He heard of the victory at Bedriacum, See Otho, c. ix 
					and the death of Otho, whilst he was yet in Gaul , and without the least hesitation, by a single
					proclamation, disbanded all the pretorian cohorts, as having, by their repeated
					treasons, set a dangerous example to the rest of the army; commanding them to
					deliver up their arms to his tribunes. A hundred and twenty of them, under whose
					hands he had found petitions presented to Otho, for rewards of their service in
					the murder of Galba, he besides ordered to be sought out and punished. So far
					his conduct deserved approbation, and was such as to afford hope of his becoming
					an excellent prince, had he not managed his other affairs in a way more
					corresponding with his own disposition, and his former manner of life, than to
					the imperial dignity. For, having begun his march, he rode through every city in
					his route in a triumphal procession; and sailed down the rivers in ships, fitted
					out with the greatest elegance, and decorated wigh various kinds of crowns,
					amidst the most extravagant entertainments. Such was the want of discipline, and
					the licentiousness both in his family and army, that, not satisfied with the
					provision every where made for them at the public expense, they committed every
					kind of robbery and insult upon the inhabitants, setting slaves at liberty as
					they pleased; and if any dared to make resistance, they dealt blows and abuse,
					frequently wounds, and sometimes slaughter amongst them. When he reached the
					plains on which the battles were fought, See OTHO, c.
						xi. some of those around him being offended at the smell of the
					carcases which lay rotting upon the ground, he had the audacity to encourage
					them by a most detestable remark, "That a dead enemy smelt not amiss, especially
					if he were a fellow-citizen." To qualify, however, the offensiveness of the
					stench, he quaffed in public a goblet of wine, and with equal vanity and
					-insolence distributed a large quantity of it among his troops. On his observing
					a stone with an inscription upon it to the memory of Otho, he said, "It was a
					mausoleum good enough for such a prince." He also sent the poniard, with which
					Otho killed himself, to the colony of Agrippina, Agrippina,
						the wife of Nero and mother of Germanicus, founded a colony on the
							 Rhine at the place of her
						birth. Tacit. Annal. b. xii. It became a flourishing city, and its origin
						may be traced in its modern name, Cologne . to be dedicated to Mars. Upon the Appenine
					hills he celebrated a Bacchanalian feast. At last he entered the City with trumpets sounding, in his general's cloak, and
					girded with his sword, amidst a display of standards and banners; his attendants
					being all in the military habit, and the arms of the soldiers unsheathed. Acting
					more and more in open violation of all laws, both divine and human, he assumed
					the office of Pontifex Maximus, upon the day of the defeat at the Allia; A dies non fastus , an
						unlucky day in the Roman calendar, being the anniversary of the great defeat
						by the Gauls on the river Allia, which joins the Tiber about five miles from Rome . This disaster happened on the 16th
						of the calends of August (7th July). ordered the magistrates to be
					elected for ten years of office; and made himself consul for life. To put it out
					of all doubt what model he intended to follow in his government of the empire,
					he nmade his offerings to the shade of Nero in the midst of the Campus Martius , and with a full assembly of
					the public priests attending him. And at a solemn entertainment, he desired a
					harper who pleased the company much, to sing something in praise of Domitius;
					and upon his beginning some songs of Nero's, he started up in presence of.the
					whole assembly, and could not refrain from applauding him, by clapping his
					hands. After such a commencement of his career, he conducted his affairs, during the
					greater part of his reign, entirely by the advice and direction of the vilest
					amongst the players and charioteers, and especially his freedman Asiaticus. This
					fellow had, when young, been engaged with him in a course of riotous living,
					but, being at last quite tired of the occupation, ran away. His master, some
					time after, caught him at Puteoli ,
					selling a liquor called Posca, Posca was sour wine or
						vinegar mixed with water, which was used by the Roman soldiery as their
						common drink. It has been found beneficial in the cure of putrid
						diseases. and put him in chains, but soon released him, and retained
					him in his former capacity. Growing weary, however, of his rough and stubborn
					temper, he sold him to a strolling-fencing-master; after which, when the fellow
					was to have been brought up to play his part at the conclusion of an
					entertainment of gladiators, he suddenly carried him off, and at length, upon
					his being advanced to the government of a province, gave him his freedom. The
					first day of his reign, he presented him with the gold rings at supper, though
					in the morning, when all about him requested that favour in his behalf, he
					expressed the utmost abhorrence of putting so great a strain upon the equestrian
					order.