WI: Otho Defeats Vitellius

Dirk

Banned
So in AD69, during the Year of the Four Emperors, Otho killed his superior (and emperor) Galba and assumed power in Rome. Vitellius, commander of the Rhine legions, who had been rebelling for a few months now, marched down into Italy and defeated Otho, who committed suicide afterward, in battle.

So, what if Vespasian and Licinius Mucianus in the East (who were loyal to Otho) wrote to Vespasian's friend and supporter Antonius Primus, commander of the Danube legions, and told him to hurry into Italy to support Otho against Vitellius? In this way Otho becomes emperor and owes a large debt of gratitude to Vespasian, Licinius Mucianus, and Antonius Primus?

Is this possible, and what's likely to happen afterward? The Golden House on the Palatine likely finishes construction, I guess, and Rome's just a tiny bit stronger because there are only two stages to the civil war instead of three. What else?
 
It is to my understanding that the Danube legions were hurrying into Italy but that Otho just could not buy enough time. Still, Otho hardly seems like he would be the type of person that would make a good emperor, so this seems to have some negative consequences for Rome..or possibly Otho's later assassination.
 

Dirk

Banned
It is to my understanding that the Danube legions were hurrying into Italy but that Otho just could not buy enough time. Still, Otho hardly seems like he would be the type of person that would make a good emperor, so this seems to have some negative consequences for Rome..or possibly Otho's later assassination.

Otho had too little time to prove himself as emperor, really, but from the sources we have in appears that although he was one of the hellions who accompanied Nero he ended up a moderate and competent governor. He certainly was ambitious and a go-getter, not minding at all the use of violence and sacrilege (as the murder of an emperor bordered on) to achieve his ends, but there's nothing to indicate that he would be a bad emperor.

As for the Danube legions arriving on time...how long did it take for letters to whip around the Roman world? Letters from Vitellius on the Rhine to Galba/Otho in Rome, letters from Galba/Otho to Antonius Primus on the Danube. Antonius Primus arrived in Italy in late August, a full nine months after the rebellion of the Rhine legions under Vitellius. In Ancient Rome an army could march from the lower Danube to Italy in two months or less, so couldn't Antonius Primus have moved faster?
 
Could Antonius Primus have arrived late because Otho had already been defeated? At that point, I wouldn't be surprised if he thought twice about continuing on into Italy, at least until he was aware Vespasian was revolting.
 
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