He　feigned　anger；　and　ordered　him　to　be　loaded　with　chains；
  declaring　that　he　was　to　suffer　more　signal　punishment；　and　thus　he
  rescued　him　from　immediate　destruction。
  Every　thing　was　then　ordered　according　to　the　will　of　the
  soldiery。　The　Praetorians　chose　their　own　prefects。　One　was　Plotius
  Firmus；　who　had　once　been　in　the　ranks；　had　afterwards　commanded　the
  watch；　and　who；　while　Galba　was　yet　alive；　had　embraced　the　cause　of
  Otho。　With　him　was　associated　Licinius　Proculus；　Otho's　intimate
  friend；　and　consequently　suspected　of　having　encouraged　his　schemes。
  Flavius　Sabinus　they　appointed　prefect　of　the　city；　thus　adopting
  Nero's　choice；　in　whose　reign　he　had　held　the　same　office；　though　many
  in　choosing　him　had　an　eye　to　his　brother　Vespasian。　A　demand　was　then
  made；　that　the　fees　for　furloughs　usually　paid　to　the　centurions
  should　be　abolished。　These　the　common　soldiers　paid　as　a　kind　of
  annual　tribute。　A　fourth　part　of　every　company　might　be　scattered　on
  furlough；　or　even　loiter　about　the　camp；　provided　that　they　paid　the
  fees　to　the　centurions。　No　one　cared　about　the　amount　of　the　tax；　or
  the　way　in　which　it　was　raised。　It　was　by　robbery；　plunder；　or　the
  most　servile　occupations　that　the　soldiers'　holiday　was　purchased。　The
  man　with　the　fullest　purse　was　worn　out　with　toil　and　cruel　usage　till
  he　bought　his　furlough。　His　means　exhausted　by　this　outlay；　and　his
  energies　utterly　relaxed　by　idleness；　the　once　rich　and　vigorous
  soldier　returned　to　his　company　a　poor　and　spiritless　man。　One　after
  another　was　ruined　by　the　same　poverty　and　license；　and　rushed　into
  mutiny　and　dissension；　and　finally　into　civil　war。　Otho；　however；
  not　to　alienate　the　affections　of　the　centurions　by　an　act　of　bounty
  to　the　ranks；　promised　that　his　own　purse　should　pay　these　annual
  sums。　It　was　undoubtedly　a　salutary　reform；　and　was　afterwards　under
  good　emperors　established　as　a　permanent　rule　of　the　service。　Laco；
  prefect　of　the　city；　who　had　been　ostensibly　banished　to　an　island；
  was　assassinated　by　an　enrolled　pensioner；　sent　on　by　Otho　to　do　the
  deed。　Martianus　Icelus；　being　but　a　freedman；　was　publicly　executed。
  A　day　spent　in　crime　found　its　last　horror　in　the　rejoicings　that
  concluded　it。　The　Praetor　of　the　city　summoned　the　Senate；　the　rest　of
  the　Magistrates　vied　with　each　other　in　their　flatteries。　The　Senators
  hastily　assembled　and　conferred　by　decree　upon　Otho　the　tribunitial
  office；　the　name　of　Augustus；　and　every　imperial　honour。　All　strove　to
  extinguish　the　remembrance　of　those　taunts　and　invectives；　which　had
  been　thrown　out　at　random；　and　which　no　one　supposed　were　rankling
  in　his　heart。　Whether　he　had　forgotten；　or　only　postponed　his
  resentment；　the　shortness　of　his　reign　left　undecided。　The　Forum　yet
  streamed　with　blood；　when　he　was　borne　in　a　litter　over　heaps　of
  dead　to　the　Capitol；　and　thence　to　the　palace。　He　suffered　the
  bodies　to　be　given　up　for　burial；　and　to　be　burnt。　For　Piso；　the
  last　rites　were　performed　by　his　wife　Verania　and　his　brother
  Scribonianus；　for　Vinius；　by　his　daughter　Crispina；　their　heads　having
  been　discovered　and　purchased　from　the　murderers；　who　had　reserved
  them　for　sale。
  Piso；　who　was　then　completing　his　thirty…first　year；　had　enjoyed
  more　fame　than　good　fortune。　His　brothers；　Magnus　and　Crassus；　had
  been　put　to　death　by　Claudius　and　Nero　respectively。　He　was　himself
  for　many　years　an　exile；　for　four　days　a　Caesar；　and　Galba's　hurried
  adoption　of　him　only　gave　him　this　privilege　over　his　elder　brother；
  that　he　perished　first。　Vinius　had　lived　to　the　age　of　fifty…seven；
  with　many　changes　of　character。　His　father　was　of　a　praetorian　family；
  his　maternal　grandfather　was　one　of　the　proscribed。　He　had　disgraced
  himself　in　his　first　campaign　when　he　served　under　the　legate
  Calvisius　Sabinus。　That　officer's　wife；　urged　by　a　perverse
  curiosity　to　view　the　camp；　entered　it　by　night　in　the　disguise　of　a
  soldier；　and　after　extending　the　insulting　frolic　to　the　watches　and
  the　general　arrangements　of　the　army；　actually　dared　to　commit　the　act
  of　adultery　in　the　head…quarters。　Vinius　was　charged　with　having
  participated　in　her　guilt；　and　by　order　of　Caius　was　loaded　with
  irons。　The　altered　times　soon　restored　him　to　liberty。　He　then　enjoyed
  an　uninterrupted　succession　of　honours；　first　filling　the　praetorship；
  and　then　commanding　a　legion　with　general　satisfaction；　but　he
  subsequently　incurred　the　degrading　imputation　of　having　pilfered　a
  gold　cup　at　the　table　of　Claudius；　who　the　next　day　directed　that　he
  alone　should　be　served　on　earthenware。　Yet　as　proconsul　of　Gallia
  Narbonensis　he　administered　the　government　with　strict　integrity。　When
  forced　by　his　friendship　with　Galba　to　a　dangerous　elevation；　he
  shewed　himself　bold；　crafty；　and　enterprising；　and　whether　he
  applied　his　powers　to　vice　or　virtue；　was　always　equally　energetic。
  His　will　was　made　void　by　his　vast　wealth；　that　of　Piso　owed　its
  validity　to　his　poverty。
  The　body　of　Galba　lay　for　a　long　time　neglected；　and　subjected；
  through　the　license　which　the　darkness　permitted；　to　a　thousand
  indignities；　till　Argius　his　steward；　who　had　been　one　of　his
  slaves；　gave　it　a　humble　burial　in　his　master's　private　gardens。　His
  head；　which　the　sutlers　and　camp…followers　had　fixed　on　a　pole　and
  mangled；　was　found　only　the　next　day　in　front　of　the　tomb　of
  Patrobius；　a　freedman　of　Nero's；　whom　Galba　had　executed。　It　was　put
  with　the　body；　which　had　by　that　time　been　reduced　to　ashes。　Such
  was　the　end　of　Servius　Galba；　who　in　his　seventy…three　years　had　lived
  prosperously　through　the　reigns　of　five　Emperors；　and　had　been　more
  fortunate　under　the　rule　of　others　than　he　was　in　his　own。　His
  family　could　boast　an　ancient　nobility；　his　wealth　was　great。　His
  character　was　of　an　average　kind；　rather　free　from　vices；　than
  distinguished　by　virtues。　He　was　not　regardless　of　fame；　nor　yet
  vainly　fond　of　it。　Other　men's　money　he　did　not　covet；　with　his　own　he
  was　parsimonious；　with　that　of　the　State　avaricious。　To　his　freedmen
  and　friends　he　shewed　a　forbearance；　which；　when　he　had　fallen　into
  worthy　hands；　could　not　be　blamed；　when；　however；　these　persons　were
  worthless；　he　was　even　culpably　blind。　The　nobility　of　his　birth　and
  the　perils　of　the　times　made　what　was　really　indolence　pass　for
  wisdom。　While　in　the　vigour　of　life；　he　enjoyed　a　high　military
  reputation　in　Germany；　as　proconsul　he　ruled　Africa　with　moderation；
  and　when　advanced　in　years　shewed　the　same　integrity　in　Eastern　Spain。
  He　seemed　greater　than　a　subject　while　he　was　yet　in　a　subject's　rank；
  and　by　common　consent　would　have　been　pronounced　equal　to　empire；
  had　he　never　been　emperor。
  The　alarm　of　the　capital；　which　trembled　to　see　the　atrocity　of
  these　recent　crimes；　and　to　think　of　the　old　character　of　Otho；　was
  heightened　into　terror　by　the　fresh　news　about　Vitellius；　news　which
  had　been　suppressed　before　the　murder　of　Galba；　in　order　to　make　it
  appear　that　only　the　army　of　Upper　Germany　had　revolted。　That　two　men；
  who　for　shamelessness；　indolence；　and　profligacy；　were　the　most
  worthless　of　mortals；　had　been　selected；　it　would　seem；　by　some
  fatality　to　ruin　the　Empire；　became　the　open　complaint；　not　only　of
  the　Senate　and　the　Knights；　who　had　some　stake　and　interest　in　the
  country；　but　even　of　the　common　people。　It　was　no　longer　to　the　late
  horrors　of　a　dreadful　peace；　but　to　the　recollections　of　the　civil
  wars；　that　men　recurred；　speaking　of　how　the　capital　had　been　taken　by
  Roman　armies；　how　Italy　had　been　wasted　and　the　provinces　spoiled；
  of　Pharsalia；　Philippi；　Perusia；　and　Mutina；　and　all　the　familiar
  names　of　great　public　disasters。　〃The　world；〃　they　said；　〃was
  well…nigh　turned　upside　down　when　the　struggle　for　empire　was
  between　worthy　competitors；　yet　the　Empire　continued　to　exist　after
  the　victories　of　Caius　Julius　and　Caesar　Augustus；　the　Republic
  would　have　continued　to　exist　under　Pompey　and　Brutus。　And　is　it　for
  Otho　or　for　Vitellius　that　we　are　now　to　repair　to　the　temples？
  Prayers　for　either　would　be　impious；　vows　for　either　a　blasphemy；　when
  from　their　conflict　you　can　only　learn　that　the　conqueror　must　be
  the　worse　of　the　two。〃　Some　were　speculating　on　Vespasian　and　the
  armies　of　the　East。　Vespasian　was　indeed　preferable　to　either；　yet
  they　shuddered　at　the　idea　of　another　war；　of　other　massacres。　Even
  about　Vespasian　there　were　doubtful　rumours；　and　he；　unlike　any　of　his
  predecessors；　was　changed　for　the　better　by　power。
  I　will　now　describe　the　origin　and　occasion　of　the　revolt　of
  Vitellius。　After　the　destruction　of　Julius　Vindex　and　his　whole　force；
  the　army；　flushed　with　the　delights　of　plunder　and　glory；　as　men　might
  well　be　who　had　been　fortuna