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[284] Otho held the fleets.

[285] He means that they would be, if they took his advice and
retired across the Po to the south bank.

[286] According to the rumours quoted in chap. 46 they were
already at Aquileia, near Venice, but Suetonius, whose father
was at this time a tribune in the Thirteenth, says that they
heard of Otho's death before arriving at Aquileia.

[287] Brescello.

[288] No one knew for certain who was in command. We are told
in chap. 39 that he left Titianus in nominal command, though
the real authority lay with Proculus.

[289] Macer's, see chap. 23.

[290] See note 247.

[291] i. e. of Macer's gladiators on one bank and the
detachment employed by Caecina for bridge-building, &c. , on
the other.
The main armies were Otho's at Bedriacum and
Vitellius' at Cremona.

[292] i. e. from the Germans who were trying to board or sink them.

[293] See i. 77.

[294] Plutarch, in his Life of Otho, after quoting the view of
the emperor's secretary, Secundus, that Otho was over-strained
and desperate, goes on to give the explanation of 'others'.
This agrees exactly with the story given here. Plutarch and
Tacitus are apparently quoting from the same authority,
unknown to us, perhaps Cluvius Rufus.

[295] e. g. the brothers Gracchus, Saturninus, and Drusus.

[296] e. g. Appius Claudius and L. Opimius, of whom Plutarch
says that in suppressing C.