Select Observations of Roman Emperors, Life 8
Salvius Otho.
GALBA rather received the Empire offered to him, than took it from another. But Otho being stirred up with an ardent desire of ruling, used ill means to compass his design. A Galba beneficium respublica, ab Othone perniciem expectabat, saith Boeclerus in his Political dissertation. Vtrumque (saith he) brevitas temporis & infoelicitas exitus, similes facit: nisi quod Galba alieno scelere; Otho autem suo, periere.
Tacitus and Suetonius observe, that his Father was so like unto Tiberius, that most men held him to be his own Son.
Tam non absimilis facie Tiberio principi fuit, Sueton.ut plerique procreatum ex eo crederent.
He was of a mean and low stature, he had feeble feet, and crooked shanks.Galericulus capiti propter raritatem capillorum adaptatus. He wore by reason of his thin hair a perruck or counterfeit cap of false hair, so fitted and fastned to his head, that any man would have taken it for his own.Sueton. He was wont to shave, and besmear his face all over with soaked bread; this bread was made of bean and rice flower, of the finest wheat also; a depilatory to keep hair from growing, especially being wet and soaked in some juyce or liquor appropriate thereto, as the blood of Bats, Frogs, or the Tunie-fish: to this effeminacy of Otho alludeth the Satyrical Poet in this Verse, Et pressum in faciem digitis extender… panem.Iuvenal.
Which devise he took to at first, when the down began to bud forth, because he would never have a beard.
He was of a noble house (saith Plutarch) but ever given to sensuality and pleasure from his Cradle:His Mothers side was more noble than his Fathers. Vita omni turpis, maximè adolescentia. insomuch as his Father swinged him and soundly for it. He used night-walking, and as he met any one either feeble or cupshotten, he would catch hold of him, lay him upon a Soldiers Gabardine,Aurel. Vict. and so tosse and hoist him up in the air.Suetonius.
Pueritiam incuriose, Tacit. l. 1. Hist.adolescentiam petulanter egerat. He spent his tender years without regard of his honour, his youth afterwards in all dissolute dissorder.
Suetonius.He repaired often to his Glass to see his face, that he might keep it clean.
Similitudo morum parit amicitiam, likeness is the cause of liking.He was one of Nero's chief Minions and Favourites, such was the congruence of their humours and dispositions.
Gratus Neroni aemulatione luxus.
He was in grace with Nero through emulation of vice.Tacit. l. 1. Hist.
Neroni criminose familiaris, He was sinfully familiar with Nero. Aurel. Vict.Otho flagrantissimus in amicitia Neronis habebatur. Tacit. Annal. l. 13.He was privy and party to all his Counsels and secret designs; to avert all manner of suspicion, that very day which Nero had appointed for the murthering of his Mother, he entertained them both at supper with most exquisite Dainties,Sueton. and the kindest welcome that might be.
Suetonius.He subscribed Nero's name unto his Letters Patents,Plutarch. till the Noble men of Rome misliked it.
Frustrà moritur Nero, si Otho vivit.
Tacitus Hist. lib. 1.He strove by gifts, and all other means to oblige the Soldiers unto him before he was Emperor,Adorare vulgus, jacere oscula, & omnia serviliter pro Imperio. Tacit. Hist. lib. 1. and to win their hearts by fair promises; he protested before them all assembled together, that himself would have and hold no more than just that which they would leave for him. One calleth him the Roman Absalom.Hee worshipped the people, dispensed frequently his courtesies and plausibilities, crouched and accommodated himself to the basest routs, that thereby he might c…eep into an usurped honour. Tacit. l. 2. Hist.
Cui uni apud Militem fides, Plutarch.dum & ipse non nisi Militibus credit. The Soldiers only trusted him, because he trusted none else.
All of them together put up a petition to him, and besought him to command their persons, whilst they had one drop of blood left in their bodies to do him service. But amongst others, there was a poor Soldier drawing out his sword, said unto him, Know, O Caesar, that all my Companions are determined to dye in this sort for thee; and so slew himself.
Rebus prosperis incertus, Tacitus.& inter adversa melior.
A man in prosperity uncertainly carriried, and governing himself in adversity.
At the same time that he was created Emperor in the City of Rome, Vitellius was proclaimed Emperor in Germany.
Duo omnium mortalium impudicitia, Tacitus l. 1. Hist.ignavia, luxuria deterrimi, velut ad perdendum Imperium fataliter electi, saith Tacitus of Otho and Vitellius.
Two of all mortal men the most detestable creatures in slothfulness, incontinency, and wastful life, fatally elected to ruine the Empire.
But though in the first book of Tacitus his History they are both compared as like in opposition to a good Prince; yet in his second book they are opposed the one to the other as unlike, with notes of distinction. Vitellii ignavae voluptates, Othonis flagrantissimae libidines. Vitellius ventre & gula sibi ipsi bostis; Otho luxu, saevitià, audacia, Vitellius a Drunkard and Glutton, Otho a wanton and licentious liver.Reipublicae exitiosior ducebatur; of the one side, an ill mind in a man of nothing, and of the other, an ill mind joyned with courage and edge.
The drowsie Pleasures of Vitellius were feared lesse than the burning lusts of Otho. Plutarch.Vitellius in excesse of Belly-chear was an enemy to himself; Otho in riot, cruelty, audaciousness, reputed more dangerous to the state.
Plutarch.It was hard to judge which of them two was most licentiously given, most effeminate, least skilful, poorer or most indebted, before he was Emperor.
Tacitus l. 2. Hist.Magna & misera civitas eodem anno Othonem Vitelliumque passa. A great and miserable City, which in the same year supported an Otho and a Vitellius.
We may learn by Otho (said Sir Henry Savil) that the fortune of a rash man is Torrenti similis, which a riseth at an instant, and falls in a moment.
Tacitus l. 2. Hist.Alii diutius Imperium tenuerunt, nemo tam fortiter reliquet; it was his own speech, Others have kept the Empire longer, none hath ever so valiantly left it.
Tacitus l. 2. Hist.Plura de extremis loqui pars ignaviae est.
Irent propere, ne remorando iram victoris exasperarent. Tacitus Hist. l. 2.He thought it a part of dastardy to speak too much of death.
When he saw his side the weaker and going to the walls, he counselled his Soldiers to provide for their safety by hying them to the winner.
Martial made this witty Epigram of his death, l. 6. Epig. 32.
Cum dubitaret adhuc belli civilis Enyo,
Forsitan & posset vincere mollis Otho:
Damnavit multo staturum sanguine Martem,
Et fodit certa pectora nuda manu.
Sit Cato, dum vivit, sane vel Caesare major,
Dum moritur, numquid major Othone fuit?
He slew himself with his own hands,Plutarch reporteth the like of Cato. but slept so soundly the night before, that the Grooms of his Chamber heard him snort.
Many of his Soldiers who were present about him,Plutarch. Suetonius. Aurel. Vict. when with plentiful tears they had kissed his hands and feet as he lay dead, and commended him withall for a most valiant man, and the only Emperor that ever was; presently in the place, and not far from the funeral fire killed themselves. Many of them also who were absent, hearing of the news of his end, for very grief of heart ran with their weapons one at another to death.
Most men who in his life time cursed and detested him,He lived not much more honestly than Nero, but dyed far more honourably. when he was dead highly praised him; so as it was a common and rife speech, that Galba was by him slain, not so much for that he affected to be Sovereign Ruler, as because he desired to recover the state of the Republick, and the freedom that was lost.
His saying was, Melius est unum pro multis, quam pro uno multos mori; an excellent and worthy speech of an Emperor, preferring the publick good before his own private. Sic imperium quod maximo scelere invaserat, maxima virtute deposuit, as Xiphilinus noteth out of Dion.
More suo Tranquillus annum inchoatum pro pleno numerat. Nam alii 37. solum vixisse aiunt. Casaub. Animadvers. in Sueton.He dyed but 37 years old saith Plutarch; 38 say Eutropius, and Suetonius; and was Emperor but three months, Plutarch; three months and five daies, Tertullian; four months, Aurelius Victor. He dyed in the 59. day of his Empire, saith Eutropius; 95. saith Suetonius.