Roman Emperor Otho committed suicide to spare the empire. His successor, Vitellius, proved unable to avoid confrontation. Vespasian’s legions proclaimed their general the new emperor leading to civil war. The rebellion split the empire into eastern and western halves. Vitellius’ forces proved no match for Vespasian’s veterans of the Jewish Revolt. In the end, Vitellius willingly abdicated power in favor of Vespasian, whose forces executed the former emperor.
The Roman Senate and populace accepted Vitellius as emperor without reservation. He seemed an uncontroversial choice. Immediately, he disbanded the Praetorian Guard replacing its members with those loyal to him. The guard turned on Nero and Galba in quick succession. Vitellius did not wish to repeat history.
Vitellius actions denote the desire to rule wisely and cautiously. However, his contemporaries portray him as a lazy glutton. The emperor held lavish feasts four times a day. According to rumor, he starved his mother to death while overindulging his own appetites. Despite the food obsession, he did institute civil service and military reforms.
Although most Romans supported the new emperor, the eastern legions under Vespasian revolted. In 66, Nero appointed Vespasian to suppress the Jewish Revolt. The general left his son, Titus, to deal with the Jews while heading westward. He split his forces in two. While Vespasian targeted Egyptian grain, the bulk of his army marched to meet Vitellius.
On paper, Vitellius enjoyed the advantage. He had legitimacy and the best troops in the empire. On the other hand, Vespasian had battle hardened veterans and momentum. As Vespasian marched to meet Vitellius, several provinces defected to his side. The rebel army under the command of Primus defeated the imperial army at Bedriacum. They marched on Rome and destroyed much of the capitol.
By the time Vespasian’s men reached Rome, Vitellius had abdicated. Following his defeat at Bedriacum, Vitellius agreed to step down, but the Praetorian Guard refused to accept this. They dragged the emperor back to Rome where Primus’ men executed him. The rebels beheaded Vitellius, marched his head through the city, dumped the emperor’s body in the Tiber, and murdered his brother and son. Vespasian’s rule lasted a decade.
Like his immediate predecessor’s Otho and Galba, Vitellius’ reign was short. He lasted 250 days before his abdication and execution. Vitellius’ contemporaries described him as gluttonous. However, he did enjoy legitimacy and engaged in minor reforms before his demise.
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