ut the soldiers found him after a short search, for he could not long be
sure of remaining hid, seeing that he had been emperor. They seized him, a
mass of shavings and blood--for the dogs had done him some harm
already--and stripping off his clothes they bound his hands behind his
back, put a rope around his neck and dragged from the palace the Caesar
who had reveled there. Down the Sacred Way they hauled the emperor who had
frequently paraded past in his chair of state. Then they conducted the
Augustus to the Forum, where he had often addressed the people. Some
buffeted him, some plucked at his beard, all ridiculed him, all insulted
him, laying especial stress in their remarks on his intemperance, since he
had an expansive paunch. [Sidenote:--21--] When in shame at this treatment
he kept his eyes lowered, the soldiers would prick him under the chin with
their daggers, to make him look up even against his will. A certain Celt
who saw this would not endure it, but taking pity on him cried: "I will
help you, as well as I can alone." Then he wounded Vitellius and killed
himself. However, Vitellius did not die of the wound but was haled to the
prison, as were also his statues, while many amusing and many disgraceful
remarks were made about them. Finally, grieved to the heart at the way he
had been treated and what he was compelled to hear, he was heard to
exclaim: "Yet I was once your emperor!" At that the soldiers flew into a
rage and took him to the top of the Scalae Gemoniae, where they struck him
down. His head was cut off and carried about all over the city.

[Sidenote:--22--] Subsequently his wife saw to his burial. He had lived
fifty-four years [and eighty-nine days] and had reigned for a year lacking
ten days. His brother had started from Tarracina to come to his
assistance, but learned while _en route_ that he was dead. He also
encountered a detachment of men sent against him and made terms with them
on condition that his life should be spared. In spite of this he was
murdered not long afterward. The son of Vitellius, too, perished soon
after his father, notwithstanding that Vitellius had killed no relative
either of Otho or of Vespasian. After all these various events had taken
place, Mucianus came up and administered necessary details in conjunction
with Domitian, whom he also presented to the soldiers and had him make a
speech, boy though he was. Each of the soldiers received twenty-five
denarii.

DIO'S R