Roman Emperor: Life and Reign of Otho Quiz

Answer: Ferentium

Named Marcus Salvius Otho, Otho was born in Ferentium, an ancient town located near the modern city of Viterbo, Lazio, Italy, around 55 miles (90 km) north-west of Rome. Ferentium was prosperous around the time of Augustus' reign, and Otho's family sepulcher was found in the area in 1921.

Answer: Lucius Salvius Otho

Very little is known about the life of Albia Terentia, with both her birthdate and date of death being unclear. Terentia was a plebian of ancient Rome, however, Otho's father was from a well established and connected family. Otho's grandfather, Marcus Salvius Otho, was the son of a Roman knight. Lucius Salvius Otho fell from favour in the Roman court under the reign of Claudius, due to his brutality in executing mutinous soldiers in a revolt against the emperor.

He did however gain favour back when he uncovered a conspiracy on Claudius' life.

Answer: Tiberius

Lucius Salvius Otho was held in very high regard by Roman Emperor Tiberius, and the two men shared physical similarities, leading to speculation and rumours that Lucius was actually Tiberius' son. Emperor Claudius also thought highly of Lucius, however, there were no rumours that they were biologically related. Lucius' daughter (who died young, and has her name lost to history) was betrothed to Drusus Caesar (Tiberius' adoptive son and nephew) from a very young age, but she died before this came to pass.

Answer: Titianus

Lucius Salvius Otho Titianus was Otho's older brother. He achieved consulship by 52 AD, and was a member of the ancient Roman priesthood, the Arval Brethren. He married Cocceia, sister of Nerva, who would later become Roman emperor after Otho. They had a son, Lucius Salvius Otho Cocceianus, who would be executed years later, for daring to observe Otho's birthday, under the orders of Roman Emperor Domitian.

Answer: Poppaea Sabina

Poppaea Sabina's parents were Titus Ollius, who was a quaestor during the reign of Tiberius, and Poppaea Sabina the Elder, a rich, upper class woman, whom Tacitus reveres as "the loveliest woman of her day." Her family were well-connected and aristocratic, however this did not stop the suicide of Poppaea Sabina the Elder, who was persecuted due to the accusations of the third wife of Roman Emperor Claudius, Valeria Messalina, who asserted that Poppaea Sabina the Elder had had an affair with a prominent Roman senator.

Poppaea Sabina was not married to Otho at first, with her first husband being Rufrius Crispinus, an equestrian who led the Praetorian Guard during the first decade of Claudius' time on the Roman throne. In 65 AD, Rufrius Crispinus earned the ire of Emperor Nero, who had him executed around a year later.

Otho married Poppaea Sabina, who was seven years older than him. She would end up divorcing him at the demand of a Roman Emperor Nero, who had become attracted to her.

Answer: Lusitania

After her marriage to Otho ended, Poppaea Sabina became Nero's second wife after some time of being his lover. Once Nero had taken to his wife and accosted her for himself, Otho spent around 10 years governing Lusitania, and is considered to be a moderate and fair ruler for that of the time. Otho was a childhood friend of Nero, but he had little choice but to accept Nero's interest in his wife. Nero divorced his wife, Octavia, who was the daughter of previous Roman emperor, Claudius, to marry Poppaea. Nero and Poppaea had a daughter they named Claudia, but she did not live long.

The territory of what was once Lusitania is located in modern-day Portugal. Although Otho ruled the province, it appeared to be more of a polite exile, so that Nero could have his way with Poppaea.

Answer: Galba

Although Otho had proven himself to be a competent ruler Lusitaniaż, he was still bitter towards Nero for taking Poppaea away from him. He decided to ally with Galba, the governor of neighbouring province, Hispania Tarraconensis. In 68 AD, Galba rebelled against Nero and has rule, with Otho joining him. Nero killed himself later that year after the rebellion, and Galba was declared Roman emperor.

Answer: Otho's reputation of recklessness and excess

Lucius Piso Licinianus was born around 38 AD, and was of noble birth from a well-established family. Otho was so enraged by Galba's perceived betrayal and insult by adopting Licinianus as his heir, that Licinianus was dead just five days into his time as heir to the Roman throne. Licinianus' family were no strangers to assassinations and the ruthlessness of Rome in their lifetimes. Pompeius Magnus (who was once married to Roman Emperor Claudius' daughter, Octavia, and not to be confused with Pompey the Great), the older brother of Licinianus, had been executed by 46 AD alongside Licinianus' parents and his other brother, Crassus. Licinianus had been living in exile for some time since, by the time Galba contacted him in 68 AD, choosing him as heir in order to strengthen his position as emperor whilst rebellions were breaking out against Galba in Germania Superior.

Galba was reportedly concerned about Otho's questionable morals, although Licinianus' very noble birth was certainly a factor in him being chosen. Otho had gained a reputation for both recklessness and excess spending during his time as one of the youngest nobles of Nero's court. Suetonius assert that Licinianus was a "handsome, well-bred young man." Licinianus also had a reputation for integrity, which was important to Galba. Otho was incensed by Galba choosing Licinianus to be his heir to the throne of Rome, and established a conspiracy with the Praetorian Guard to have Galba and Licinianus murdered. Galba was stabbed to death by the Praetorian Guard at the behest of Otho in 69 AD. At this time Otho was popular with the Roman army, and Galba had rapidly become despised by them.

Answer: Studied it

Tacitus asserts that once Otho was presented Galba's decapitated head, he "studied the victim's severed head with peculiar malevolence, as if his eyes could never drink their fill." Around 120 people claimed to have murdered Galba in order to gain financial favour from Otho, a list being made of those who asserted they were the assassin. This attempt at getting rich quick would later backfire, as when the emperor after Otho, Vitellius, discovered this list after he had deposed Otho and seized the Roman throne, he had the men listed executed.

Licinianus' widow, Verania, paid a substantial amount of money to have her executed husband's head sent back to her so that it could be buried with his body.

Answer: Domus Aurea

The Domus Aurea, also known as "Nero's Golden House", began being constructed four years before Nero's suicide. After there was a large fire across Rome in 64 AD, Nero saw a great opportunity to requisition the land and build a lavish palace where the homes of Roman citizens had once stood.

He died before seeing its completion. Otho ensured the construction was completed during the very brief time he was on the throne of Rome.

Answer: Battle of Bedriacum

The Battle of Bedriacum took place on 14 April 69 AD. Vitellius was in charge of two armies, with Fabius Valens and Aulus Caecina Alienus as their commanders and the army amounting to around 70,000 men in total. The army headed by Caecina went through the Alps into the north of Italy, but were driven back by Otho's army, after their advance on Placentia. They waited for Valens' army in Cremona.

Otho exited Rome and headed north to fight the invasion, leaving his brother Titianus in control of Rome, who would later join Otho's army to fight as second in command. Titianus decided to attack Cremona, against the advice of more experienced generals, who told him it would be wiser to wait until the other legions had got there. Otho's soldiers were already tired from the long march by the time they were faced with battle. Titianus' stubbornness and foolhardiness was perhaps a strong factor in the defeat. Cassius Dio asserts that around 40,000 Romans were killed in the battle.

Answer: Otho's army mutinied

Despite having renowned generals, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus' for example, Otho lost the battle because he failed to take their advice. The earliest record of Gaius Suetonius Paulinus' career is listed in 42 AD when Roman Emperor Claudius was in power. A highly experienced military man by the time he served Otho, he had previously quashed a rebellion in Mauretania (North Africa) and became the first known Roman to cross the Atlas Mountains. He became Governor of Britain in 58 AD, and became famous for defeating Queen Boudica there. Yet Otho would not listen to him, denying his advice to wait behind the fortified military walls of northern Italy for an attack, and in the meantime strengthen his army. Otho could not bear the suspense and length of such a tactic, wishing to get the fighting over with and did not listen, sending his troops in to combat (with no reserves) a substantial lot less prepared than they could have been. Paulinus was in a particularly difficult position, as Otho's brother giving him bad military advice had to be handled carefully. Paulinus did not want to be accused of risking the Emperor's life, should a disagreement with Otho's brother become too heated.

Although he was part of Otho's defeated army and was captured by Vitellius, according to Tacitus, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus was granted a pardon after (likely falsely) stating that he deliberately lost the battle Otho had involved him in. What happened to him after this is lost to history.

The poor organisation of the troops led to a rumour spreading that Vitellius' side had surrendered. They gave the opposition a friendly salutation, which they soon found out was an error after the furious response. However, despite the disastrous the battle, Otho's men remained devoted to him. They wished for him to continue on his campaign and would have fought for him.

Answer: Suicide

Otho's suicide has been lauded, disrespected, and disapproved of by historians and the ancient Roman population. Following his defeat in the Battle of Bedriacum, Otho was enthusiastically encouraged by his troops to keep fighting to drive Vitellius from Italy. Otho retired to his tent, where he committed suicide the following morning. Otho has been accused of cowardice at the thought of being defeated and murdered by Vitellius, which was the reason for his suicide.

However, many historians argue that Otho did not want any more death or harm to come to the soldiers who had served him well, and ending his life was the only possible way to ensure their safety. Aged 36, he stabbed himself in the heart with a dagger.

Answer: "It is far more just to perish one for all, than many for one."

Otho's last words lends credible evidence to the idea that Otho committed suicide, not out of fear of Vittelius, but for the good of his soldiers, and his wish to avoid further bloodshed by sparing Rome and its people civil war. Although legions were on the way to assist him in further battle, Otho did not want any more men to die fighting for him.

Answer: Brixellum

Now the commune of Brescello in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, Otho had set up his military camp in Brixellum, during the Battle of Bedriacum, which was where he committed suicide in his tent. Upon finding him dead, his troops had him cremated in haste, fearing that his head could possibly be decapitated and paraded around by those who had conquered them.

A funeral pyre was constructed quickly, and tomb was established in the area. Some soldiers killed themselves after the funeral, including those who had lit the pyre.

It was a simple, hastily put together tomb, and although it was for certain located in Brixellum, its exact whereabouts is lost to history.