Otho   

The new emperor went early in the morning to the capitol, and sacrificed;
and, having commanded Marius Celsus to be brought, he saluted him,
and with obliging language desired him rather to forget his accusation
than remember his acquittal; to which Celsus answered neither meanly
nor ungratefully, that his very crime ought to recommend his integrity,
since his guilt had been his fidelity to Galba, from whom he had never
received any personal obligations. Upon which they were both of them
admired by those that were present, and applauded by the soldiers.
In the senate, Otho said much in a gentle and popular strain. He was
to have been consul for part of that year himself, but he gave the
office to Virginius Rufus, and displaced none that had been named
for the consulship by either Nero or Galba. Those that were remarkable
for their age and dignity he promoted to the priesthoods; and restored
the remains of their fortunes, that had not yet been sold, to all
those senators that were banished by Nero, and recalled by Galba.
So that the nobility and chief of the people, who were at first apprenhensive
that no human creature, but some supernatural, or penal vindictive
power had seized the empire, began now to flatter themselves with
hopes of a government that smiled upon them thus early.
Besides, nothing gratified or gained the whole Roman people more than
his justice in relation to Tigellinus. It was not seen how he was
in fact already suffering punishment, not only by the very terror
of retribution which he saw the whole city requiring as a just debt,
but with several incurable diseases also; not to mention those unhallowed
frightful excesses among impure and prostitute women, to which, at
the very close of life, his lewd nature clung, and in them gasped
out, as it were, its last; these, in the opinion of all reasonable
men, being themselves the extremest punishment, and equal to many
deaths. But it was felt like a grievance by people in general that
he continued yet to see the light of day, who had been the occasion
of the loss of it to so many persons, and such persons, as had died
by his means. Wherefore Otho ordered him to be sent for, just as he
was contriving his escape of means of some vessels that lay ready
for him on the coast near where he lived, in the neighbourhood of
Sinuessa. At first he endeavoured to corrupt the messenger, by a large
sum of money, to favour his design; but when he found this was to
no purpose, he made him as considerable a present as if he had really
connived at it, only entreating him to stay till he had shaved; and
so took that opportunity, and with his razor despatched himself.
And while giving the people this most righteous satisfaction of their
desires, for himself he seemed to have no sort of regard for any private
injuries of his own. And at first, to please the populace, he did
not refuse to be called Nero in the theatre, and did not interfere
when some persons displayed Nero's statues to public view. And Cluvius
Rufus says, imperial letters, such as are sent with couriers, went
into Spain with the name of Nero affixed adoptively to that of Otho;
but as soon he perceived this gave offence to the chief and most distinguished
citizens, it was omitted.
After he had begun to model the government in this manner, the paid
soldiers began to murmur, and endeavoured to make him suspect and
chastise the nobility, either really out of a concern for his safety,
or wishing, upon this pretence, to stir up trouble and warfare. Thus,
whilst Crispinus, whom he had ordered to bring him the seventeenth
cohort from Ostia, began to collect what he wanted after it was dark,
and was putting the arms upon the wagons, some of the most turbulent
cried out that Crispinus was disaffected, that the senate was practising
something against the emperor, and that those arms were to be employed
against Caesar, and not for him. When this report was once set afoot,
it got the belief and excited the passions of many; they broke out
into violence; some seized the wagons, and others slew Crispinus and
two centurions that opposed them; and the whole number of them, arraying
themselves in their arms, and encouraging one another to stand by
Caesar, marched to Rome. And hearing there that eighty of the senators