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SERGIUS SULPICIUS GALBA. SIT stat, upon seme-body's, commending his person as stillsom d and vigorous, he replied,
A si cedinan os Patrobius's, who himself had been Nero's, purchased the liead frona them at the price of a hundredgold pieces, and thre N it into the place where by Galba'sorder his patron had been put to dea th. At last, after some time, his steward Argius buri ed ii, with the rest of his body, in his own gardens near the Aurelian way. XXI. In person, he was of a good sige, bald bes ore, hi ue-eyed, Crook-nosed, and his haniis and seet were so distorted with the gout, that he could ne i ther eniture a stloe, nor turn Over, or so much as hold a book. He had like-Wise an excrescence in his right fide, which hung down tolliat degree, that it was with dissicut ty Lept up by a bandage .XXIL He is reported to have been a great eater, and usu atly took his breakfast in the winter-time bes ore da y. At supper he sed so hearti ly, that he would give of the relics of his plate by hand is to be distribu ted amongst the vallers. He was in his lust more inclined to the male seY; and such of them too as were old. It is sa id of him, that in Spain, whon Icelus, an old Catamite of his,hroh ght him the news of Nero's dea th, he not only kissed him heartily be fore company, but begged of him to remove ali impedimenis, and then took him asside into a pri
XXIII. He lost his life in the seventy-diird year of his age, and the sevenili monti, of his rei gn. The Senate, assoon as they could with sesely, ordei cd a statue to beflected sor him upon the pillar called Rostrata, in that
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part of the Forum where he was sain. But Vespasian cancelled the decree, upon a suspicion that he had sentasiam1ns Dona Spatia into Judea to murder him. Galba Was, of a private man, the most mealthy of any that had ever aspired to the imperiat dignity. Fle valued himself upon his being descended froin the family of the Servii, but stili more upon his relation to Catulus Capitolinus, celebra ted for integrity and virtve. Ηe Wasithe wise dis antly related to Livia, the wi se of Augustus ;by whose interest he was preferred Dom the station whichbe held in the palace, to the dignity of Consul, and whotest him a great lega cy at her death. His parsimonious way of living, and his aversion to ali superfluity or excess,
ror ; whence Plutarch observes, that the pride whicli helook in his temperance and economy was unsea nable. While he endeavored to reform the profusion of the public money, whicli prevalled in the reign os Nero, he raninio the opposite extreme : and it is objected to him bysome historians, that he maintained not the imperiat digni-ty in a degree consistent even with decenCy. He was notlassiciently attentive ei ther to his own security or the tranquillity of the State, when he refused to pay the soldiers the donative which he had promised them. This breachos faith seems to be the only aEt in his life that assedis
his integrity; and it contributed more to his ruin thaneven the odium which he incurred, by the open venalityand rapaciousnest of his fav'rites, particularly Vinius.
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I. THΕ ancestors of Otho were originalty of the to nos Fefentum, of an ancient and honorabie fami ly, and in-deed one of the mosi considerable in Etruria: His grand-sether M. Salvius Otho, swhose fallier was a Romanknight, but his mother of mean eκtrastion, for it is notcertain whether sile was Dee-born) by the favor of Livia Augusta, in whose house he had his education, was madea Senator, but never rose higher than the Praetorini p. His father, L. Otho, was by the mothei 's fide nobi y descended, allied to severat great families, so dearly beloved by Tiberius, and so much resembled him in the face, that mos people belleved he was the fallier of him. Hebellaved with great stridinesse and seve tity, not only in thecity-ossices, but in the Proconsulate of Africa, and me CXtraordinary commissions in the army. He had thecourage to punish with death s me soldiers in Illyricum, who, in the disturbance attempted by Camillus, hiponchanging their miniis, had put to the Mord their commanders, as promoters of that insurrection against Claudius. He ordered the execution to he bes ore his tent,
vered, by discovering to Claudius a desigia tapon his life, carried on by a Roman knight, and which he had leariat
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Dom seme of his faves. For the Senate ordered a statueos hi in to be erected in the palace ; an honor that hadheen conferred but upon very few bc re hi m. AndClaudius advanced hi in to the digni ty of a Patrician, commending him at the sanae time in the highest ternas, and concluding with these words, A man, than whom I don't so much as Wi1h to have children that mould hebetier.' He had two sons by a very noble woman, Albia Terentia, viz. L. Titianus, and a younger called Marcus, Who h ad the fame cognomen with himself. Heliad also a daughter, Whom he contracted to Drusus, Germanicus's son, be re sine was of myrriageable age. II. The emperor Otho was born upon the fourth of
ille Caleniis of May, in the Consuls hip of Camillus Arruntius and Domitius AEnobarbus. He was stom his earlies youth so riolous and wild, that he was osten severely kourged by his fallier. He vias laid to ruri about in the night-time, to seiZe upon any one he mei, that was ei ther drunk or too seeble to mahe resistance, and tosthim in a blanket. Aster his father's death, to malae hisco uri the more est estuatly to a fleed om an abo ut the Palaee, Who Was in great favor, he pretended to be iii love With her, though stae was old, and almos decrepit. Hav- ing by her means got into Nero's good graces, he s oubecame one of his principat favorites, by the conformi tyof his disposition to that of the emperor ; or, as sonae say,
yy a customary practice of mutuat pollution. He had scigreat a sway at couri, that when a maia os Consular rankwas condemned sor bribery, having tampered with him for a large sum os money, to procure his pardon, bes Orebe had qui te eflected it, he scrupled not to introduce him
into the Senate, to return his thank8.
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III. Being now made privy to ali the em peror's se reis opon the day designed for the muriter of his mollier, heentertaincit them botii at a very splendid seast, to preventsuspicion. Poppaea Sabina, whom Nero being in love with had talien frona her lius band, and committe i to hi trust, he received under preteiace of marrying her. Andnot satisfied with de bauching her, he loved her so eXtra, vagantly, that he could not with patience bear Nero forhis rival. It is however belleved, he not Only refuted toadmit illos e serit by Nero to setch her, but that he oncestut hi in ovi, and hept him standing besore the door, mi X-ing prayers and menaces in vain, and demanding ba Eaga in What mas enti usted to his Leeping. His pretendedmarriage the refore being dissolve i, he was sent liciaten antinio Lusuania. That treaiment of hina was thought sufficiently severe, hec ausu harther proceu lings might have brought the whole farce to lighi, whicli notwillis fandingbro ke fortit at last, and was publi ined to the worid in thς
Cur Otho mentito sat, quaeritis, exul honore 3 Uxoris moechus caeperat esse suae. Ye ask why Otho's hanish'd 3 Know the cause Comes not with in the verge of vulgar larus. The rogue, a stranger to domestic stilla,
He governed the province in quali ty of Quaestor for tenrears, with singular moderation and justice. IV. As soon as an opportuni ty of reverage o Tered, herea lily joined Galba in his desigia, and at the same time con Ceived hopes of procuring the imperiat digni ty for himself. To this he was much enco ut aged by the conditionos ille times, but stili more by the assurances gi ven him by
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Seleucus the astrologer, who, having sormerly told hi in that he would certainly out-live Nero, came to him at that juncture unexpectedly, promising the empire again, and that in a very mori time. He theres ore let stip no oppo tunity of mahing his court to ali about hi in by ali manneros civilities. As osten as he entertained Galba at supper, he distributed to every man of ille battalion at that time attending the empstror as his guarit, a gold piece ; endea-voring likewise to oblige the res h of the soldiers in oneway or another. Being chos en an arbitrator by one thathad a dispute with his neighbour about a plece of lanii, he bought it, and gave it him ; so that now almosi everybody thought and suid, that he was the only man worthyto succeed the emperor.
the use of violence to obta in his purpose; and to this hemas instigated, as well by the greatia esse of his debis, as there sentiarent of Galba 's bellavio ur towards him. For he didnot conceat his opinion, that he must sink unlesia hemas emperor, and that it significii nothing whether he foliby the han is of his en emi es in the fiet i, or of his creditolas in the Forum. V bHe had a few days bes ore squeeredout of a save of Caesar 's a million os sesterces for proCuring him a steward ship; and this was the whole fund heliad for carrying on sc great an enterpri . At fir st the
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Μ. SALVIUS OTHO. 523ste matter came to the crisis, they should have enough tojoin them. VI. He had at first an intention, immedia tely after the departure of Piso, to seire the Camp, and tali upon Galba, whilst he was at supper in the palace, but was P .strained by a regarit for the battalion at that time oponduty, test he should bring too great an odium ui on it ;because the sanae happened to be iapon the guard bes ore, both when Caius was sain, and Nero deserted. Forso me time after, lihewise, he was restrat ned by a scrupte ofmind about the luchinest of the season, as also the ad vice of Seleucus. Upon the day si Xed for the enterprise, hav-ing given his accomplices notice to wait for him in the Forum near the temple of Saturn, at the gilded Mile-Ρillar, he went in the morning to pay his respects to Galba ; and being received with a kiss as usual , he attentata him at sacrifice, and heard the predictions of the haruspex . A sreedman of his then bringing him word, that the architects were come, Malch Was the tignat that
Haruspex, Auspex, or Augur, denoted any Person who foreto id futurity, or interpreted omens. There WaS at Romea body of priests, or College, under this titie, whose ossiceit was to foretet future evenis, chiefly fro in the night, chirping, or Deding of birils, and frona other appearances. Theywere of the greatest authority in the Roman state; for nothsing of importance Was done respecting the public, either athome or abroad, in peace or War, without consulting them. The Romans derived the praefice of Augury chieny hom the Tuscans; and anciently their youth used to be instructed ascarently in this ari, as afterae artis they were in the Greehliterature. For this purpose, by a decree of the Senate, a certain number of the sons of the leading men at Rome wassent to the twelve states of Etruria for instruction.
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por, he came anaidst auspici ous acclamations and dra n
VII. Towards the close of the day, he entered the Senate, and after he had made a mort speech to them, preestending that he had been seiZed in the si reeis, and compelled by violence to take the go verrament upon him, whicli hedesigned to manage in conjunction with them, he went
The Principia was a b road open space, whicli separated the lower part of the Roman Camp Dom the Upper, and extended the whole breadth of the camp. In this place was Med the tribunal of the general, when he either administered j1 istice or haran gued the army. Here lihewise the Tribunes held their couris, and pim imments were inflicted. The principat standards of the army were deposited in ille Principm; and 4n it also stood the altars of the Gods, and theimages of the emperors, by Whicli the soldiers sinore.
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M. fALVIUS OTHO. to the palace. Besides other civilities which he received stomstich as soched about hi in to congratulate and flatter him, he was called Nero by the mob, and seemed not in theleast offended with the appellation. Nay, sonae authors relate, that he put the cognomen os Nero to his patenis, and the firs: letter which he sent to the governorS of provinces. He sumered ali his images and statues to be re- placed, and restored his procurators and freedmen to their former posts. And the first writing which he signed a semperor, Was a promise of fifty millions os sesterces tofinisti the Golden-hous e. He is suid to have been greatly frightened that night in his seep, and to have groaned hea-vily ; and being found, by thos e who came running in toste What the matter was, lying upon the Boor before hisbed, he endeavored by every hi nil of atonement to paci-
VIII. Abo ut the same time, the armies in Germanu took an oath to Vitellius as emperor. Upon intelligence of this arri ving, he advised the Senate to send thither deputies,to inform them, that a prince had been at ready Chosen ;and to persuade them to peace and good agreemCnt. Byletters and me Tages, however, he ost ered Vitellius to h come his partiaer in the empire, and his sola-in-law. Buta war being now unavoidabie, and the generat s and troops, whoni Vitellius had sent bes ore him, ad vanc in g, he had apro os of the attachment anil fideli ty of the guariis, whichi ad nearly proved fatal to the Senatoriata Order. It was judsed proper to senil a way sonae artus to the north of Ita-l V
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these out of the camp in the evening, sonae of the soldiei ssuspecting a conspiracy, excited a tumuit; and on a sud-den, ali of them, without any leader, ran to the palace, demanding that the whole Senate 1hould be put to the Mord : and having repulsed some of the Tribunes who endeavoredio stop them, and siain others, they brohe, ali bloody asthey were, into the banqueting room, enquiring for theemperor; nor mouid they quit the place untii they hadseen him. He now entered upon his eXpedition against Vitellius xvith great alacrity, but too much precipitation, and widio ut any regard to the ominous circumstances whichattended it. For the Ancilia ' had been taken out of the temple of Mars, for the usual procession, but were not
η The Ancile was a round shield, Did to have fallen Domheaven in the reigii os Numa, and supposed to be the si ieidos Μars. It was kept with great care in the sanctuary of his temple, as a symbol of the perpetuity of the Roman empire; and that it might not be stolen, eleven others were made ex- aEtly similar to it.' I his ideat personage was the Goddest Cybele, the wifeos Saturn, called also Rhea, Ops, Vesta, Magna Mater, &c. She was palnted as a matron, crowned with towers, sitiing ina chariot drawn by lions. A statue of her was broughthoni Pessinus in Phrygia to Rome, in the time of the secondPunic war, and was there much honored. Her priests were the Corybantes, who were ali castrated, and worsilipped herby the found of drums, tabors, pipes, and cymbals. Therites of this Goddest were disgraced by great indecency of