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alike　notorious　facts　and　secret　practices。



　　He　then　entrusted　the　conduct　of　his　meditated　treason　to　Onomastus；



one　of　his　freedmen；　who　brought　over　to　his　views　Barbius　Proculus；



officer　of　the　watchword　to　the　bodyguard；　and　Veturius；　a　deputy



centurion　in　the　same　force。　Having　assured　himself　by　various



conversations　with　these　men　that　they　were　cunning　and　bold；　he



loaded　them　with　presents　and　promises；　and　furnished　them　with



money　with　which　to　tempt　the　cupidity　of　others。　Thus　two　soldiers



from　the　ranks　undertook　to　transfer　the　Empire　of　Rome；　and



actually　transferred　it。　Only　a　few　were　admitted　to　be　accomplices　in



the　plot；　but　they　worked　by　various　devices　on　the　wavering　minds



of　the　remainder；　on　the　more　distinguished　soldiers；　by　hinting



that　the　favours　of　Nymphidius　had　subjected　them　to　suspicion；　on　the



vulgar　herd；　by　the　anger　and　despair　with　which　the　repeated



postponement　of　the　donative　had　inspired　them。　Some　were　fired　by



their　recollections　of　Nero　and　their　longing　regrets　for　their　old



license。　All　felt　a　common　alarm　at　the　idea　of　having　to　serve



elsewhere。



　　The　contagion　spread　to　the　legions　and　the　auxiliary　troops；



already　excited　by　the　news　of　the　wavering　loyalty　of　the　army　of



Germany。　So　ripe　were　the　disaffected　for　mutiny　and　so　close　the



secrecy　preserved　by　the　loyal；　that　they　would　actually　have　seized



Otho　on　the　14th　of　January；　as　he　was　returning　from　dinner；　had　they



not　been　deterred　by　the　risks　of　darkness；　the　inconvenient



dispersion　of　the　troops　over　the　whole　city；　and　the　difficulty　of



concerted　action　among　a　half…intoxicated　crowd。　It　was　no　care　for



the　state；　which　they　deliberately　meditated　polluting　with　the



blood　of　their　Emperor；　it　was　a　fear　lest　in　the　darkness　of　night



any　one　who　presented　himself　to　the　soldiers　of　the　Pannonian　or



German　army　might　be　fixed　on　instead　of　Otho；　whom　few　of　them



knew。　Many　symptoms　of　the　approaching　outburst　were　repressed　by



those　who　were　in　the　secret。　Some　hints；　which　had　reached　Galba's



ears；　were　turned　into　ridicule　by　Laco　the　prefect；　who　knew



nothing　of　the　temper　of　the　soldiery；　and　who；　inimical　to　all



measures；　however　excellent；　which　he　did　not　originate；　obstinately



thwarted　men　wiser　than　himself。



　　On　the　15th　of　January；　as　Galba　was　sacrificing　in　front　of　the



temple　of　Apollo；　the　Haruspex　Umbricius　announced　to　him　that　the



entrails　had　a　sinister　aspect；　that　treachery　threatened　him；　that　he



had　an　enemy　at　home。　Otho　heard；　for　he　had　taken　his　place　close　by；



and　interpreted　it　by　contraries　in　a　favourable　sense；　as　promising



success　to　his　designs。　Not　long　after　his　freedman　Onomastus　informed



him　that　the　architect　and　the　contractors　were　waiting　for　him。　It



had　been　arranged　thus　to　indicate　that　the　soldiers　were



assembling；　and　that　the　preparations　of　the　conspiracy　were　complete。



To　those　who　inquired　the　reason　of　his　departure；　Otho　pretended　that



he　was　purchasing　certain　farm…buildings；　which　from　their　age　he



suspected　to　be　unsound；　and　which　had　therefore　to　be　first　surveyed。



Leaning　on　his　freedman's　arm；　he　proceeded　through　the　palace　of



Tiberius　to　the　Velabrum；　and　thence　to　the　golden　milestone　near



the　temple　of　Saturn。　There　three　and　twenty　soldiers　of　the



body…guard　saluted　him　as　Emperor；　and；　while　he　trembled　at　their



scanty　number；　put　him　hastily　into　a　chair；　drew　their　swords；　and



hurried　him　onwards。　About　as　many　more　soldiers　joined　them　on



their　way；　some　because　they　were　in　the　plot；　many　from　mere



surprise；　some　shouted　and　brandished　their　swords；　others　proceeded



in　silence；　intending　to　let　the　issue　determine　their　sentiments。



　　Julius　Martialis　was　the　tribune　on　guard　in　the　camp。　Appalled　by



the　enormity　and　suddenness　of　the　crime；　or　perhaps　fearing　that



the　troops　were　very　extensively　corrupted　and　that　it　would　be



destruction　to　oppose　them；　he　made　many　suspect　him　of　complicity。



The　rest　of　the　tribunes　and　centurions　preferred　immediate　safety



to　danger　and　duty。　Such　was　the　temper　of　men's　minds；　that；　while



there　were　few　to　venture　on　so　atrocious　a　treason；　many　wished　it



done；　and　all　were　ready　to　acquiesce。



　　Meanwhile　the　unconscious　Galba；　busy　with　his　sacrifice；　was



importuning　the　gods　of　an　empire　that　was　now　another's。　A　rumour



reached　him；　that　some　senator　unknown　was　being　hurried　into　the



camp；　before　long　it　was　affirmed　that　this　senator　was　Otho。　At　the



same　time　came　messengers　from　all　parts　of　the　city；　where　they　had



chanced　to　meet　the　procession；　some　exaggerating　the　danger；　some；



who　could　not　even　then　forget　to　flatter；　representing　it　as　less



than　the　reality。　On　deliberation　it　was　determined　to　sound　the



feeling　of　the　cohort　on　guard　in　the　palace；　but　not　through　Galba　in



person；　whose　authority　was　to　be　kept　unimpaired　to　meet　greater



emergencies。　They　were　accordingly　collected　before　the　steps　of　the



palace；　and　Piso　addressed　them　as　follows：…　〃Comrades；　this　is　the



sixth　day　since　I　became　a　Caesar　by　adoption；　not　knowing　what　was　to



happen；　whether　this　title　was　to　be　desired；　or　dreaded。　It　rests



with　you　to　determine　what　will　be　the　result　to　my　family　and　to



the　state。　It　is　not　that　I　dread　on　my　own　account　the　gloomier



issue；　for　I　have　known　adversity；　and　I　am　learning　at　this　very



moment　that　prosperity　is　fully　as　dangerous。　It　is　the　lot　of　my



father；　of　the　Senate；　of　the　Empire　itself；　that　I　deplore；　if　we



have　either　to　fall　this　day；　or　to　do　what　is　equally　abhorrent　to



the　good；　to　put　others　to　death。　In　the　late　troubles　we　had　this



consolation；　a　capital　unstained　by　bloodshed；　and　power　transferred



without　strife。　It　was　thought　that　by　my　adoption　provision　was



made　against　the　possibility　of　war；　even　after　Galba's　death。



　〃I　will　lay　no　claim　to　nobleness；　or　moderation；　for　indeed；　to



count　up　virtues　in　comparing　oneself　with　Otho　is　needless。　The



vices；　of　which　alone　he　boasts；　overthrew　the　Empire；　even　when　he



was　but　the　Emperor's　friend。　Shall　he　earn　that　Empire　now　by　his



manner　and　his　gait；　or　by　those　womanish　adornments？　They　are



deceived；　on　whom　luxury　imposes　by　its　false　show　of　liberality；　he



will　know　how　to　squander；　he　will　not　know　how　to　give。　Already　he　is



thinking　of　debaucheries；　of　revels；　of　tribes　of　mistresses。　These



things　he　holds　to　be　the　prizes　of　princely　power；　things；　in　which



the　wanton　enjoyment　will　be　for　him　alone；　the　shame　and　the　disgrace



for　all。　Never　yet　has　any　one　exercised　for　good　ends　the　power



obtained　by　crime。　The　unanimous　will　of　mankind　gave　to　Galba　the



title　of　Caesar；　and　you　consented　when　he　gave　it　to　me。　Were　the



Senate；　the　Country；　the　People；　but　empty　names；　yet；　comrades；　it　is



your　interest　that　the　most　worthless　of　men　should　not　create　an



Emperor。　We　have　occasionally　heard　of　legions　mutinying　against　their



generals；　but　your　loyalty；　your　character；　stand　unimpeached　up　to



this　time。　Even　with　Nero；　it　was　he　that　deserted　you；　not　you　that



deserted　him。　Shall　less　than　thirty　runaways　and　deserters　whom　no



one　would　allow　to　choose　a　tribune　or　centurion　for　themselves；



assign　the　Empire　at　their　pleasure？　Do　you　tolerate　the　precedent？　Do



you　by　your　inaction　make　the　crime　your　own？　This　lawless　spirit　will



pass　into　the　provinces；　and　though　we　shall　suffer　from　this　treason；



you　will　suffer　from　the　wars　that　will　follow。　Again；　no　more　is



offered　you　for　murdering　your　Prince；　than　you　will　have　if　you



shun　such　guilt。　We　shall　give　you　a　donative　for　your　loyalty；　as



surely　as　others　can　give　it　for　your　treason。〃



　　The　soldiers　of　the　body…guard　dispersed；　but　the　rest　of　the



cohort；　who　shewed　no　disrespect　to　the　speaker；　displayed　their



standards；　acting；　as　often　happens　in　a　disturbance；　on　mere



impulse　and　without　any　settled　plan；　rather　than；　as　was　afterwards



believed；　with　treachery　and　an　intention　to　deceive。　Celsus　Marius



was　sent　to　the　picked　troops　from　the　army　of　Illyricum；　then



encamped　in　the　Portico　of　Vipsanius。　Instructions　were　also　given



to　Amulius　Serenus　and　Quintius　Sabinus；　centurions　of　the　first　rank；



to　bring　up　the　German　soldiers　from　the　Hall　of　Liberty。　No



confidence　was　placed　in　the　legion　levied　from　the　fleet；　which　had



been　enraged　by　the　massacre　of　their　comrades；　whom　Galba　had



slaughtered　immediately　on　his　entry　into　the　capital。　Meanwhile



Cetrius　Severus；　Subrius　Dexter；　and　Pompeius　Longinus；　all　three



military　tribunes；　proceeded　to　the　Praetorian　camp；　in　the　hope



that　a　sedition；　which　was　but　just　commencing；　and　not　yet　fully



matured；　might　be　swayed　by　better　counsels。　Two　of　these