OTHO. 
The two = Otho and Vitellius, reciprocally employed 
affaffins to remove their rivals, but at th e time the 
fails of Vitellius remained at Rome in fafety, as a pledge 
for the fecurity of that of Otho, fhould fortune throw it 
in the power of the former. In the midft of the alarms 
excited by this ftate of aieare: a fedition of the a 
had nearly produced a terrible rudtion . Rom 
feized u on thei » murdered fome their. 0 
and oe that the fenate was planning treafon againft 
their ig sali upon the extermination of the whole 
ie 
oon, 
their fears did | bin iayuhtiee, and fent them” home by ne 
waye, at the time Bog the foldiery were pees into the 
palace. w to contrive means to a e the in- 
furgents, which - did effeGtually by donatives a applied. 
Otho refolved to meet the approaching danger, and quittin 
Rome at the head of his troops, he went to defend the paflage 
of the Po. ' Every thing feemed to be unfavourable to the 
otent; ther ich men 
it is true was powerfu pis 
men, being little ufed to 
rae ed, by his behaviour, . . fenfible of the Gimeepacien 
e forces, and is faid to have been carne with fright- 
ful peters -and the moft difmal apprehenfio 
temper he became a for an Seeenen. an to 
the opinion of his moft prudent officers, who depended on 
ultimate fuccefs chit from foreign armies attached to their 
=. 
a and Bebriacum the fatal battle was fought. 
The fuperior difciptine of the legions of Vitellius turned the 
{cale of victory. Otho’s army fled in the utmoft confufion 
to Bebriacum. Othoreceived the fatal news at Brixellum, 
whither he had retired, and hie firft thought was to deftro 
himfelf, as the only means of freeing himfelf from his cares, 
and his country from the dire calamities of a civil w. 
The foldiers flocked round him, befeeching him to live, and 
to confide in their fidelity and valour for oe his affairs. 
They embraced his knees, kiffed his han ave every 
come 
> 
“ 
ferve you,”’ plunged it into his own body, and fell dead at 
his feet. “6 “No more fuc oe men,’’ cried ase “¢ fhall 
ounted 
in which he gave reafons - declining the conteft. <* I can 
SS mi he, * f the interefts of my coun 
and blood, ae facrificing myfelf for its peace, 
Others os purchafed real fame by good i. = 
it be my glory to leave an — rather than, b 
bition, to weaken or deftr roy it _ He expreffed o fe greatel 
fatisfa€tion and gratitude for t ith 
and then se ether his final decifion. 
He earneftly exhorted 
all who 
o him to fubmit in suet kid the at Soaks! ‘ 
e himfelf the mortal 
aie who entered on 
hearing bis groans. The foldiers affembled at the mournful 
news, and with bitter lamentations carried his body to the 
ew themfelves as a facrifice to his 
es, an ny in the ae iar Ing quarters, when the 
heard of the event, fell by mutual wounds. Otho died at 
quire dominion. aults of his life were, in the general 
opinion, obliterated | the glory of his death. 
OTHO urnamed the Great, emperor of Ger » was 
the fon of eG of the houfe of Saxony, and ee ited 
from his father, the duchy of dean L Weftphalia, age 
and feveral other diftriéts on the Wefer and Elbe. Aft 
the death of Henry, in 936, Otho was cleéted i a 
crowned at Aix-la-Chapellein the following y an 
upright in his adminiftration, he ruled PS Re time 
in tranquillity, till the difturbances of thofe unfettled times 
obliged him to draw the {word. His arms were firft dire 
againt the H ion i 
flaug t engaged ina 
long war with a oa duke of Bohemia, aan he at length 
reduced to fubmiffion. After this Otho - was called upon to 
interpofe ina aie between Everhard, duke of Franconia, 
and Henry, duke of Brunfwick : he caufed the former, with 
his principal adherents, to c: tried, and oS them to 
a do 
vi@orious. He was equally fuccefsful on the other fide of 
the Rhime. where he made himfelf mafter of Lorraine, and 
other diftri€ts on the weftern banks of the river, and laid the 
foundation of the palatinate of the Rhine. Lewis IV. of 
France married the filter of Otho to ftrengthen himfelf 
againft his difaffeGted a ba an alliance, however, that 
id 
flaughter. 
diftaut sabe. o rionathip, one from Abderame, the 
8 Moorith 
