The first encouraging tidings came to Otho from
Illyricum. He heard that the legions of
Dalmatia,
Pannonia, and
Mœsia had sworn allegiance to him. Similar
intelligence was received from
Spain, and Cluvius
Rufus was commended in an edict. Immediately afterwards it became known that
Spain had gone over to Vitellius. Even
Aquitania, bound though it was by the oath of allegiance
to Otho which Julius Cordus had administered, did not long remain firm.
Nowhere was there any loyalty or affection; men changed from one side to the
other under the pressure of fear or necessity. It was this influence of fear
that drew over to Vitellius the province of
Gallia
Narbonensis, which
PRAETORIANS LOYAL;
PROVINCES WAVER |
turned readily to the side that was at once the
nearer and the stronger. The distant provinces, and all the armies beyond
the sea, still adhered to Otho, not from any attachment to his party, but
because there was vast weight in the name of the capital and the prestige of
the Senate, and also because the claims which they had first heard had
prepossessed their minds. The army of
Judæa
under Vespasian, and the legions of
Syria under
Mucianus, swore allegiance to Otho.
Egypt and the
Eastern provinces were also governed in his name.
Africa displayed the same obedience,
Carthage taking the lead. In that city Crescens, one of
Nero's freedmen (for in evil times even this class makes itself a power in
the State), without waiting for the sanction of the proconsul, Vipstanus
Apronianus, had given an entertainment to the populace by way of rejoicings
for the new reign, and the people, with extravagant zeal, hastened to make
the usual demonstrations of joy. The example of
Carthage was followed by the other cities of
Africa.
