Source edition
Suetonius. De Vita Caesarum Libri VIII. Ihm, Max, editor; Leipzig: Teubner, 1908.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This biographical work depicts the life of Otho, the seventh emperor of the Roman Empire. It begins with his noble lineage and profligate youth, including his close relationship with Nero and his subsequent exile to Lusitania due to a rivalry over Poppaea. Blocked from being adopted as Emperor Galba's successor and pressured by immense debt, Otho orchestrates a coup, assassinates Galba, and seizes the throne. However, his reign is immediately threatened by the rebellion of Vitellius. Following a decisive defeat at the Battle of Bedriacum, Otho resolutely chooses suicide to prevent further bloodshed among fellow Romans in a civil war. His courageous and noble end, which stood in stark contrast to his effeminate appearance and luxurious daily habits, earned him deep mourning and praise from his soldiers and the public.