12 Caesars: Otho

Otho



Otho was the second emperor in 69 AD, the “Year of Four Emperors.” His tenure would be even shorter than his predecessor Galba.

Marcus Salvius Otho was born in 32 AD to a wealthy Etruscan family. This connection enabled him to hobnob with the Roman elite from very early in his adult life, and was frequently in the company of Nero. He married the beautiful Poppaea Sabina after she divorced her first husband, and thinking to increase his standing with Nero, he introduced her to Nero in 58 AD. This backfired, though, when Nero and Poppaea began an affair that ended the friendship between Nero and Otho. To make things easier for himself, Nero assigned Otho the governorship of the Roman province of Lusitania (modern-day parts of Portugal and Extremadura, Spain). Interestingly, of this appointment Suetonius writes “With the rank of questor Otho governed the province for ten years with remarkable moderation and integrity.” –- not at all what would have been expected based on his earlier life.



In 68 AD, when Galba rebelled against Nero and declared himself emperor, Otho saw an opportunity to set himself up for eventually becoming Augustus. Otho decided to accompany Galba to Rome, as astrologers advised him he would succeed Galba as ruler, since Galba was 70 years old. Before Galba and Otho reached Rome, Nero committed suicide and Galba was declared emperor upon reaching the capital in October 68. 





Otho had hoped that Galba would adopt him as Galba’s son, since Galba was without any living heirs. But in 69, he adopted Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus, on the advice of his Praetorian Prefect, instead of naming Otho as his heir. Galba decided against Otho since he saw too much of Nero in Otho’s character. Not surprisingly, Otho was disappointed and angry from being passed over. He cunningly contacted the Praetorians, whom he knew were unhappy with Galba’s decision to not pay the gold they were promised when he became emperor (Galba’s first order of business was to address the financial problems caused by Nero).

 The plot to assassinate Galba had been set in motion.

On January 15, 69 AD, the Praetorians rebelled, and proclaimed Otho as their emperor. Otho left the Praetorian camp and confronted Galba at the foot of the Capitoline Hill as Galba was making his way through the crowds to the camp. The Praetorians brutally murdered the emperor and Piso and the Senate proclaimed Otho emperor.
 Otho thus became the first emperor to have openly attained his position by murdering his predecessor; although Caligula may have murdered Tiberius, this murder had been done in privacy, and had only hastened Tiberius’ looming death.


Unfortunately for Otho, he didn’t realize was the extent of the unrest in Germany and how many forces proclaimed their loyalty to Aulus Vitellius in Cologne. This rebellion had taken place even before Otho was proclaimed emperor. Otho thought he could negotiate a truce with Vitellius that would leave Otho in power, but when Vitellius refused Otho’s offer to co-rule, Otho set out with his troops to confront Vitellius and his army.



Vitellius commanded seven legions, while Otho had only one legion plus an auxiliary infantry and a hastily organized cavalry. Vitellius had begun his march from Germany, through Gaul, back to Italy, when Galba was emperor, and the fact that there was now a different emperor mattered little to Vitellius. Otho had no choice but to march north from Rome to lead his troops against Vitellius.

On April 14, 69 AD, while Otho was still at his headquarters south of the Po, and Vitellius was still marching south from Gaul with even more troops, Otho’s army engaged with Vitellius’ army in the First Battle of Bedriacum. Otho’s forces were decisively defeated, and as many as 40,000 troops died. This so disheartened Otho that two days later, he committed suicide with a dagger, apparently to prevent further slaughter due to the civil war. This is perhaps Otho’s only noble act in his life; indeed as Suetonius writes “Neither Otho’s person nor his bearing suggested such great courage.”

A wealthy, vain, self-absorbed narcissist with a toupee, it’s hard to fathom that Otho thought he was remotely qualified to be Rome’s leader. He quickly jumped on the Galba bandwagon when Galba revolted but after Galba failed to return Otho’s loyalty, Otho turned against him and had Galba assassinated. He had no real military experience and yet he thought he could raise an army and lead troops against an experienced general like Vitellius, with disastrous consequences.

Fun Fact: Otho was the name of the interior decorator in the hilarious 1988 movie Beetlejuice, starring Michael Keaton and featuring 17-year-old Winona Ryder.

About The Coins

As contrasted with Galba, Otho’s coinage is very different. He struck coins only as Augustus, and Imperial coins only at the Rome mint. His Imperial coinage consists only of aurei and denarii – he struck no Imperial bronzes at all – not surprising since Galba’s bronzes had been so vast and extensive.



My two Othos illustrate his typical portrait and his luxurious toupee.

Let’s see those Othos!


Next: Vitellius

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

You will end up finding my comments somehow boring : fantastic as usual, both coins and writeup !

I have only one denarius of his, with a decent portrait, even though struck on a short flan, thus with his name not fully readable, but what the heck, the portrait is there !


Otho, Denarius minted in Rome in 69 AD
IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P, Bare head of Otho right
SECURITAS PR, Securitas standing left
3.50 gr
Ref : RIC # 8, RCV #2162, Cohen #17

Q

 

what abeauty wow

 

Nice matching set!

2nd issue (Ceres), not in RIC:

 

Side view of a bust of Otho:

 

I have but a Billon AR Tet:


RI Otho 69 CE BI AR Tet 23mm Egypt Helmeted Roma Emmet 186

 

Lovely coins.


Otho (69 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TRP - Bare head right.
R: SECVRITAS PR - Securitas standing left, holding wreath and scepter
Rome Mint, Feb- Mar. 69 A.D.
18mm
3.2g
RIC 8, BMC 18, S 2162, C 17

 

Lovely coins @IdesOfMarch01

Here is my Otho

 

My only denarius is a fourree shown here too often. My Antioch tetradrachm would be a great coin were it not for the fact that no Provincials of Otho look anything like the Rome mint product. From Antioch, he looks....boring. That probably explains why these huge coins are cheaper than denarii.

 

Great coins all.

 

Both nice coins IOM, I only have a couple of Alexandrian Tets.

 

this wig-wearer's coin has eluded me thus far. very nice coins all.

 

My one and lonely Otho...

 

An outstanding obverse, especially the detail in Otho's toupee, which is usually flatly struck.

Interesting how this bust of Otho seemingly has missed his double-chin!

Very enjoyable seeing everyone's Othos, and thanks for the kind comments.

 

Beautiful coins Ides and loved your post!

 

WOW!!! So many superb examples....especially 'Ides' and 'Q's posts!!

I have just one---a worn, left-facing denarius:

 

Very nice coins everyone. I have really been enjoying these posts. Here's my lowly example.

 

Nice portrait.

 

Had to be away for a class reunion (50th) for the last couple of days, so I missed the introduction of this thread. Some familiar looking coins have appeared here.

My first example denarius for Otho is an interesting blend for this thread. The obverse is a die match for the obverse of the denarius Ides of March showed us initially. The reverse of my coin is of the same type (not a die match though) of the coin Cucumbor showed.

Marcus Salvius Otho (69)
(BMCRE 17; RSC 17; RIC 12)
All the coins of Otho were minted in gold or silver at Rome.



IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P
bare head facing right

Otho had seized the imperial office upon the death of Galba in mid-January, 69, but almost exactly 3 months later committed suicide in capitulation to the superiority of the forces behind Vitellius. Not surprisingly, only two obverse inscriptions appear on his silver coins, this being the earlier. Mattingly summarizes Otho's visage as, "large full-featured, thick necked portrait with neatly dressed hair." Of Otho's appearance Suetonius made the remark, "He was as neat as a woman...he wore a close fitting wig." If the wig was a standard, or even requisite, part of his attire, it might explain why it is that on all his coins he is bare headed, never laureate. Mattingly surmises that Otho was waiting on that for the Senate to confer the honor that would justify adopting the appearance of a Julio-Claudian.

SECV RI TAS P R
Securitas standing left, holding wreath and scepter

Securitas as a motif on coinage was first introduced by Nero celebrating his escape (SECURITAS AVGVSTI) from the conspiracy of Piso. Rebels of the Civil Wars had used the image, but now in reference to the people of Rome (PR=Populi Romani), not the emperor per se. Otho intended this latter connotation, using the PR, with the twist that Securitas is now standing holding the scepter (for dignity) and the wreath (for joy). Considering the brevity of his reign there is something ironic about his reference to this figure at all.

My second coin has a lot in common with the denarius Severus Alexander showed us.



I prefer his reverse and my obverse.