Otho

Ŏtho, ōnis, m., = Ὄθων, a Roman surname.

• I L. Roscius Otho, a knight, a friend of Cicero, and author of the law that the knights should occupy the first fourteen seats in the theatre next to the orchestra, Cic. Mur. 19, 40; cf. Ascon. ad Cornel. p. 79 Orell.—Hence, sic libitum vano, qui nos distinxit, Othoni, Juv. 3, 159.—
• II M. Salvius Otho, a Roman emperor, whose biography is given by Suetonius: mollis Otho, Mart. 6, 32, 2; Juv. 2, 99.—Hence,
• • B Ŏthōnĭānus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to the emperor Otho, Othonian: Othoniani duces, of the emperor Otho, Tac. H. 2, 24: partes, id. ib. 2, 33.

Otho, ōnis, m. (Ὄθων), ein röm. Beiname, unter dem bes. bekannt sind 1) L. Roscius Otho, Volkstribun 68 v. Chr., Urheber der lex, daß die Ritter besondere Sitze im Theater haben sollten, Cic. Mur. 40. – 2) M. Salvius Otho, ein röm. Kaiser, Suet. Oth. 1. – Dav. Othōniānus, a, um, othonianisch, partes, duces, des Kaisers Otho, Tac.

Ŏthō, (8) ōnis, m. (Ὄθων), surnom romain ; not^t  : L. Roscius Othon [tribun de la plèbe, qui fixa la place des chevaliers au théâtre] : Cic. Mur. 40 || M. Salvius Othon [qui détrôna Galba et fut vaincu par Vitellius] : Mart. 6, 32, 2 ; Juv. 2, 99 || -nĭānus, a, um, dʼOthon : Tac. H. 2, 24 || subst. m. pl., les soldats dʼOthon : Tac. H. 1, 34.

Otho

An agnomen. Ὄθων.

Otho , Ju'nius

1. A rhetorician frequently mentioned by the elder Seneca. He was the author of a work on that branch of rhetoric entitled colores (respecting the meaning of which see Quint. Inst. 4.2.88). Through the influence of Sejanus, Otho was made a senator, and by due subservience to the ruling powers, he obtained the praetorship in A. D. 22, in which year he is mentioned as one of the accusers of C. Silanus, proconsul of Asia. (Senec. Control. 1.3, Declam.2.1, &c.; Tac. Ann. 3.66.)

Otho , Ju'nius

2. Tribune of the plebs, A. D. 37, the last year of the reign of Tiberius. He was banished for putting his intercessio upon the question of the reward that was to be given to the accuser of Acutia. (Tac. Ann. 6.47.)

Otho , L. Ro'scius

tribune of the plebs B. C. 67, was a warm supporter of the aristocratical party. When Gabinius proposed in this year to bestow upon Pompey the command of the war against the pirates, Otho and his colleague L. Trebellius were the only two of the tribunes that offered any decided opposition. It is related that, when Otho, afraid of speaking, after the way in which Trebellius had been dealt with [Trebellius], held up two of his fingers to show that a colleague ought to be given to Pompey, the people set up such a shout that a crow that was flying over the forum was stunned, and fell down among them (D. C. 36.7, 13; Plut. Pomp. 25). In the same year Otho proposed and carried the law which gave to the equites and to those persons who possessed the equestrian census, a special place at the public spectacles, in fourteen rows or seats (in quattlordecim yrcrdibus sive ordinibls), next to the place of the senators, which was in the orchestra (Vell. 2.32; Liv. Epit. 99; D. C. 36.25 ; Cic. pro Mur. 19; Tac. Ann. 15.32; Hor. Epod. 4.15, Ep. 1.1. 62; Juv. 3.159, 14.324). For those equites who had lost their rank by not possessing the proper equestrian census, there was a special place assigned (inter decoctorcs, Cic. Phil. 2.18). This law soon became very unpopular; the people, who were excluded from the seats which they had formerly occupied in common with the equites, thought themselves insulted; and in Cicero's consulship (B. C. 63) there was such a riot occasioned by the obnoxious measure, that it required all his eloquence to allay the agitation. (Cic. Att. 2.1).

This L. Roscius Otho must not be confounded, as he has frequently been, with the L. Roscius who was praetor in B. C. 49. The latter had the cognomen of Fabatus [Fabatus]. The Otho spoken of by Cicero in B. C. 45, may be the same as the tribune. (Cic. Att. 13.29, comp. 12.37.2, 38.4, 42.1.)

Otho , Sa'lvius

1. M. Salvius Otho, the grandfather of the emperor Otho, was descended from an ancient and noble family of the town of Ferentinum, in Etruria. His father was a Roman eques, his mother was of low origin, perhaps even a freedwoman. Through the influence of Livia Augusta, in whose house he had been brought up, Otho was made a Roman senator, and eventually obtained the praetorship, but was not advanced to any higher honour. (Suet. Otho 1; Tac. Hist. 2.50.)

Otho , Sa'lvius

2. L. Salvius Otho, the son of the preceding, and the father of the emperor Otho, was connected on his mother's side with many of the most distinguished Roman families, and stood so high in the favour of Tiberius and resembled this emperor so strongly in person, that it was supposed by most that he was his son. He discharged the various public offices at Rome, was consul suffectus in A. D. 33 (Suet. Galb. 6), obtained the proconsulate of Africa, and administered the affairs of this province, as well as of other extraordinary commands which he held, with great diligence and energy. In A. D. 42 he was sent into Illyricum, where the Roman army had lately rebelled against Claudius. On his arrival he put to death several of the soldiers, who had killed their own officers under the pretext that they had excited them to rebellion, and who had even been rewarded by Claudius for this very act. Such a proceeding, though it might have been necessary to restore the discipline of the troops, gave great umbrage at the imperial court; but Otho soon afterwards regained the favour of Claudius by detecting a conspiracy which had been formed against his life by a Roman eques. The senate conferred upon him the extraordinary honour of erecting his statue on the Palatine, and Claudius enrolled him among the patricians, adding that he did not wish better children than Otho. By his wife Albia Tereutina he had two sons and one daughter. The elder of his sons, Lucius, bore, says Suetonius, the surname of Titianus, but we may conclude from Tacitus (Tac. Ann. 12.52) and Frontinus (Aquaed. 13), that He had the cognomen of Otho as well [see below, No. 3]. His younger son, Marcus, was the emperor Otho. His daughter was betrothed, when quite young, to Drusus, the son of Germanicus. (Suet.Otho, 1; Tac. Hist. 2.50.)

Otho , Sa'lvius

3. L. Salvius Otho Titianus, was the son of No. 2, and the elder brother of the emperor Otho. He was consul A. D. 52, with Faustus Cornelius Sulla (Tac. Ann. 12.52; Frontin. Aquaed. 13).

In A. D. 63 Titianus was proconsul in Asia, and had Agricola for his quaestor. It is related to the honour of the latter that he was not corrupted by the example of his superior officer, who indulged in every kind of rapacity (Tac. Agric. 6). On the death of Galba in January A. D. 69, Titianus was a second time made consul, with his brother Otho, the emperor. When the latter set out from Rome against the generals of Vitellius, he left Titianus in charge of the city, but he soon afterwards sent for him and gave him the chief command in the war. It was partly through his eagerness to engage with the Vitellian troops, that his brother lost the empire; and on the downfall of the latter Titianus was so little dreaded, that he was pardoned by Vitellius--pietate et ignauia excusatus, says Tacitus. (Tac. Hist. 1.75, 77. 2.23, 33, 39, 60.)

Otho , M. Sa'lvius

Roman emperor A. D. 69, was descended from an ancient Etruscan family. His father L. Otho, who was consul in A. D. 33, had two sons, Marcus and L. Salvius Titianus. [See above, No. 2.] Marcus Otho was born in the early part of A. D. 32. He was of moderate stature, ill-made in the legs, and had an effeminate appearance. He was one of the companions of Nero in his debaucheries, till he was sent as governor to Lusitania, which he administered with credit during the last ten years of Nero's life [Nero, p. 1163a.]. Otho attached himself to Galba when he revolted against Nero, in the hope of being adopted by him and succeeding to the empire. But Galba, who knew Otho's character, and wished to have a worthy successor, adopted L. Piso, on the tenth of January, A. D. 69, and designated him as the future emperor. (Tac. Hist. 1.15.)

Otho thus saw his hopes disappointed. His private affairs also were in. a ruinous condition, and he resolved to seize the power which an astrologer had foretold him that he would one day possess. He enlisted in his design a few soldiers, and on the fifteenth of January he was proclaimed emperor by a mere handful of men, who, with their, swords drawn, carried him in a litter to the camp, where he was saluted emperor. Otho was ready to promise any thing and to stoop to any thing to extricate himself from his dangerous position, and to receive the prize at which he aimed (Tac. Hist. 1.36). A little vigour and decision on the part of Galba might have checked the rising. The matter was at last decided by Otho and the soldiers making their way into the forum, upon which the standardbearer of the cohort that accompanied Galba snatched from it the emperor's effigy, and threw it on the ground. This was the signal for deserting Galba, who received his death-blow from a common soldier.

The soldiers showed they were the masters of the emperor by choosing as praefecti praetorio, Plotius Firmus and Licinius Proculus; Flavius Sabinus, the brother of Vespasian, was made praefectus urbi. On the evening of the day in which Galba was murdered the senate took the oath of fidelity to Otho, who afterwards offered a sacrifice in the Capitol, with no favourable omens. The new emperor showed his moderation or his prudence by protecting against the fury of the soldiers, Marius Celsus, who had maintained his fidelity to Galba, and who showed the same devotion afterwards to the cause of Otho. The punishment of Tigellinus, the guilty encourager of Nero's crimes, and the first to desert him, was demanded by the people, and granted. This abominable wretch received the news of his death being required while he was enjoying the waters of Sinuessae, and he cut his throat with a razor. The indulgence of Otho towards those who were his personal enemies, and the change in his habits shown by devoting himself to the administration of affairs, gave people hopes that the emperor would turn out better than was expected. Still these appearances were by many considered deceptive, and there was little confidence in a man who owed his elevation to the murder of Galba, and the violence of the soldiers, whom he was compelled to keep in good humour. Otho was acknowledged emperor by Luceius Albinus, governor of Mauritania (Tac. Hist. 2.58), and by Carthage and the rest of Africa. The legions in Dalmatia, Pannonia, and Maesia took the oath of fidelity to the emperor. He was also recognised by Egypt, by Mucianus in Syria, and by Vespasian in Palestine; by Gallia Narbonensis, Aquitania, and by Spain. But he had a formidable opposition in the legions stationed in Germany on the Rhine, whither Vitellius had been sent to take the command by Galba, in the month of December, A. D. 68. Vitellius was a glutton, a drunkard, and a man of no capacity, but by his affable manners and his liberality he gained the good will of the soldiers who were dissatisfied with Galba. Vitellius had the command of four legions on the Lower Rhine, and two other legions on the upper course of the river were under Hordeonius Flaccus. Some of the Gallic towns also were ill disposed to Galba.

Neither Flaccus nor Vitellius had energy enough to commence a movement: it was begun by Fabius Valens, who commanded a legion in Lower Germany, and stimulated Vitellius to aim at the supreme power. Alienus Caecina, who also commanded a legion in Upper Germany, and was an officer of ability, hated Galba; and thus, before the murder of the aged emperor, every thing was ripe for a revolt in Germany.

Vitellius, who was in the town of Cologne (colonia Agrippinensis), was greeted with the title of imperator, on the third of January, A. D. 69. He accepted the title of Germanicus, but he would not assume that of Caesar. There was a striking contrast between the ardour of the soldiers, who wished to march for Italy in the midst of the winter, and the sluggishness of their newly-elected emperor, who even by midday was drunk and stupified with his gluttonous excesses. But every thing favoured Vitellius. Valerius Asiaticus, governor of Belgica, declared for him, and Junius Blaesus, governor of Gallia Lugdunensis. The troops in Rhaetia and Britain were also on his side. Valens and Caecina were sent forward, each at the head of a large army. The lazy emperor followed at his leisure. Valens had advanced as far as Toul (civitas Leucorum, Tac. Hist. 1.64; D'Anville, Notice de la Gaule, "Tullum"), when he heard of Galba's death, the news of which determined Gallia Narbonensis and Aquitania to declare for Vitellius, though they had taken the oath to Otho. Cluvius Rufus, the governor of Spain, did the same.

Valens advanced by the route of Autun, Lyon, Vienne, and Lucus (Luc), to the foot of the Alps, plundering, and robbing all the way. The march of Caecina was still more disastrous to the country through which he made his way. He readily picked a quarrel with the Helvetii, many of whom were slaughtered, and others were sold as slaves. Aventicum (Avenche), their capital, surrendered, and its fate was left to the mercy of Vitellius, who yielded to the eloquent entreaty of Claudius Cossus, one of the legati who were sent to mollify the emperor. Caecina, while he was still on the north side of the Alps, received intelligence that a body of cavalry on the Po had taken the oath to Vitellius, under whom they had formerly served in Africa. Mediolanum (Milan), Vercellae, and other towns in North Italy, followed this example. Caecina having sent some Gallic, Lusitanian, British, and German troops over the mountains to support his new friends, led his soldiers across the Pennine Alps, through the snow with which they were still covered.

The revolt of Vitellius had not reached Rome at the time of Galba's death. As soon as it was known, Otho wrote to Vitellius, and offered to give him all that he could desire, and even to share the empire with him. Vitellius replied by offers on his part, but they could come to no terms, and both sides made preparation for war. A disturbance was caused at Rome by the praetorian soldiers, who suspected that there was some design against Otho. They broke into the palace, threatening to kill the senators, many of whom were supping with Otho, and with difficulty made their escape. The soldiers penetrated even to the emperor's apartment, in order to be assured that he was alive. The tumult was at last allayed, but the approach of a civil war, from the evils of which the state had so long been secure, caused general uneasiness.

Otho left Rome for North Italy about the fourteenth of March. His brother Titianus remained at Rome to look after the city, with Flavius Sabinus, Vespasian's brother, who was praefectus urbi. Otho had under him three commanders of ability, Suetonius Paulinus, Marius Celsus, and Annius Gallus. He marched on foot at the head of his troops, in a plain military equipment (Tac. Hist. 2.11). Otho's fleet was master of the sea on the north-west coast of Italy, and the soldiers treated the country as if it was a hostile territory. They defeated the Ligurian mountaineers and plundered Albium Intemelium (Vintimiglia). Annius Gallus and Vestricius Spurinna were commissioned by Otho to defend the Po. Spurinna, who was in Placentia, was attacked by Caecina, but succeeded in repelling him and destroying a large part of his force. Caecina retired, but the magnificent amphitheatre which was outside the walls was burnt during the contest. Caecina retreated towards Cremona, and bodies of his troops sustained fresh defeats. Martins Macer, at the head of Otho's gladiators, surprised some auxiliaries of Caecina, who took refuge in Cremona, but Macer from caution prevented his men from following them into the town. His conduct brought suspicion on Suetonius and the other generals of Otho, and Titianus, his brother, was sent for to take the conduct of the war. Caecina made another attempt to retrieve his losses, but hewas beaten by Marius Celsus and Suetonius, who, however, would not allow the men to follow up their advantage ; and that which probably was prudence, became the foundation of a charge of treason against him from his troops.

Valens, who was at Ticinum (Pavia), now joined his forces to those of Caecina, and the two generals, who had been jealous of one another, now thought only of combining to defeat the enemy. Otho's generals advised him to avoid a decisive battle, but his own opinion, and that of his brother and of Proculus, praefectus praetorio, was in favour of bringing the war at once to a close; and this determination ruined the cause of Otho. He was advised to retire to Brixellum (Brescelli), to be out of the way of danger, and he went there with a considerable force. The generals of Vitellius knew the state of affairs in Otho's army, and were ready to take advantage of it. The hostile armies were on the Po. The forces of Otho, under Titianus and Proculus, were marched to the fourth milestone from Bedriacum (Cividale ?), and on their route they suffered for want of water. They had now sixteen miles to march to the confluence of the Adda and the Po, to find the enemy, whom they came up with before they were expected. A fierce battle was fought in which Otho's troops were entirely defeated. It is said that forty thousand men fell in this battle. The troops of Vitellius followed up the pursuit within five miles of Bedriacum, but they did not venture to attack the enemy's camp on that day. On the next day the two armies came to terms, and the soldiers of Otho received the victors into their camp.

Though Otho had still a large force with him, and other troops at Bedriacum and Placentia, he determined to make no further resistance, and to die by his own hand. After settling his affairs with the utmost coolness and deliberation, he stabbed himself. The manner of his death is circumstantially told by Suetonius. His life had been dissolute, and his conduct at the last, though it may appear to have displayed courage, was in effect only despair. He died on the fifteenth of April, A. D. 69, in the thirty-seventh year of his age. His sepulchre was at Brixellum, and Plutarch, who saw it, says that it bore simply his name, and no other inscription. Suetonius, who records every thing, has not forgotten Otho's wig. His hair was thin, and he wore a perruque, which was so skilfully fitted to his head that nobody could tell it from true hair. (Suetonius, Otho ; Plutarch, Otho ; Dio Cassius, lxiv.; Tacitus, Hist. i. ii.; all the authorities are collected by Tillemont, Histoire des Empereurs, vol. i.)

[G.L]

Otho , L. Roscius

A tribune of the plebs in B.C. 67, when he carried the law (lex Roscia) which gave to the equites a special place at the public spectacles, in fourteen rows or seats (in quattuordecim gradibus sive ordinibus), next to the place of the senators, which was in the orchestra. This law was very unpopular; and in Cicero's consulship (B.C. 63) there was such a riot occasioned by the obnoxious measure that it required all his eloquence to allay the agitation (Vell. Paterc. ii. 32; Ad Att. ii. 1).

Otho , M. Salvius

A Roman emperor from Jan. 15 to April 16, A.D. 69, who was born in 32. He was one of the companions of Nero in his debaucheries; but when the emperor took possession of his wife, the beautiful but profligate Poppaea Sabina, Otho was sent as governor to Lusitania, which he administered with credit during the last ten years of Nero's life. Otho attached himself to Galba, when he revolted against Nero, in the hope of being adopted by him, and succeeding to the Empire. But when Galba adopted L. Piso, on the tenth of January, 69, Otho formed a conspiracy against Galba, and was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers at Rome, who put Galba to death. Meantime, Vitellius had been proclaimed emperor at Cologne by the German troops on the third of January. When this news reached Otho, he marched into the north of Italy to oppose the generals of Vitellius. He at first won several victories over Caecina, the general of Vitellius, but his army was defeated by Caecina and Valens in a decisive battle near Bedriacum, whereupon he put an end to his own life at Brixellum, in the thirty-seventh year of his age. His life is given by Suetonius and Plutarch.