Life Of Caesar

Drunken soldiers storm the palace and threaten Otho, who they suspect is plotting something against the people. After he puts down that rebellion, Otho hears that Valens and Caecina were on the way from Gaul and puts together his army to defend Italy. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have access to the best that Italy had to offer. 

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A Sarmatian tribe from Southern Russia attacks some Roman cohorts and we learn about the origin of the King Arthur myth. The governor of Corsica declares his support for Vitellius but it doesn’t end well for him, or for Tigellinus, but Calvia Crispinilla manages to escape. 

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Pagans and Christians continued to believe Nero would return, either as the Antichrist or as the precursor to the Antichrist. But is the number of the beast 666 or 616? 

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As soon as Nero was declared dead by the Senate, rumours started appearing that he was still alive, just in hiding, waiting for the right time to re-claim the throne. Those stories persisted… for centuries. 

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Vitellius starts his march on Rome with seven legions. He’s 54, popular with his men, and a good career behind him. But his troops’ reasons for supporting his bid for emperor may have less to do with him, and more to do with their own interests. On the other hand, Vespasian decides to declare his support for Otho. 

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With Galba dead, Otho is made the new emperor of Rome. Long may he reign. 

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At the altar of Apollo, Galba was still praying to the gods to protect him and the empire, when suddenly he got news that a senator of unknown identity was being conducted to the Praetorian barracks with an armed guard. A little while later the man was identified as Otho. And then… it’s all over. 

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Otho didn’t take the news of Piso being chosen as Galba’s heir very well. He’d already been screwed over by one emperor and he bloody well wasn’t going to let it happen a second time. A plot is formed to usurp the throne. 

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On Jan 1, 69 CE, the beginning of the new Roman year, life looked pretty rosy for Emperor Galba. He had no obvious threats to his power from outside or inside the empire. On Jan 3, the Senate offered vows and sacrifices for his long health and reign. Unbeknownst to any of them, he had less than two weeks left to rule... and live.

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In our last episode, we finished on June 9, 68. Nero was 30 years and six months old. He had ruled for 13 years and 8 months. On June 10, 68, while he was still in Spain, The Senate declared the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, northern Spain, 73 year old Servius Sulpicius Galba, to be the new Emperor. He was the first person from outside of the Julio-Claudian family to assume the throne.

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