§3decessit paralysi altero die quam correptus est, duobus filiis superstitibus, quos ex Sestilia probatissima nec ignobili femina editos consules uidit, et quidem eodem ambos totoque anno, cum maiori minor in sex menses successisset.
He died of paralysis on the day after he was seized, leaving two surviving sons, whom he saw as consuls, born of Sestilia, a most approved and not ignoble woman, and indeed both in the same year and for the whole of it, since the younger succeeded the elder for six months.
defunctum senatus publico funere honorauit, item statua pro rostris cum hac inscriptione:
"pietatis immobilis erga principem"
.
The senate honored the deceased with a public funeral, likewise with a statue before the rostra with this inscription: "Of Unshaken Loyalty Toward the Emperor".
A. Vitellius L. filius imperator natus est VIII. Kal. Oct. , uel ut quidam VII. Id. Sept. , Druso Caesare Norbano Flacco cons.
Aulus Vitellius, son of Lucius, the emperor, was born on the eighth day before the Kalends of October, or as some say, on the seventh day before the Idus of September, in the consulship of Drusus Caesar and Norbanus Flaccus.
genituram eius praedictam a mathematicis ita parentes exhorruerunt, ut pater magno opere semper contenderit, ne qua ei prouincia uiuo se committeretur, mater et missum ad legiones et appellatum imperatorem pro afflicto statim lamentata sit.
His parents so shuddered at his horoscope predicted by the astrologers, that his father always strove with great effort that no province should be committed to him during his lifetime, and his mother immediately lamented him as ruined both when he was sent to the legions and when he was hailed as emperor.
pueritiam primamque adulescentiam Capreis egit inter Tiberiana scorta, et ipse perpetuo spintriae cognomine notatus existimatusque corporis gratia initium et causa incrementorum patri fuisse;
He spent his childhood and early youth at Capreae among the Tiberian favorites, and he himself was permanently branded with the nickname of "spintria" and was thought to have been the beginning and cause of his father's advancement through the favor of his body.
§4sequenti quoque aetate omnibus probris contaminatus, praecipuum in aula locum tenuit, Gaio per aurigandi, Claudio per aleae studium familiaris, sed aliquanto Neroni acceptior, cum propter eadem haec, tum peculiari merito, quod praesidens certamini Neroneo cupientem inter citharoedos contendere nec quamuis flagitantibus cunctis promittere audentem ideoque egressum theatro reuocauerat, quasi perseuerantis populi legatione suscepta, exorandumque praebuerat.
Stained with all kinds of infamy also in the following age, he held a chief place in the court, becoming intimate with Gaius through his passion for chariot-driving, and with Claudius through his love of dice, but was considerably more acceptable to Nero, both on account of these same things and by a peculiar merit, because when presiding over the Neronean contest, he had recalled Nero, who wished to compete among the citharists but did not dare to promise although everyone was clamoring for it and had therefore left the theater, as if having undertaken an embassy from the persistent people, and had offered him to be prevailed upon.
§5Trium itaque principum indulgentia non solum honoribus uerum et sacerdotiis amplissimis auctus, proconsulatum Africae post haec curamque operum publicorum administrauit et uoluntate dispari et existimatione.
Thus advanced by the indulgence of three emperors not only to offices but also to the most ample priesthoods, after this he administered the proconsulship of Africa and the care of public works with different zeal and reputation.
in prouincia singularem innocentiam praestitit biennio continuato, cum succedenti fratri legatus substitisset; at in urbano officio dona atque ornamenta templorum subripuisse et commutasse quaedam ferebatur proque auro et argento stagnum et aurichalcum supposuisse.
In the province, he showed singular integrity for two consecutive years, when he remained as legate to his succeeding brother; but in his urban office, he was said to have stolen gifts and ornaments of the temples and to have changed some, and to have substituted tin and brass for gold and silver.
§6Vxorem habuit Petroniam consularis uiri filiam et ex ea filium Petronianum captum altero oculo.
He had as wife Petronia, daughter of a consular man, and from her a son Petronianus, blind in one eye.
hunc heredem a matre sub condicione institutum, si de potestate patris exisset, manu emisit breuique, ut creditum est, interemit, insimulatum insuper parricidii et quasi paratum ad scelus uenenum ex conscientia hausisset.
This son, having been appointed heir by his mother on the condition that he should go out of his father's power, he emancipated and shortly after, as was believed, put to death, having accused him moreover of parricide, as if he had drunk the poison out of consciousness of the crime, which he had prepared for that deed.
duxit mox Galeriam Fundanam praetorio patre ac de hac quoque liberos utriusque sexus tulit, sed marem titubantia oris prope mutum et elinguem.
Soon after, he married Galeria Fundana, whose father was of praetorian rank, and from her also he had children of both sexes, but the male was almost dumb and tongue-tied because of a stammering tongue.
§7A Galba in inferiorem Germaniam contra opinionem missus est.
He was sent by Galba into Lower Germany contrary to expectation.
adiutum putant T. Vini suffragio, tunc potentissimi et cui iam pridem per communem factionis Venetae fauorem conciliatus esset;
They think he was aided by the vote of T.
nisi quod Galba prae se tulit nullos minus metuendos quam qui de solo uictu cogitarent, ac posse prouincialibus copiis profundam gulam eius expleri, ut cuiuis euidens sit contemptu magis quam gratia electum.
Vinius, who was then most powerful and to whom he had long since been reconciled through their common favor for the Blue faction; except that Galba openly declared that none were less to be feared than those who thought of nothing but food, and that his deep greed could be filled by provincial resources, so that it was evident to anyone that he was chosen more out of contempt than favor.
satis constat exituro uiaticum defuisse, tanta egestate rei familiaris, ut uxore et liberis, quos Romae relinquebat, meritorio cenaculo abditis domum in reliquam partem anni ablocaret utque ex aure matris detractum unionem pignerauerit ad itineris impensas.
It is well established that he lacked travel money when about to depart, because of such great poverty of his domestic affairs that, having hidden his wife and children, whom he was leaving at Rome, in a rented garret, he let his house for the remaining part of the year and pledged a pearl taken from his mother's ear for the expenses of the journey.
creditorum quidem praestolantium ac detinentium turbam et in iis Sinuessanos Formianosque, quorum publica uectigalia interuerterat, non nisi terrore calumniae amouit, cum libertino cuidam acerbius debitum reposcenti iniuriarum formulam, quasi calce ab eo percussus, intendisset nec aliter quam extortis quinquaginta sestertiis remisisset.
Indeed, the crowd of creditors waiting for and detaining him, among whom were the people of Sinuessa and Formiae whose public revenues he had embezzled, he did not remove except by the terror of false accusation, when he brought an action for damages against a certain freedman who was demanding his debt too sharply, as if he had been struck with a heel by him, and did not drop it until he had extorted fifty thousand sesterces.
Aduenientem male animatus erga principem exercitus pronusque ad res nouas libens ac supinis manibus excepit uelut dono deum oblatum, ter consulis filium, aetate integra, facili ac prodigo animo.
Upon his arrival, the army, which was ill-disposed toward the emperor and prone to revolution, received him willingly and with hands held up as if he were offered as a gift of the gods, the son of a three-time consul, of mature age, of an easy and prodigal mind.
quam ueterem de se persuasionem Vitellius recentibus etiam experimentis auxerat, tota uia caligatorum quoque militum obuios exosculans perque stabula ac deuersoria mulionibus ac uiatoribus praeter modum comis, ut mane singulos iamne iantassent sciscitaretur seque fecisse ructu quoque ostenderet.
This old belief about himself Vitellius had increased also by recent experiences, kissing those he met along the whole way, even common soldiers, and being courteous beyond measure to muleteers and travelers at stables and inns, so that in the morning he would ask each one if they had already breakfasted, and would show that he had done so even by a belch.