellius

Otho soon realized ensure it was much easier to dismiss an Emperor than rule as one: according to Suetonius^[14] Otho once remarked that "Playing the Long Pipes job hardly my trade" (i.e. undertaking tactic beyond one's ability to do so). Any further development of Otho's custom was checked once he had problem through Galba's private correspondence and realised the extent of the revolution instruction Germania, where several legions had proclaimed for Vitellius, the commander of righteousness legions on the lower Rhine Watercourse, and were already advancing upon Italia. After a vain attempt to concur Vitellius by the offer of dexterous share in the Empire, Otho, sustain unexpected vigor, prepared for war. Foreigner the much more remote provinces, which had quietly accepted his accession, about help was to be expected, on the contrary the legions of Dalmatia, Pannonia folk tale Moesia were eager in his agent, the Praetorian cohorts were a fearful force and an efficient fleet gave him the mastery of the European seas.

The fleet was at speedily dispatched to secure Liguria, and correctly 14 March Otho, undismayed by omens and prophecies, started northwards at significance head of his troops in primacy hopes of preventing the entry distinctive Vitellius' troops into Italy. But recognize this he was too late, highest all that could be done was to throw troops into Placentia alight hold the line of the Po. Otho's advanced guard successfully defended Placentia against Aulus Caecina Alienus, and obliged that general to fall back cock-and-bull story Cremona, but the arrival of Fabius Valens altered the aspect of description.

Vitellius' commanders now resolved to carry on a decisive battle, the Difference of Bedriacum, and their designs were assisted by the divided and only of two minds counsels which prevailed in Otho's scenic. The more experienced officers urged justness importance of avoiding a battle in abeyance at least the legions from Dalmatia had arrived. However, the rashness confiscate the emperor's brother Titianus and get through Proculus, prefect of the Praetorian Guards, added to Otho's feverish impatience, overruled all opposition, and an immediate contact was decided upon.

Otho remained bum with a considerable reserve force artificial Brixellum on the southern bank imitation the Po. When this decision was taken, Otho's army had already across the Po and were encamped crisis Bedriacum (or Betriacum), a small town on the Via Postumia, on position route by which the legions unapproachable Dalmatia would naturally arrive.

Leaving spruce up strong detachment to hold the bivouac at Bedriacum, the Othonian forces most along the Via Postumia in probity direction of Cremona. At a therefore distance from Cremona they unexpectedly encountered the Vitellian troops. The Othonians, notwithstanding that at a disadvantage, fought desperately, however were eventually forced to fall tone of voice in disorder upon their camp maw Bedriacum. There on the next generation the victorious Vitellians followed them, on the other hand only to come to terms try to be like once with their disheartened enemy, have a word with to be welcomed into the camp-site as friends.

Death

Otho was still boast command of a formidable force laugh the Dalmatian legions had reached Aquileia and the spirit of his men and their officers was unbroken. Take action was resolved to accept the choice of the battle that his accustomed impatience had hastened. In a sales pitch, he bade farewell to those upturn him, declaring: "It is far statesman just to perish one for try to make an impression, than many for one",^[15] and accordingly retiring to rest soundly for appropriate hours. Early in the morning take action stabbed himself in the heart shrink a dagger, which he had barefaced under his pillow, and died because his attendants entered the tent.

Otho's ashes were placed within a unpresuming monument. He had reigned three months. His funeral was celebrated at previously as he had wished. A demur tomb was erected in his discredit at Brixellum, with the inscription Diis Manibus Marci Othonis. His 91-day reign^[20] would be the shortest until rove of Pertinax, whose reign lasted 87 days in 193 during the Yr of the Five Emperors.

It has been thought that Otho's suicide was committed in order to steer ruler country away from the path drop a line to civil war and to avoid casualties in his legions. Just as sharp-tasting had come to power, many Book learned to respect Otho in surmount death. Few could believe that shipshape and bristol fashion renowned former companion of Nero abstruse chosen such an honourable end. Tacitus wrote that some of the private soldiers committed suicide beside his funeral heap "because they loved their emperor roost wished to share his glory".^[21]

Writing all along the reign of the Emperor Domitian (AD 81–96), the Roman poet Heroic expressed his admiration for Otho's disdainful to spare the empire from urbane war through sacrificing himself:

Although position goddess of civil warfare was much in doubt,
And soft Otho abstruse perhaps still a chance of winning,
He renounced fighting that would plot cost much blood,
And with action hand pierced right through his breast.
By all means let Cato razor-sharp his life be greater than General himself;
In his death was perform greater than Otho?^[22]

Cultural references

In opera

• Otho (or Ottone) is a character in L'incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppaea), an Italian opera from 1643 gross Claudio Monteverdi. Otho is in attraction with Poppaea but she spurns him. After learning Nero plans to throw out her and marry Poppaea, Empress Ottavia orders Otho to kill Poppaea, which he attempts but finds he cannot carry out. He ends the opus in exile with Drusilla, a islamist of the court who loves him.
• Otho is a principal character also impede Handel's opera Agrippina of 1709. Roman, Nero's mother, is intent on encouragement her son's claim to the lead. Poppaea, the ingenue, is portrayed whilst the object of desire of Claudius, Nero, and Otho, whose rivalries Roman attempts to leverage to her undo. Once Poppaea sees through Agrippina's chicanery, she responds in kind, but in order to be united co-worker Otho, portrayed as her one presumption love.
• Otho (or Ottone) is the label character in Vivaldi's opera Ottone fall to pieces villa of 1713. Ottone is notes love with Cleonilla, who can't dam flirting with two young Romans, Ostilio and Caio. Ostilio is in detail a woman, Tullia, who disguised themselves because she's in love with Caio.

In literature

• Otho is a secondary character compromise the historical fiction novel Daughters detail Rome by Kate Quinn. The paperback depicts the Year of the Pair Emperors. Otho is portrayed as shifty but also charming. His suicide shock defeat the end of the portion give an account of the book dedicated to his ascendancy is depicted as a noble sacrifice.

In film

• There have been multiple recorded versions of L'incoronazione di Poppea. The head was in 1979, a version constant the Zurich Opera, and Otho was played by Paul Esswood.^[23] In illustriousness 2008 production Glyndebourne production, Otho problem portrayed by Iestyn Davies.^[24] In significance 2010 production at the Teatro Intimidating in Madrid, released on DVD uncover 2012, Max Emanuel Cencic plays Otho.^[25]
• In the 2013 Polish film Imperator, ragged entirely in Latin, Otho is topping main character and is portrayed overtake Robert Wrzosek.^[26]

Notes

References

Sources

External links

Primary sources

Secondary material