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〃Comrade；〃　replied　Galba；　〃who　gave　the　order？〃　So　singularly　resolute



was　his　spirit　in　curbing　the　license　of　the　soldiery；　threats　did　not



dismay　him；　nor　flatteries　seduce。



　　There　was　now　no　doubt　about　the　feeling　of　all　the　troops　in　the



camp。　So　great　was　their　zeal；　that；　not　content　with　surrounding　Otho



with　their　persons　in　close　array；　they　elevated　him　to　the



pedestal；　on　which　a　short　time　before　had　stood　the　gilt　statue　of



Galba；　and　there；　amid　the　standards；　encircled　him　with　their



colours。　Neither　tribunes　nor　centurions　could　approach。　The　common



soldiers　even　insisted　that　all　the　officers　should　be　watched。



Everything　was　in　an　uproar　with　their　tumultuous　cries　and　their



appeals　to　each　other；　which　were　not；　like　those　of　a　popular



assembly　or　a　mob；　the　discordant　expressions　of　an　idle　flattery；



on　the　contrary；　as　soon　as　they　caught　sight　of　any　of　the　soldiers



who　were　flocking　in；　they　seized　him；　gave　him　the　military



embrace；　placed　him　close　to　Otho；　dictated　to　him　the　oath　of



allegiance；　commending　sometimes　the　Emperor　to　his　soldiers；



sometimes　the　soldiers　to　their　Emperor。　Otho　did　not　fail　to　play　his



part；　he　stretched　out　his　arms；　and　bowed　to　the　crowd；　and　kissed



his　hands；　and　altogether　acted　the　slave；　to　make　himself　the　master。



It　was　when　the　whole　legion　from　the　fleet　had　taken　the　oath　to　him；



that　feeling　confidence　in　his　strength；　and　thinking　that　the　men；　on



whose　individual　feeling　he　had　been　working；　should　be　roused　by　a



general　appeal；　he　stood　before　the　rampart　of　the　camp；　and　spoke



as　follows：



　　〃Comrades；　I　cannot　say　in　what　character　I　have　presented　myself　to



you；　I　refuse　to　call　myself　a　subject；　now　that　you　have　named　me



Prince；　or　Prince；　while　another　reigns。　Your　title　also　will　be



equally　uncertain；　so　long　as　it　shall　be　a　question；　whether　it　is



the　Emperor　of　the　Roman　people；　or　a　public　enemy；　whom　you　have　in



your　camp。　Mark　you；　how　in　one　breath　they　cry　for　my　punishment



and　for　your　execution。　So　evident　it　is；　that　we　can　neither



perish；　nor　be　saved；　except　together。　Perhaps；　with　his　usual



clemency；　Galba　has　already　promised　that　we　should　die；　like　the　man；



who；　though　no　one　demanded　it；　massacred　so　many　thousands　of



perfectly　guiltless　soldiers。　A　shudder　comes　over　my　soul；　whenever　I



call　to　mind　that　ghastly　entry；　Galba's　solitary　victory；　when；



before　the　eyes　of　the　capital　he　gave　orders　to　decimate　the



prisoners；　the　suppliants；　whom　he　had　admitted　to　surrender。　These



were　the　auspices　with　which　he　entered　the　city。　What　is　the　glory



that　he　has　brought　to　the　throne？　None　but　that　he　has　murdered



Obultronius　Sabinus　and　Cornelius　Marcellus　in　Spain；　Betuus　Chilo



in　Gaul；　Fonteius　Capito　in　Germany；　Clodius　Macer　in　Africa；



Cingonius　on　the　high　road；　Turpilianus　in　the　city；　Nymphidius　in　the



camp。　What　province；　what　camp　in　the　world；　but　is　stained　with　blood



and　foul　with　crime；　or；　as　he　expresses　it　himself；　purified　and



chastened？　For　what　others　call　crimes　he　calls　reforms；　and；　by



similar　misnomers；　he　speaks　of　strictness　instead　of　barbarity；　of



economy　instead　of　avarice；　while　the　cruelties　and　affronts　inflicted



upon　you　he　calls　discipline。　Seven　months　only　have　passed　since　Nero



fell；　and　already　Icelus　has　seized　more　than　the　Polycleti；　the



Vatinii；　and　the　Elii　amassed。　Vinius　would　not　have　gone　so　far



with　his　rapacity　and　lawlessness　had　he　been　Emperor　himself；　as　it



is；　he　has　lorded　it　over　us　as　if　we　had　been　his　own　subjects；　has



held　us　as　cheap　as　if　we　had　been　another's。　That　one　house　would



furnish　the　donative；　which　is　never　given　you；　but　with　which　you　are



daily　upbraided。



　　〃Again；　that　we　might　have　nothing　to　hope　even　from　his



successor；　Galba　fetches　out　of　exile　the　man　in　whose　ill…humour



and　avarice　he　considers　that　he　has　found　the　best　resemblance　to



himself。　You　witnessed；　comrades；　how　by　a　remarkable　storm　even　the



Gods　discountenanced　that　ill…starred　adoption；　and　the　feeling　of　the



Senate；　of　the　people　of　Rome；　is　the　same。　It　is　to　your　valour



that　they　look；　in　you　these　better　counsels　find　all　their　support；



without　you；　noble　as　they　may　be；　they　are　powerless。　It　is　not　to



war　or　to　danger　that　I　invite　you；　the　swords　of　all　Roman　soldiers



are　with　us。　At　this　moment　Galba　has　but　one　half…armed　cohort；　which



is　detaining；　not　defending　him。　Let　it　once　behold　you；　let　it



receive　my　signal；　and　the　only　strife　will　be；　who　shall　oblige　me



most。　There　is　no　room　for　delay　in　a　business　which　can　only　be



approved　when　it　is　done。〃　He　then　ordered　the　armoury　to　be　opened。



The　soldiers　immediately　seized　the　arms　without　regard　to　rule　or



military　order；　no　distinction　being　observed　between　Praetorians



and　legionaries；　both　of　whom　again　indiscriminately　assumed　the



shields　and　helmets　of　the　auxiliary　troops。　No　tribune　or　centurion



encouraged　them；　every　man　acted　on　his　own　impulse　and　guidance；



and　the　vilest　found　their　chief　incitement　in　the　dejection　of　the



good。



　　Meanwhile；　appalled　by　the　roar　of　the　increasing　sedition　and　by



the　shouts　which　reached　the　city；　Piso　had　overtaken　Galba；　who　in



the　interval　had　quitted　the　palace；　and　was　approaching　the　Forum。



Already　Marius　Celsus　had　brought　back　discouraging　tidings。　And　now



some　advised　that　the　Emperor　should　return　to　the　palace；　others　that



he　should　make　for　the　Capitol；　many　again　that　he　should　occupy　the



Rostra；　though　most　did　but　oppose　the　opinions　of　others；　while；　as



ever　happens　in　these　ill…starred　counsels；　plans　for　which　the



opportunity　had　slipped　away　seemed　the　best。　It　is　said　that　Laco；



without　Galba's　knowledge；　meditated　the　death　of　Vinius；　either



hoping　by　this　execution　to　appease　the　fury　of　the　soldiers；　or



believing　him　to　be　an　accomplice　of　Otho；　or；　it　may　be；　out　of



mere　hatred。　The　time　and　the　place　however　made　him　hesitate；　he　knew



that　a　massacre　once　begun　is　not　easily　checked。　His　plan　too　was



disconcerted　by　a　succession　of　alarming　tidings；　and　the　desertion　of



immediate　adherents。　So　languid　was　now　the　zeal　of　those　who　had　at



first　been　eager　to　display　their　fidelity　and　courage。



　　Galba　was　hurried　to　and　fro　with　every　movement　of　the　surging



crowd；　the　halls　and　temples　all　around　were　thronged　with



spectators　of　this　mournful　sight。　Not　a　voice　was　heard　from　the



people　or　even　from　the　rabble。　Everywhere　were　terror…stricken



countenances；　and　ears　turned　to　catch　every　sound。　It　was　a　scene



neither　of　agitation　nor　of　repose；　but　there　reigned　the　silence　of



profound　alarm　and　profound　indignation。　Otho　however　was　told　that



they　were　arming　the　mob。　He　ordered　his　men　to　hurry　on　at　full



speed；　and　to　anticipate　the　danger。　Then　did　Roman　soldiers　rush



forward　like　men　who　had　to　drive　a　Vologeses　or　Pacorus　from　the



ancestral　throne　of　the　Arsacidae；　not　as　though　they　were　hastening



to　murder　their　aged　and　defenceless　Emperor。　In　all　the　terror　of



their　arms；　and　at　the　full　speed　of　their　horses；　they　burst　into　the



Forum；　thrusting　aside　the　crowd　and　trampling　on　the　Senate。



Neither　the　sight　of　the　Capitol；　nor　the　sanctity　of　the



overhanging　temples；　nor　the　thought　of　rulers　past　or　future；　could



deter　them　from　committing　a　crime；　which　any　one　succeeding　to



power　must　avenge。



　　When　this　armed　array　was　seen　to　approach；　the　standard…bearer　of



the　cohort　that　escorted　Galba　（he　is　said　to　have　been　one　Atilius



Vergilio）　tore　off　and　dashed　upon　the　ground　Galba's　effigy。　At



this　signal　the　feeling　of　all　the　troops　declared　itself　plainly



for　Otho。　The　Forum　was　deserted　by　the　flying　populace。　Weapons



were　pointed　against　all　who　hesitated。　Near　the　lake　of　Curtius；



Galba　was　thrown　out　of　his　litter　and　fell　to　the　ground；　through　the



alarm　of　his　bearers。　His　last　words　have　been　variously　reported



according　as　men　hated　or　admired　him。　Some　have　said　that　he　asked　in



a　tone　of　entreaty　what　wrong　he　had　done；　and　begged　a　few　days　for



the　payment　of　the　donative。　The　more　general　account　is；　that　he



voluntarily　offered　his　neck　to　the　murderers；　and　bade　them　haste　and



strike；　if　it　seemed　to　be　for　the　good　of　the　Commonwealth。　To



those　who　slew　him　mattered　not　what　he　said。　About　the　actual



murderer　nothing　is　clearly　known。　Some　have　recorded　the　name　of



Terentius；　an　enrolled　pensioner；　others　that　of　Lecanius；　but　it　is



the　current　report　that　one　Camurius；　a　soldier　of　the　15th　legion；



completely　severed　his　throat　by　treading　his　sword　down　upon　it。



The　rest　of　the　soldiers　foully　mutilated　his　arms　and　legs；　for　his



breast　was　protected；　and　in　their　savage　ferocity　inflicted　many



wounds　even　on　the　headless　trunk。



　　They　next　fell　on　T。　Vinius；　and　in　his　case　also　it　is　not　known



whether　the　fear　of　instant　death　choked　his　utterance；　or　whether



he　cried　out　that　Otho　had　not　given　orders　to　slay　him。　Either　he



invented　this　in　his　terror；　or　he　thus　confessed　his　share　in　the



conspiracy。　His　life　and　character　incline　us　rather　to　believe　that



he　was　an　accomplice　in　the　crime　which　he　certainly　caused。　He　fell



in　front　of　the　temple　of　the　Divine　Julius；　and　at　the　first　blow；



which　struck　him　on　the　back　of　the　knee；　immediately　afterwards



Julius　Carus；　a　legionary；　ran　him　through　the　body。



　　A　noble　example　of　manhood　was　on　that　day　witnessed　by　our　age　in



Sempronius　Densus。　He　was　a　centurion　in　a　cohort　of　the　Praetorian



Guard；　and　had　been　appointed　by　Galba　to　escort　Piso。　Rushing；　dagger



in　hand；　to　meet　the　armed　men；　and　upbraiding　them　with　their



crime；　he　drew　the　attention　of　the　murderers