15
At the close of this speech he retired into his apartments and after sending some messages to his intimate friends and some to Vitellius in their behalf he burned all the letters which anybody had written to him containing hostile statements about Vitellius, not wanting them to serve as damaging evidence against anybody. Then he called each one of the persons that were at hand, greeted them, and gave them money. Meantime there was a disturbance made by the soldiers, so that he was obliged to go out and quiet them, and he did not come back until he had sent them to a place of safety, some here, some there. So then, when quiet had been permanently restored, taking a short sword he killed himself. The grief-stricken soldiery took up his body and buried it, and some slew themselves upon his grave. This was the end that befell Otho, after he had lived thirty-seven years lacking eleven days and had reigned ninety days, and it overshadowed the impiety and wickedness of his active career. In life the basest of men he died most nobly. He had seized the empire by the most villainous trick, but took leave of it most creditably.
A series of brawls among the soldiers immediately ensued, and a number of them were slain by one another; afterwards they reached an agreement and set out to meet the victorious party.
16
Valens was so eager for money and gathered it so assiduously from every source that he put to death the decurion, who had concealed him and had saved his life, on account of a thousand denarii which he thought had been purloined from his possessions.
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Vitellius is proclaimed emperor: feasts his eyes on gladiators and slaughters: drives astrologers from Italy (chapter [1] ).
Vitellius's excess in banquets, in his home, in furniture, in his almost absurd magnificence (chapters [2], [3], [4], [5] ).
Praiseworthy points in his character (chapters [6], [7] ).
Portents of ill omen: the soldiers declare Vespasian emperor (chapter [8] ).
Mucianus is sent by Vespasian against Vitellius: Primus of his own accord takes the lead against Vitellius (chapter [9] ).
Alienus, put in charge of the war by Vitellius, is the author of a desertion, but is in turn seized by his followers, who change their minds (chapter [10] ).
The adherents of Vitellius are conquered in battle (chapters [11], [12], [13], [14] ).
Catastrophe befalls the dwellers in Cremona (chapter [15] ).
Wavering on the part of Vitellius: the Capitol is burned in the course of a siege by Sabinus (chapters [16], [17] ).
Disaster to the city of Rome, taken by Vespasian's captains (chapters [18], [19] ).
How Vitellius was taken and perished (chapters [20], [21] ).
How a brother and son of Vitellius met their fate (chapter [22] ).