§5.1ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰς Ἄλπεις κατέχοντες ἤδη προσηγγέλλοντο Κεκίνας καὶ Οὐάλης Οὐϊτελλίῳ στρατηγοῦντες, ἐν Ῥώμῃ Δολοβέλλας, εὐπατρίδης ἀνήρ, ὑποψίαν παρεῖχε τοῖς μισθοφόροις νεώτερα φρονεῖν.
When it was reported that Caecina and Valens, commanding for Vitellius, were already approaching, having occupied the Alps, Dolabella, a nobleman in Rome, gave rise to suspicion among the praetorians that he was plotting a revolution.
ἐκεῖνον μὲν οὖν, εἴτε αὐτὸν εἴτε ἄλλον δεδοικώς, εἰς πόλιν Ἀκύνιον παρέπεμψε παραθαρρύνας.
Otho therefore, whether fearing Dolabella himself or someone else, sent him away to the city of Aquinum with encouraging words.
καταλέγων δὲ τῶν ἐν τέλει συνεκδήμους ἔταξεν ἐν τούτοις καὶ Λεύκιον τὸν Οὐϊτελλίου ἀδελφόν, οὔτε προσθεὶς οὐδὲν οὔτε ἀφελὼν ἧς εἶχε τιμῆς.
And in enrolling companions from among those in authority to travel with him, he placed among them also Lucius, the brother of Vitellius, neither adding to nor taking away anything from the honour which he held.
§5.2ἰσχυρῶς δὲ καὶ τῆς μητρὸς ἐπεμελήθη τοῦ Οὐϊτελλίου καὶ τῆς γυναικός, ὅπως μηδὲν φοβήσονται περὶ αὑτῶν, τῆς δὲ Ῥώμης φύλακα Φλαούιον Σαβῖνον, ἀδελφὸν Οὐεσπεσιανοῦ, κατέστησεν, εἴτε καὶ τοῦτο πράξας ἐπὶ τιμῇ Νέρωνος παρʼ ἐκείνου γὰρ εἰλήφει τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ Σαβῖνος, ἀφείλετο δὲ Γάλβας αὐτόν, εἴτε μᾶλλον εὔνοιαν ἐνεδείκνυτο Οὐεσπεσιανῷ καὶ πίστιν αὔξων Σαβῖνον.
And Otho also took strong care for the mother and the wife of Vitellius, so that they should have no fear for themselves, and he appointed Flavius Sabinus, the brother of Vespasian, as prefect of Rome, either doing this to honour Nero, from whom Sabinus had received the office which Galba had taken away, or rather to show goodwill toward Vespasian and to increase his trust by promoting Sabinus.
§5.3αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν ἐν Βριξίλλῳ, πόλει τῆς Ἰταλίας περὶ τὸν Ἠριδανὸν ἀπελείφθη, στρατηγοὺς δὲ τῶν δυνάμεων ἐξέπεμψε Μάριόν τε Κέλσον καὶ Σουητώνιον Παυλῖνον ἔτι τε Γάλλον καὶ Σπουρίναν, ἄνδρας ἐνδόξους, χρήσασθαι δὲ μὴ δυνηθέντας ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ὡς προῃροῦντο τοῖς ἑαυτῶν λογισμοῖς διʼ ἀταξίαν καὶ θρασύτητα τῶν στρατιωτῶν.
Otho himself, indeed, remained behind in Brixillum, a city of Italy near the river Eridanus, but he sent out as generals of his forces Marius Celsus and Suetonius Paulinus, and besides them Gallus and Spurinna, illustrious men, who, however, were unable to manage affairs in accordance with their own plans as they preferred, because of the disorder and insolence of the soldiers.
§5.4οὐ γὰρ ἠξίουν ἑτέρων ἀκούειν, ὡς παρʼ αὑτῶν τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος τὸ ἄρχειν ἔχοντος.
For they did not deign to listen to others, on the ground that the emperor held his rule from themselves.
ἦν μὲν οὖν οὐδὲ τὰ τῶν πολεμίων ὑγιαίνοντα παντάπασιν οὐδὲ χειροήθη τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν, ἀλλʼ ἔμπληκτα καὶ σοβαρὰ διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν.
Not that the affairs of the enemy were entirely healthy or easily managed by their commanders; rather, they were unstable and arrogant for the same reason.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἐκείνοις ἐμπειρία γε παρῆν τοῦ μάχεσθαι καὶ τὸ κάμνειν ἐθάδες ὄντες οὐκ ἔφευγον, §5.5οὗτοι δὲ μαλακοὶ μὲν ἦσαν ὑπὸ σχολῆς καὶ διαίτης ἀπολέμου, πλεῖστον χρόνον ἐν θεάτροις καὶ πανηγύρεσι καὶ παρὰ σκηνὴν βεβιωκότες, ὕβρει δὲ καὶ κόμπῳ ἐπαμπέχειν ἐβούλοντο, προσποιήσασθαι τὰς λειτουργίας ὡς κρείττονες ἀπαξιοῦντες, οὐχ ὡς ἀδύνατοι φέρειν.
However, they at least had experience in fighting, and being accustomed to hardships, they did not shirk them; whereas these men were soft through leisure and a life untouched by war, having lived most of their time in theatres, festivals, and about the stage; yet they wished to cover this with insolence and boasting, refusing to undertake their duties on the ground that they were superior to them, not that they were unable to bear them.
ὁ δὲ Σπουρίνας προσβιαζόμενος αὐτοὺς ἐκινδύνευσε μικρὸν ἐλθόντας ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν.
And when Spurinna tried to force them, they came within a little of killing him, putting him in great danger.
§5.6ὕβρεως δὲ καὶ βλασφημίας οὐδεμιᾶς ἐφείσαντο, προδότην καὶ λυμεῶνα τῶν Καίσαρος καιρῶν καὶ πραγμάτων λέγοντες, ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ μεθυσθέντες ἤδη νυκτὸς ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν ἐφόδιον αἰτοῦντες· εἶναι γὰρ αὐτοῖς πρὸς Καίσαρα βαδιστέον, ὅπως ἐκείνου κατηγορήσωσιν.
They spared no insolence and abuse, calling him a traitor and a destroyer of Caesar’s opportunities and affairs; and some of them, already drunk, even came by night to his tent demanding travel-money, on the ground that they must go to Caesar to accuse him.