History of Europe

Only three months of its reign! Roman Empire 7th Emperor Oto

Oto is one of the people who was on the throne during the "three emperor era" when the three emperors changed in the year after the death of Emperor Nero.

He has been close to Nero for a long time, but from a certain point he gets along with Nero.

Nero takes his wife to sleep

The first emperor Augustus asked her husband to divorce her because she wanted to marry a woman named Revere. Her husband, a member of the Claudius family, agreed.

Nero wants to marry a beautiful woman named Poppia and makes a similar offer to Oto.

Oto rejects this, and Nero appoints Oto as the governor of Lusitania (Portugal), looting Poppia as his wife.

By the way, it is said that this marriage to Poppia infuriated her mother, Agrippina, and triggered the assassination of her mother by Nero.

Oto, whose wife was cuckold, gained a reputation for his good politics in Lucitania and, contrary to Nero, gained the support of the people.

When a person named Vitterius revolts and declares that Galva is the right emperor, Oto and the Senate, the highest decision-making body in Rome, will support the appointment of Galva as emperor.

As a result, Nero, who was the emperor, is cornered and chooses to commit suicide.

It may be said that Oto's revenge is complete.

It is said that Oto's support contributed greatly to the inauguration of the emperor of Galva, but Galva adopted a person named Piso as his successor.

Oto gets angry at this and assassinates Galva with Piso.

Inauguration of Emperor Donau Corps VS Line Corps

However, the Germanian corps, the strongest corps in Rome, was not convinced that Oto was inaugurated as emperor.

The Germanian corps, led by Vitterius, marched into Rome, and Oto summoned the corps from the Donau River in the Donau River basin.

The corps in the Rhine basin, which is the line of defense of the empire, and the corps in the Donau river basin collided head-on.

The two corps clashed in northern Italy. It is a battle that will be recorded as the "Battle of Bedriakum" in later history.

After a fierce battle, the Germanian corps, also said to be the strongest corps, won.

After the victory, the Germanian corps treated the Donau corps as shameful, which later led to an intensification of the civil war.

Oto, who lost the battle, realized his destiny and died himself.

At this time he was 37 years old and his reign was only three months.

Personal evaluation of Oto

Oto probably had a domestic talent. Oto's reputation during the Governor-General was good.

However, he had little experience in the war and was unhappy with the Germanian army, the strongest army in Rome, or was it a causal retribution to the killing of the late emperor?

He could have recovered his inferiority with Sulla and Caesar, but Oto is not a hero.

Historian Tacitus has given high marks to such Oto.

"What should be evaluated about Oto is his death. Thanks to his early death, the amount of blood shed has decreased significantly."

The turmoil in Rome continues.