Othonian — Minor Figures
8 figures from Tacitus — The Histories & The Annals (Books I-VI) & Agricola who appear only briefly. Each keeps their own page; this one gathers them so they can be read together.
Galerius Trachalus
political adviser and pleader · first appears Histories I.89-90
- Histories I.89-90 · employer: Otho “For it was generally believed that as in strategy he took the advice of Suetonius Paulinus and Marius Celsus, so too in political matters he employed the talents of Galerius Trachalus.”
Martius Macer
office-holder · first appears Histories II.69-73
- Histories II.69-73 · friends with Otho “To secure a few months of office for Valens and Caecina, the other consuls of the year had their terms shortened, while Martius Macer's claim was ignored as belonging to Otho's party.”
Orfidius Benignus
commanding officer · first appears Histories II.41-44
- Histories II.41-44 · employer: Otho “It happened that two legions met in the open fields between the high road and the Po. These were: for Vitellius the Twenty-first, commonly called Rapax, a regiment of old renown; and for Otho the First Adiutrix, which had never been in battle before, but was full of spirit and eager to win its first laurels. Their charge overthrew the front ranks of the Twenty-first, and they carried off its eagle. Fired with indignation, the Twenty-first rallied and charged the front of the enemy, killing the commanding officer, Orfidius Benignus, and capturing many of their colours.”
Petronius Urbicus
governor · first appears Histories I.67-71
- Histories I.67-71 · friends with Otho “Petronius Urbicus, who, having raised a force of irregulars and broken down the bridges, was supposed to be a faithful adherent of Otho.”
- Histories I.67-71 · enemies with Caecina “Caecina accordingly hurried forward the Gallic, Lusitanian, and British auxiliaries, and some German detachments, together with 'Petra's Horse', while he himself hesitated whether he should not cross the Raetian Alps into Noricum and attack the governor, Petronius Urbicus, who, having raised a force of irregulars and broken down the bridges, was supposed to be a faithful adherent of Otho.”
Prince Epiphanes
ally · first appears Histories II.23-26
- Histories II.23-26 · with Otho “There Prince Epiphanes was wounded, while making vigorous efforts to rally Otho's forces.”
Proculus
prefect of the Guard · first appears Histories II.32-35
- Histories II.32-35 · employer: Otho “His brother Titianus and Proculus, the prefect of the Guard, with all the impatience of inexperience, stoutly maintained that fortune and Providence, and Otho's own good genius inspired his policy, and would inspire its performance.”
Salvius Cocceianus
nephew of Otho · first appears Histories II.45-48
- Histories II.45-48 · elder kin: Otho “He then actually tried to comfort the sorrowful fears of his nephew, Salvius Cocceianus, by praising his attachment and chiding his alarm.”
Varius Crispinus
tribune of the guards · first appears Histories I.77-80
- Histories I.77-80 · employer: Otho “Otho had given orders that the Seventeenth cohort should be summoned from the colony of Ostia to the city, and Varius Crispinus, a tribune of the guards, was instructed to provide them with arms.”
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Extracted from the original text of Tacitus — The Histories & The Annals (Books I-VI) & Agricola. Made with Rho MD.