Otho facts for kids

Marcus Otho (born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh Roman emperor. He ruled for about three months, from January 15 to April 16 in the year 69 AD. He was the second emperor during a chaotic time known as the Year of the Four Emperors.

Otho came from a rich Etruscan family. He was a friend of the young emperor Nero for a while. However, Nero later forced Otho to divorce his wife, Poppaea Sabina, so Nero could marry her. After this, Otho was sent away to govern a far-off province called Lusitania in 58 AD.

He was a good governor in Lusitania. In 68 AD, he joined forces with Galba, who governed a nearby province. Galba was leading a revolt against Emperor Nero. Otho went with Galba to Rome. But early the next year, Otho turned against Galba and became emperor himself.

Otho then faced another challenge: Vitellius, a commander of the army in Germany, also wanted to be emperor. Otho led his army to fight Vitellius's forces at the Battle of Bedriacum.

Early Life of Otho

Otho was born on April 28, 32 AD. His grandfather, Marcus, was a senator. Otho's father, Lucius Salvius Otho, was given a special high rank by Emperor Claudius.

Otho was known for caring a lot about his appearance. He was introduced to Emperor Nero by an older freedwoman. Otho married Nero's mistress, Poppaea Sabina. However, Nero forced Otho to divorce Poppaea so Nero could marry her himself.

After this, Nero sent Otho away in 58 or 59 AD. Otho became the governor of the province of Lusitania. Even though he was a good governor, Otho never forgot what Nero had done.

In 68 AD, Otho joined Galba, the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis. Galba was rebelling against Nero. Otho went with Galba to Rome in October 68 AD. Before they entered the city, Galba's army fought against a legion that Nero had put together.

Becoming Emperor

Overthrowing Emperor Galba

On January 1, 69 AD, some legions in Germany refused to promise loyalty to Emperor Galba. They pulled down statues of Galba and demanded a new emperor. The next day, soldiers in Lower Germany also refused loyalty. They declared their governor, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor.

Galba tried to make his power stronger. He adopted a nobleman named Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus as his chosen successor. This made Otho very angry. On January 15, Galba was killed by his own guards, the Praetorians. Piso and another official were also killed. Their heads were put on poles, and Otho was then declared emperor.

The people of Rome seemed happy with Otho. His youth and appearance reminded them of Nero, whom they missed. Otho seemed to accept the nickname "Nero" that the crowd gave him.

Otho tried to show that he would rule fairly. He was kind to Aulus Marius Celsus, a loyal supporter of Galba. Otho soon learned that it was much harder to rule as emperor than to overthrow one. He once said that ruling was "hardly my trade," meaning it was beyond his abilities.

War with Vitellius

Otho by Robert Van Voerst after Titian.

Otho quickly realized that Vitellius's legions in Germany were a big problem. They had declared Vitellius emperor and were marching towards Italy. Otho tried to make peace with Vitellius by offering to share power, but it didn't work.

Otho then bravely prepared for war. He couldn't expect much help from far-off provinces. But the legions from Dalmatia, Pannonia, and Moesia were ready to fight for him. His special guard, the Praetorian cohorts, were also a strong force. A powerful fleet gave him control of the seas around Italy.

Otho sent his fleet to protect the area of Liguria. On March 14, Otho led his troops north. He hoped to stop Vitellius's army from entering Italy. But he was too late. All he could do was send troops to Placentia and try to hold the line along the Po River.

Otho's advance troops successfully defended Placentia. They forced Vitellius's general, Aulus Caecina Alienus, to retreat to Cremona. But then another general, Fabius Valens, arrived, changing the situation.

Vitellius's commanders decided to force a major battle, the Battle of Bedriacum. Otho's camp was full of disagreements. His more experienced officers wanted to wait for the legions from Dalmatia to arrive. But Otho's brother, Titianus, and the head of the Praetorian Guards, Proculus, were impatient. They convinced Otho to attack right away.

Otho stayed behind with a large reserve force at Brixellum. His main army had already crossed the Po River. They were camped at Bedriacum, a small village on a main road. This was the road the Dalmatian legions would use to arrive.

Otho's forces left a strong group to guard the camp at Bedriacum. They marched towards Cremona. Suddenly, they met Vitellius's troops. Otho's soldiers fought hard, even though they were at a disadvantage. But they were eventually forced to retreat back to their camp at Bedriacum. The next day, the victorious Vitellians followed them. However, they quickly made peace with Otho's discouraged army and were welcomed into the camp as friends.

Otho's Final Act

Even after the battle, Otho still had a strong army. The Dalmatian legions had reached Aquileia, and his soldiers were still ready to fight. But Otho decided to accept the outcome of the battle, which his own impatience had caused.

In a speech, he said goodbye to those around him. He declared, "It is far more just to perish one for all, than many for one." This meant he would rather die alone than have many more people die for him. He then went to rest and slept soundly for several hours. Early in the morning, he used a dagger he had hidden to end his life. He died as his attendants entered his tent.

Otho's ashes were placed in a simple monument. He had been emperor for three months. His funeral was held quickly, as he had wished. A plain tomb was built for him at Brixellum. It had the inscription Diis Manibus Marci Othonis, which means "To the Divine Spirits of Marcus Otho." His 91-day rule was the shortest until Pertinax ruled for 87 days in 193 AD.

See also

In Spanish: Otón para niños