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The year of
the Four
Emperors
Nero
Galba
Otho
Vitellius
Nero’s Later
reign
After the deaths of Agrippina (59AD) Burrus (62AD) and the retirement of Seneca
(62AD), Nero began to “consolidate” his Imperial power.
- Populist policies : games and theatre performances, devaluing currency and
extravagant spending and taxation
- Execution of rivals: Pallas, Plautius and Faustius Sulla
- Unfulfilled promise of restoring power to the Senate
The Piso Conspiracy
In 62AD, a conspiracy against Nero formed within the Senate. Gaius Calpurnius
Piso was the central figure. After executing Nero, the Pretorian Prefect Rufus would
proclaim Piso as Emperor and he would return power to the Senate ( although we
are not sure to what extent). Most conspirators were senators with some
involvement from the Pretorian Guard. The Senate became displeased with Nero
for the following reasons:
- Increasing despotism
- His public performances
- Personal life (treatment of Agrippina, Octavia and Poppea)
- Fire of Rome and the persecution of the Christians
The conspiracy became widely known in 65AD and failed. Many conspirators were
exiled, killed or forced to commit suicide.
Revolt of Galba and
Vindex
In the interim, there were many attempted conspiracies against Nero. Yet the one that succeeded was
carried out by men who weren’t even in Rome.
-
In 68AD, Gaius Julius Vindex, the Govenor of Gallia Lugdunesis, rebelled against Nero’s taxation reform.
-
Lucius Rufus, the Govenor of Germania Superior (the neighbouring province) was ordered by Nero to
put down Galba’s rebellion.
-
Vindex encouraged Survius Suspicus Galba, the Govenor of Hispania Tarraconsesis, to join his revolt.
And he did
-
After defeating Vindex, Rufus’s legions pushed to proclaim him Emperor, despite Rufus’s objections.
Galba continued disobeying Nero in Spain.
-
Galba is declared an enemy of the State, but Nero gradually loses control over institutions.
-
Sabinus, the Pretorian prefect of the time, openly declared his allegience to Galba
-
In late 68AD, Nero’s Imperial guard abandoned him and he tried to flee Rome, but encountered
resistance and indifference.
Nero’s Death
After Sabinus declares his support for Galba and his approaching Army, Nero flees Rome
for Ostia, recognising that the rebellion is beyond his control. Nero toyed with fleeing to
East and trying to gain support from Eastern provinces or perhaps begging to be
allowed to live in Egypt. After failing to find anyone to help him leave Italy he returned
to Rome to fin himself completely friendless. He leaves Rome once again for the villa of
a loyal freedmen Phaeon, just outside Rome in the company of several other freedmen.
It’s here that he learns of a fake decree from the Senate declaring him an enemy of the
state. This is the final straw and Nero decides to take his own life, as Cassius Dio
explains:
“perceiving that they were drawing near, [Nero]
commanded his companions to kill him. And when they
refused, he uttered a groan and said: ‘I alone have
neither friend nor foe.’ By this time the horsemen were
close at hand, and so he killed himself, after uttering
that oft-quoted remark: ‘Jupiter, what an artist dies in
me!’ And as he lingered in his agony, Epaphroditus
dealt him the finishing stroke.”
Cassius Dio, Roman History, Vol. 8,
Who were the four
Emperors?
1. Galba
Becomes Emperor in
June 68 after Nero’s
suicide.
Governor of Hispania
Tarraconesis (Eastern
Spain)
2. Otho
Governor of
Lusitania. Snubbed
as Galba’s heir,
borrows money to
secure PG loyalty
and is proclaimed
Emperor in their
barracks in mid
Jan 69.
3 Vitellius
Leader of Germanic
legions. Refused to
accept Otho as
Princeps. Defeats Otho
in April 69 and becomes
Princeps, but faces
rebellion from Eastern
Armies. Executed by
Vespasian’s men in Dec
69
4. Vespasian
Leader of Egyptian
legions who defeated
Vitellius and became
Princeps on 22nd Jan 69.
Had the support of most
of the Army, the Senate
and the PG. Ruled for 10
years.
Galba
After Nero’s suicide, Galba was recognised by most of the Army and the Senate as
Emperor (his wife was distantly related to the Julii)
His immediate actions were:
- Replacing Rufus’s command with Vitellius. This ‘snubbed’ the Germanic legions, as
they felt their loyalty to Rome was being questioned
- Reforming taxation
- Securing his own power. During his short reign he executed a great number of
senators and equites without trial
- Didn’t give the Pretorian Guard and Army the customary bonus that had become
required on the accession of a new Emperor.
- Adopted Lucius Lincinianus as his heir.
Galba to Otho
Galba’s reign was almost over before it began. His administration was highly
reactive and paranoid.
Before he was even recognised as Princeps, his return to Rome was marred by
catastrophe as he let his troops decimate or extort villages they passed through.
On return to Rome he refused to pay the Pretorian Guard their customary
bonus.
He swiftly replaced Rufus, the commander of the German Legions who had
remained loyal to Nero, this angered the legions as they felt their loyalty to
Rome had been questioned.
He cancelled many reforms and annunities instituted by Nero such as pensions
to poorer noble families and war veterans.
Fearful of conspiracies, he executed many senators and equites without trial.
His adoption of Lincianus was the last straw. Otho managed to bribe the
Pretorian Guard and had Galba executed. Otho was recognised by the Senate as
Princeps on New Years Day 69AD.
Otho as Princeps
Otho was a welcome change from Galba’s short reign which
was marked by cruelty and abuse of power.
Otho was highly ambitious, but he had a looming problem, in
the form of Vitellius, who, supported by the Germanic legions
was quickly marching towards Rome.
Most of Otho’s 3 month reign is marred by minor battles
between the troops still loyal to the recognised Emperor in
Rome and the growing number of legions loyal to Vitellius, the
leader of the Germanic Armies.
Shortly after successive military defeats, Otho tried to sue for
peace and suggested marriage to Vitellius’s daughter, but
Vitellius refused. Hesitant to meet his end in the same way as
Galba, Otho committed suicide after 3 months as Princeps.
Vitellius
Vitellius was proclaimed Princeps while returning to Rome by the Senate in
April or May of 69.
His reign is remembered for it’s extreme extravagance. Apparently three
public banquets took place within the city of Rome every day and most
weekdays saw huge processions and festivals along the Via Appia.
Due to his extravagance, Vitellius resorted to the form of cruelty that quickly
diminished the power of Gaius, Nero and Galba. He had wealthy men
executed, along with their heirs to fulfil the public treasury.
Vitellius’s reign began badly, as he chose a day of ill omen in the Roman
calendar to assume the role of Pontifex Maximus .
Mutterings of dissent began shortly after his accession, and it wasn’t long
before the legions in Egypt and Syria recognised their commander, Vespasian,
as Princeps.
The Rise of Vespasian
Having the support of the Egyptian legions was a boon
for an aspiring Emperor. This meant that:
-Vespasian was already a highly regarded figure in
Roman politics and likely to be supported by the
Senate.
-- Able to manipulate the grain supply to Rome,
meaning that Vitellius wasn’t able muster enough
support in Rome.
Given his reputation, Vespasian’s rebellion was
supported by many military leaders and senators.
Primus, the commander of the German legions, joined
him and swiftly gained control of Rome. Vitellius tried
to broker peace, using Vestal Virgins as emmissaries,
but Vespasian’s supporters refused. Vitellius tried
bribing the Praetorian Guard, who refused to take his
money. Vitellius was executed in the Imperial palace in
mid december 69AD and Vespasian was recognised as
Princeps on 21st December 69AD.
The good Emperor
Vespasian encountered very little resistance to his rule and established the
Flavian dynasty. His success was due to the loyalty of his troops and his carefully
nurtured relationships with influential groups within Rome, for example:
-He paid the customary bonuses to the Army and Pretorian Guard.
-He began his career with tax reform intended to replenish public treasuries
-He encouraged a return to “traditional roman values’
-He restructured senatorial and equite classes, meaning a return to aristocratic
prestige
This laid the foundation for the beginning of a stable Rome, thought by many to
be a second golden age. This made defeating opposition a breeze, meaning he
swiftly overcame an uprising by the Germanic legions in AD70.
His legacy is that of a peaceful, beautified Rome (he began construction on the
Colosseum) ruled over by a moderate, witty Emperor.