Otho, after publicly purifying the city and
weighing various plans for the campaign, determined to march upon
Gallia Narbonensis, as the passes of the Penine and Cottian Alps and all the other approaches to
Gaul were held by the armies of Vitellius. His fleet was
strong and loyal to his
PRODIGIES; OTHO PREPARES
FORCES |
cause, for he had enrolled in the ranks of the legion the
survivors of the slaughter at the Milvian bridge, whom the stern policy of
Galba had retained in custody, while to the rest he had held out hopes of a
more honourable service for the future. To the fleet he had added some city
cohorts, and many of the Prætorians, the stay and strength of his
army, who might at once advise and watch the generals. The command of the
expedition was entrusted to Antonius Novellus and Suedius Clemens,
centurions of the first rank, and Æmilius Pacensis, to whom Otho had
restored the rank of tribune, taken from him by Galba. Oscus, a freedman,
retained the charge of the fleet, and went to watch the fidelity of men more
honourable than himself. Suetonius Paullinus, Marius Celsus, and Annius
Gallus, were appointed to command the infantry and cavalry. The Emperor,
however, placed most confidence in Licinius Proculus, prefect of the
Prætorian Guard; an active officer at home, without experience in war,
he founded perpetual accusations on the high influence of Paullinus, on the
energy of Celsus, on the mature judgment of Gallus, in fact, on each man's
special excellence, a thing most easy to do; and thus the unscrupulous and
the cunning were preferred before the modest and the good.
