How long did Vitellius rule as Roman emperor?
Vitellius ruled Rome for eight months, from the 19th of April to the 20th of December AD 69. He was the third of four emperors in the Year of the Four Emperors, a period of rapid civil war.
Questions about Vitellius
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Vitellius become Roman emperor?
Vitellius became emperor through a military revolt led by his commanders Caecina and Fabius Valens. The Rhine legions refused allegiance to Galba on the 1st of January 69, proclaimed Vitellius emperor at Cologne the next day, and his armies defeated Otho at the Battle of Bedriacum. The Roman Senate granted him the imperial honors on the 19th of April 69.
How did Vitellius die?
Vitellius was executed by soldiers loyal to Vespasian on the 20th of December 69. After being dragged from a hiding place identified by Tacitus as a door-keeper's lodge, he was killed at the Gemonian stairs in Rome. His last words were reported as "Yet I was once your emperor."
What reforms did Vitellius make during his reign?
Vitellius ended the practice of centurions selling furloughs and duty exemptions to soldiers, a change Tacitus said was adopted by all good emperors after him. He also opened positions in the imperial civil service to members of the equestrian class, reducing its dependence on the emperor's personal freedmen.
What was the Shield of Minerva associated with Vitellius?
The Shield of Minerva was an enormous serving dish created for Vitellius, named by him for its extraordinary size. It was used at a feast where he mixed pike livers, pheasant and peacock brains, flamingo tongues, and lamprey entrails brought by warship from Parthia and the Spanish Straits.
How is Vitellius depicted in ancient Roman art and coinage?
Ancient bust portraits, particularly the one in the Capitoline Museums, show Vitellius as broad-faced with multiple chins, and this image influenced Renaissance and later painting. Every coin Vitellius minted carries the title Germanicus; the first coins were struck at the Spanish mint of Tarraco from January 69, then at Lugdunum, before the Rome mint took over by the summer.