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at　once　excusing　themselves；　and　extolling；　in　the　implied　flattery；



the　strength　of　the　new　arrivals；　who　might；　they　feared；　despise　them



as　beaten　and　spiritless　soldiers。　Though　Valens　had　the　stronger



army；　nearly　double　the　number　of　legions　and　auxiliaries；　yet　the



partialities　of　the　soldiers　inclined　to　Caecina；　not　only　from　the



geniality　of　heart；　which　he　was　thought　more　ready　to　display；　but



even　from　his　vigorous　age；　his　commanding　person；　and　a　certain



superficial　attractiveness　which　he　possessed。　The　result　was　a



jealousy　between　the　two　generals。　Caecina　ridiculed　his　colleague



as　a　man　of　foul　and　infamous　character；　Valens　retorted　with



charges　of　emptiness　and　vanity。　But　concealing　their　enmity；　they



devoted　themselves　to　their　common　interest；　and　in　frequent



letters；　without　any　thought　of　pardon；　heaped　all　manner　of　charges



upon　Otho；　while　the　Othonianist　generals；　though　they　had　the　most



abundant　materials　for　invective　against　Vitellius；　refrained　from



employing　them。



　　In　fact；　before　the　death　of　these　two　men　（and　it　was　by　his



death　that　Otho　gained　high　renown；　as　Vitellius　incurred　by　his　the



foulest　infamy）；　Vitellius　with　his　indolent　luxury　was　less　dreaded



than　Otho　with　his　ardent　passions。　The　murder　of　Galba　had　made　the



one　terrible　and　odious；　while　no　one　reckoned　against　the　other　the



guilt　of　having　begun　the　war。　Vitellius　with　his　sensuality　and



gluttony　was　his　own　enemy；　Otho；　with　his　profligacy；　his　cruelty；



and　his　recklessness；　was　held　to　be　more　dangerous　to　the



Commonwealth。　When　Caecina　and　Valens　had　united　their　forces；　the



Vitellianists　had　no　longer　any　reason　to　delay　giving　battle　with



their　whole　strength。　Otho　deliberated　as　to　whether　protracting　the



war　or　risking　an　engagement　were　the　better　course。　Then　Suetonius



Paullinus；　thinking　that　it　befitted　his　reputation；　which　was　such



that　no　one　at　that　period　was　looked　upon　as　a　more　skilful



soldier；　to　give　an　opinion　on　the　whole　conduct　of　the　war；　contended



that　impatience　would　benefit　the　enemy；　while　delay　would　serve　their



own　cause。



　　〃The　entire　army　of　Vitellius；〃　he　said；　〃has　already　arrived。　Nor



have　they　much　strength　in　their　rear；　since　Gaul　is　ready　to　rise；



and　to　abandon　the　banks　of　the　Rhine；　when　such　hostile　tribes　are



ready　to　burst　in；　would　not　answer　his　purpose。　A　hostile　people



and　an　intervening　sea　keep　from　him　the　army　of　Britain；　Spain　is　not



over　full　of　troops；　Gallia　Narbonensis　has　been　cowed　by　the　attack



of　our　ships　and　by　a　defeat；　Italy　beyond　the　Padus　is　shut　in　by　the



Alps；　cannot　be　relieved　from　the　sea；　and　has　been　exhausted　by　the



passage　of　his　army。　For　that　army　there　is　no　where　any　corn；　and



without　supplies　an　army　cannot　be　kept　together。　Then　the　Germans；



the　most　formidable　part　of　the　enemy's　forces；　should　the　war　be



protracted　into　the　summer；　will　sink　with　enfeebled　frames　under



the　change　of　country　and　climate。　Many　a　war；　formidable　in　its　first



impetuosity；　has　passed　into　nothing　through　the　weariness　of　delay。



We；　on　the　other　hand；　have　on　all　sides　abundant　resources　and



loyal　adherents。　We　have　Pannonia；　Moesia；　Dalmatia；　the　East　with　its



armies　yet　intact；　we　have　Italy　and　Rome；　the　capital　of　the



Empire；　the　Senate；　and　the　people；　names　that　never　lose　their



splendour；　though　they　may　sometimes　be　eclipsed。　We　have　the　wealth



of　the　State　and　of　private　individuals。　We　have　a　vast　supply　of



money；　which　in　a　civil　war　is　a　mightier　weapon　than　the　sword。　Our



soldiers　are　inured　to　the　climate　of　Italy　or　to　yet　greater　heat。　We



have　the　river　Padus　on　our　front；　and　cities　strongly　garrisoned



and　fortified；　none　of　which　will　surrender　to　the　enemy；　as　the



defence　of　Placentia　has　proved。　Let　Otho　therefore　protract　the



war。　In　a　few　days　the　14th　legion；　itself　highly　renowned；　will



arrive　with　the　troops　from　Moesia。　He　may　then　again　consider　the



question；　and　should　a　battle　be　resolved　on；　we　shall　fight　with



increased　strength。〃



　　Marius　Celsus　acquiesced　in　the　opinion　of　Paullinus；　and　Annius



Gallus；　who　a　few　days　before　had　been　seriously　injured　by　the　fall



of　his　horse；　was　reported　to　agree　by　those　who　had　been　sent　to



ascertain　his　opinion。　Otho　was　inclined　to　risk　a　decisive　battle。



His　brother　Titianus；　and　Proculus；　the　prefect　of　the　Praetorian



Guard；　ignorant　and　therefore　impatient；　declared　that　fortune；　the



Gods；　and　the　genius　of　Otho；　were　with　their　counsels；　and　would　be



with　their　enterprises。　That　no　one　might　dare　to　oppose　their



views；　they　had　taken　refuge　in　flattery。　It　having　been　resolved　to



give　battle；　it　became　a　question　whether　it　would　be　better　for　the



Emperor　to　be　present　in　person；　or　to　withdraw。　Paullinus　and



Celsus　no　longer　opposed；　for　they　would　not　seem　to　put　the　Emperor



in　the　way　of　peril；　and　these　same　men　who　suggested　the　baser　policy



prevailed　on　him　to　retire　to　Brixellum；　and　thus　secure　from　the



hazards　of　the　field；　to　reserve　himself　for　the　administration　of



empire。　That　day　first　gave　the　death…blow　to　the　party　of　Otho。　Not



only　did　a　strong　detachment　of　the　Praetorian　cohorts；　of　the



bodyguard；　and　of　the　cavalry；　depart　with　him；　but　the　spirit　of



those　who　remained　was　broken；　for　the　men　suspected　their　generals；



and　Otho；　who　alone　had　the　confidence　of　the　soldiers；　while　he



himself　trusted　in　none　but　them；　had　left　the　generals'　authority



on　a　doubtful　footing。



　　Nothing　of　this　escaped　the　Vitellianists；　for；　as　is　usual　in　civil



wars；　there　were　many　deserters；　and　the　spies；　while　busy　in



inquiring　into　the　plans　of　the　enemy；　failed　to　conceal　their　own。



Meanwhile　Caecina　and　Valens　remained　quiet；　and　watched　intently



for　the　moment　when　the　enemy　in　his　blindness　should　rush　upon



destruction；　and　found　the　usual　substitute　for　wisdom　in　waiting



for　the　folly　of　others。　They　began　to　form　a　bridge；　making　a　feint



of　crossing　the　Padus；　in　the　face　of　an　opposing　force　of　gladiators；



they　wished　also　to　keep　their　own　soldiers　from　passing　their



unoccupied　time　in　idleness。　Boats　were　ranged　at　equal　distances　from



each　other；　connected　at　both　ends　by　strong　beams；　and　with　their



heads　turned　against　the　current；　while　anchors　were　thrown　out



above　to　keep　the　bridge　firm。　The　cables；　however；　instead　of　being



taut；　hung　loose　in　the　water；　in　order　that　as　the　stream　rose　the



vessels　might　rise　without　their　arrangement　being　disturbed。　On　the



end　of　the　bridge　was　placed　a　turret；　it　was　built　out　on　the　last



boat；　and　from　it　engines　and　machines　might　be　worked　to　repel　the



enemy。　The　soldiers　of　Otho　also　raised　a　turret　on　the　opposite　bank；



and　hurled　from　it　stones　and　flaming　missiles。



　　In　the　middle　of　the　river　was　an　island。　While　the　gladiators



were　making　their　way　to　it　in　boats；　the　Germans　swam　and　outstripped



them。　A　considerable　number；　as　it　chanced；　had　effected　the



passage；　when　Macer；　having　manned　some　light　gallies；　attacked　them



with　the　most　active　of　his　gladiators。　But　the　gladiator　has　not　in



battle　the　firmness　of　the　regular　soldier；　and　now；　as　they　stood



on　rocking　vessels；　they　could　not　direct　their　blows　like　men　who　had



a　sure　footing　on　land。　As　the　men　in　their　alarm　made　confused



movements；　rowers　and　combatants　were　mingled　together　in　disorder；



upon　this；　the　Germans　themselves　leapt　into　the　shallows；　laid　hold



of　the　boats；　climbed　over　the　gunwales；　or　sank　them　with　their



hands。　All　this　passed　in　the　sight　of　both　armies；　and　the　more　it



delighted　the　Vitellianists；　the　more　vehemently　did　the



Othonianists　curse　the　cause　and　author　of　the　disaster。



　　The　conflict　was　terminated　by　the　flight　of　the　vanquished；　who



carried　off　what　boats　were　left。　Then　they　cried　out　for　the



execution　of　Macer。　He　had　been　wounded　by　a　javelin　thrown　from　a



distance；　and　the　soldiers　had　made　a　rush　upon　him　with　drawn　swords；



when　he　was　saved　by　the　interference　of　the　tribunes　and



centurions。　Soon　after　Vestricius　Spurinna；　having　received　orders



to　that　effect　from　Otho；　joined　with　his　cohorts；　leaving　but　a



moderate　force　in　garrison　at　Placentia。　After　this　Otho　sent



Flavius　Sabinus；　consul　elect；　to　take　the　command　of　the　troops　which



had　been　under　Macer；　the　soldiers　were　delighted　by　this　change　of



generals；　while　the　generals　were　led　by　these　continual　outbreaks



to　regard　with　disgust　so　hateful　a　service。



　　I　find　it　stated　by　some　authors　that　either　the　dread　of　or　the



disgust　felt　for　both　Emperors；　whose　wickedness　and　infamy　were



coming　out　every　day　into　more　open　notoriety；　made　the　two　armies



hesitate　whether　they　should　not　cease　their　strife；　and　ei