On April 16, 69, two days after Bedriacum, Otho stabbed himself at Brixellum to spare Rome another battle. Suetonius records his composed farewell and concern for others, a quiet ending in a loud year. The Po’s banks heard only the soft scrape of a chair before the blade fell [4][19].
What Happened
Defeat at Bedriacum left Otho with two choices: rally remnants and fight again, or end the contest himself. He chose the latter. At Brixellum on the Po, in a modest room where the oil lamp burned low, he assembled his brother, nephew, and close friends and said goodbye [19].
Suetonius preserves the scene: “Having therefore advised his brother, his nephew, and his friends… he stabbed himself with a single stroke under the left breast” [4]. No trumpets, no shouts. Just the small sound of a stool’s legs on tile and the intake of breath before steel.
Outside, couriers were saddling for another run to Rome, to the Forum and the Palatine. Instead, they carried news of an ending. Otho’s body lay still; his decision stopped a second muster and another march north through Mediolanum and Cremona.
In Rome, the Capitoline heard the report with a stunned respect. Even enemies admitted a measure of dignity in a man who chose his own death over more Roman deaths. The Praetorian Camp fell quiet as officers dismissed formations. Otho’s brief reign ended in 91 days, bookended by the clang of arms and a single, decisive silence [4][19].
Brixellum’s lesson would echo. In 69, the choice of death could be a final act of politics, one that sought to bind the city’s wounds even in defeat. Otho, at least, kept the scar small.
Why This Matters
Otho’s suicide ended his claim cleanly and granted Vitellius uncontested passage to Rome. It spared Italy another pitched battle in the Po valley and saved urban Rome from a second round of Praetorian bloodletting [4][19].
Within “Armies Crown, Senate Legitimizes,” his death recognized the battlefield’s verdict. By stepping aside through suicide, Otho accepted that the army had chosen. The Senate would now be asked to formalize a new emperor.
Historians linger on Brixellum because it complicates portraits of coup-makers. Otho used the Guard to seize power, then refused to use them to prolong a civil war. In a year of excess, the restraint stands out, and it accelerated the transfer of power to Vitellius.
Event in Context
See what happened before and after this event in the timeline
People Involved
Key figures who played a role in Otho's Suicide at Brixellum
Ask About This Event
Have questions about Otho's Suicide at Brixellum? Get AI-powered insights based on the event details.