| Vitellius | |
| Emperor of the Roman Empire | |
 Bust of Emperor Vitellius, Louvre |
|
| Reign | 2 January 69 – 22 December 69 |
|---|---|
| Full name | Aulus Vitellius |
| Born | 24 September 15 |
| Died | 22 December 69 (age 54) |
| Place of death | Rome |
| Predecessor | Otho |
| Successor | Vespasian |
| Dynasty | None |
| Father | Lucius Vitellius |
| Mother | Sextilia |
Aulus Vitellius, commonly known as Vitellius (24 September 15 – 22 December 69), was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 2 January 69 to 22 December of the same year. The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. 69 (sex position & book by Ryu Murakami are -- already linked by "" with other meanings Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies 69 (sex position & book by Ryu Murakami are -- already linked by "" with other meanings Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies 69 (sex position & book by Ryu Murakami are -- already linked by "" with other meanings For other uses see Otho (disambiguation. Marcus Salvius Otho ( April 25, 32 – April 16, 69) also called Marcus Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian ( November 17 9 &ndash June 23 79) was a Roman Emperor who This page is on Lucius Vitellius, the father of the emperor Vitellius. Sextilia (died 69 AD was the mother of Lucius Vitellius and Aulus Vitellius. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies 69 (sex position & book by Ryu Murakami are -- already linked by "" with other meanings The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Vitellius acceded to this position following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors. Servius Sulpicius Galba ( December 24, 3 BC &ndash January 15, 69) also called Servius Sulpicius Galba Caesar For other uses see Otho (disambiguation. Marcus Salvius Otho ( April 25, 32 – April 16, 69) also called Marcus The Year of the Four Emperors was a year in the history of the Roman Empire, AD 69 in which four emperors ruled in a remarkable succession Upon his accession, he took the honourific cognomen Germanicus. The cognomen (plural cognomina) was originally the third name of an Ancient Roman in the Roman naming convention.
His claim to the throne was soon challenged by legions stationed in the Eastern provinces, who proclaimed their commander Vespasian emperor in his place. Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian ( November 17 9 &ndash June 23 79) was a Roman Emperor who War ensued, leading to a crushing defeat for Vitellius at the Second Battle of Bedriacum. The Battle of Bedriacum refers to two battles fought during the Year of the four emperors ( 69) near the village of Bedriacum (now Calvatone When he realised his support was wavering, Vitellius prepared to abdicate in favour of Vespasian, but was executed in Rome by Flavian forces on December 22 of 69. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies
Contents |
Family
He was the son of Lucius Vitellius and his wife Sextilia, and had one brother, Lucius Vitellius the younger. This page is on Lucius Vitellius, the father of the emperor Vitellius. Sextilia (died 69 AD was the mother of Lucius Vitellius and Aulus Vitellius. Lucius Vitellius was a Roman who lived in the 1st century He was the second son of Lucius Vitellius the elder and Sextilia and younger brother of emperor Aulus Vitellius Suetonius recorded two different accounts of the origins of the Vitelli, one making them descendants of past rulers of Latium, the other describing them as of lowly origins. Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius (ca 69/75 &ndash after 130 was an equestrian and a historian during the Roman Empire. Latium was a region of ancient Italy, home to the original Latin people. Suetonius also recorded that when Vitellius was born his horoscope so horrified his parents that his father tried to prevent Aulus from becoming a consul.
Public service
Political and military career
He was consul in 48, and (perhaps in 60–61) proconsul of Africa, in which capacity he is said to have acquitted himself with credit. Year 48 was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Year 60 was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Ancient Rome In the Roman Republic, a proconsul was a Promagistrate (like a Propraetor) who after serving as Consul, spent a year The Roman province of Africa was established after the Romans defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War. At the end of 68 Galba, to the general astonishment, selected him to command the army of Germania Inferior, and here Vitellius made himself popular with his subalterns and with the soldiers by outrageous prodigality and excessive good nature, which soon proved fatal to order and discipline. Year 68 was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Servius Sulpicius Galba ( December 24, 3 BC &ndash January 15, 69) also called Servius Sulpicius Galba Caesar Germania Inferior was a Roman province located on the left bank of the Rhine, in today's southern and western Netherlands, parts of
Bid for power
He owed his elevation to the throne to Caecina and Fabius Valens, commanders of two legions on the Rhine. Aulus Caecina Alienus, Roman general was Quaestor of Hispania Baetica (southern Iberia) in AD 68. Fabius Valens of Anagnia (d 69 was a Roman commander favoured by Nero. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Through these two men a military revolution was speedily accomplished; they refused to renew their vows of allegiance to Emperor Galba on 1 January 69, and early in 69 Vitellius was proclaimed emperor at Cologne. Servius Sulpicius Galba ( December 24, 3 BC &ndash January 15, 69) also called Servius Sulpicius Galba Caesar New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC 69 (sex position & book by Ryu Murakami are -- already linked by "" with other meanings More accurately, he was proclaimed emperor of the armies of Germania Inferior and Superior. Germania Superior ("Upper Germania " so called for the reason that it lay upstream of Germania Inferior, was a province of the The armies of Gaul, Brittania and Raetia sided with them shortly afterwards. By the time that they marched on Rome, however, it was Otho, and not Galba, whom they had to confront. For other uses see Otho (disambiguation. Marcus Salvius Otho ( April 25, 32 – April 16, 69) also called Marcus
In fact, he was never acknowledged as emperor by the entire Roman world, though at Rome the Senate accepted him and decreed to him the usual imperial honours. The Roman Senate was a political institution in Ancient Rome. He advanced into Italy at the head of a licentious and rough soldiery, and Rome became the scene of riot and massacre, gladiatorial shows and extravagant feasting. To reward his victorious legionaries, Vitellius disbanded the existing Praetorian Guard and installed his own men instead.
Emperor
Administration
Suetonius, whose father had fought for Otho at Bedriacum, gives an unfavourable account of Vitellius' brief administration: he describes him as unambitious and notes that Vitellius showed indications of a desire to govern wisely, but that Valens and Caecina encouraged him in a course of vicious excesses which threw his better qualities into the background. Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius (ca 69/75 &ndash after 130 was an equestrian and a historian during the Roman Empire. For other uses see Otho (disambiguation. Marcus Salvius Otho ( April 25, 32 – April 16, 69) also called Marcus The Battle of Bedriacum refers to two battles fought during the Year of the four emperors ( 69) near the village of Bedriacum (now Calvatone Vitellius is described as lazy and self-indulgent, fond of eating and drinking, and an obese glutton, eating banquets four times a day and feasting on rare foods he would send the Roman navy to procure. He is even reported to have starved his own mother to death- to fulfill a prophecy that he would rule long if his mother died first. Other writers, namely Tacitus and Cassius Dio, disagree with some of Suetonius assertions, even though their own accounts of Vitellus are scarcely positive ones. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus ( Greek:) (c 155 or 163/164 to after 229 known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was
Despite his short reign he made two important contributions to Roman government which outlasted him. Tacitus describes them both in his Histories:
- Vitellus ended the practice of Centurions selling furloughs and exemptions of duty to their men, a change Tacitus describes as being adopted by 'all good emperors'. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. Histories ( Latin: Historiae) is a book by Tacitus, written c
- He also expanded the offices of the Imperial Administration beyond the imperial pool of Freedmen allowing those of the Equites to take up positions in the Imperial Civil service.
Vitellius also banned astrologers from Rome and Italy from 1 October, 69. Some astrologers responded to his decree by anonymously publishing a decree of their own: "Decreed by all astrologers in blessing on our State Vitellius will be no more On the appointed date. " In response, Vitellius executed any astrologers he came across. [1]
Challenges
In July 69, Vitellius learned that the armies of the eastern provinces had proclaimed a rival emperor; their commander, Titus Flavius Vespasianus. Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian ( November 17 9 &ndash June 23 79) was a Roman Emperor who As soon as it was known that the armies of the East, Dalmatia, and Illyricum had declared for Vespasianus, Vitellius, deserted by many of his adherents, would have resigned the title of emperor. Dalmatia ( Croatian: Dalmacija, see names in other languages) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, situated mostly in modern
It is said that he awaited Vespasian's army at Mevania. Mevania (modern Bevagna) an ancient Roman town and Municipium of ( Umbria) in the Augustan Regio VI. It was said that the terms of resignation had actually been agreed upon with Marcus Antonius Primus, the commander of the sixth legion serving in Pannonia and one of Vespasian’s chief supporters, but the praetorians refused to allow him to carry out the agreement, and forced him to return to the palace, when he was on his way to deposit the insignia of empire in the Temple of Concord. Marcus Antonius Primus ( 30 / 35 -after 81) was a Roman Empire general Pannonia is an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, On the entrance of Vespasian's troops into Rome he was dragged out of some miserable hiding-place (according to Tacitus a door-keeper's lodge), driven to the fatal Gemonian stairs, and there struck down. The Gemonian Stairs ( Scalae Gemoniae in Latin) were a flight of steps located in the ancient city of Rome. His body was thrown into the Tiber according to Suetonius; Cassius Dio's account is that Vitellius was beheaded and his head paraded around Rome, and his wife attended to his burial. Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius (ca 69/75 &ndash after 130 was an equestrian and a historian during the Roman Empire. Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus ( Greek:) (c 155 or 163/164 to after 229 known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was "Yet I was once your emperor," were the last and, as far as we know, the noblest words of Vitellius. His brother and son were also killed.
In later arts
- Vitellius is an antagonist in Simon Scarrow's Eagle novels, based around Vespasian and the Legio II Augusta's exploits during the Roman conquest of Britain. Simon Scarrow is a UK -based Author, born in Nigeria and now based in Norfolk. Legio II Augusta, or Second Augustan Legion, was a Roman legion, levied by Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus in 43 BC, and still operative This page refers to the conquest begun in AD 43 For other Roman invasions see Caesar's invasions of Britain and Carausian Revolt.
References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
External links
Primary sources
- Life of Vitellius (Suetonius; English translation and Latin original)
- Cassius Dio, Book 64
Secondary Sources
- biography at livius.org
- Biography at De Imperatoribus Romanis
- Aulus Vitellius entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith
| Preceded by Claudius and Lucius Vitellius |
Consul of the Roman Empire together with Lucius Vipstanus Publicola Messalla 48 |
Succeeded by Quintus Veranius and Gaius Pompeius Longus Gallus |
| Preceded by Otho |
Roman Emperor 69 |
Succeeded by Vespasian |
| Preceded by Otho |
Year of the Four Emperors 69, in competition with Vespasian |
Succeeded by Vespasian |
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