This was a relative of Caligula; the praetorians made him
emperor (it was the emperor Claudius). After the death of Nero, the
Senate had elected Galba; the praetorians did not find him liberal
enough and so they massacred him to set up in his place Otho, a
favorite of Nero. In their turn the soldiers on the frontier wished to
make an emperor: the legions of the Rhine entered Italy, met the
praetorians at Bedriac near Cremona, and overthrew them in so furious a
battle that it lasted all night; then they compelled the Senate to
elect Vitellius, their general, as emperor. During this time the army
of Syria had elected its chief Vespasian, who in turn defeated
Vitellius and was named in his place; thus in two years three emperors
had been created and three overthrown by the soldiers. The new
emperor often undid what his predecessor had done; imperial despotism
had not even the advantage of being stable.
=The Twelve Caesars.=--This regime of oppression interrupted by
violence endured for more than a century (31 B.C. to 96 A.D.).
The twelve emperors who came to the throne during this time are called
the Twelve Caesars, although only the first six were of the family of
Augustus.
Pages:
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404