Hist. 1.47.1Omnia deinde arbitriō mīlitum ācta: praetōriī praefectōs sibi ipsī legere, Plōtium Firmum ē manipulāribus quondam, tum vigilibus praepositum et incolumī adhūc Galbā partīs Othōnis secūtum;Thereafter everything was done at the soldiers' discretion: they chose the prefects of the praetorian guard themselves, Plotius Firmus, once one of the rank and file, then in command of the watch, who while Galba was still alive had followed Otho's party; Hist. 1.47.1adiungitur Licinius Proculus, intimā familiāritāte Othōnis suspectus cōnsilia eius fōvisse.with him is joined Licinius Proculus, suspected, from his close intimacy with Otho, of having furthered his plans. Hist. 1.47.1Urbī Flāvium Sabīnum praefēcēre, iūdicium Nerōnis secūtī, sub quō eandem cūram obtinuerat, plērīsque Vespasiānum frātrem in eō respicientibus.Over the city they set Flavius Sabinus, following the judgement of Nero, under whom he had held the same charge, while most of them saw in him his brother Vespasian. Hist. 1.47.1Flāgitātum ut vacātiōnēs praestārī centuriōnibus solitae remitterentur;It was demanded that the payments for exemptions usually made to centurions should be abolished; Hist. 1.47.1namque gregārius mīles ut tribūtum annuum pendēbat.for the common soldier paid them like an annual tribute.
Hist. 1.47.1Quarta pars manipulī sparsa per commeātūs aut in ipsīs castrīs vaga, dum mercēdem centuriōnī exolveret, neque modum oneris quisquam neque genus quaestūs pēnsī habēbat: per latrōcinia et raptus aut servīlibus ministeriīs mīlitāre ōtium redimēbant.A quarter of each company was scattered on leave or idling about in the camp itself, provided it paid the centurion his fee, and no one cared about the size of the burden or how the money was earned: by brigandage and robbery or by servile tasks they bought release from military duty. Hist. 1.47.1Tum locuplētissimus quisque mīles labōre ac saevitiā fatīgārī dōnec vacātiōnem emeret.Then all the richest soldiers were worn down with toil and harsh treatment until they bought an exemption. Hist. 1.47.1Ubi sūmptibus exhaustus sōcordiā īnsuper ēlanguerat, inops prō locuplēte et iners prō strēnuō in manipulum redībat, ac rūrsus alius atque alius, eādem egestāte ac licentiā corruptī, ad sēditiōnēs et discordiās et ad extrēmum bella cīvīlia ruēbant.When, drained by these expenses and enervated besides by idleness, a man returned to his company poor instead of rich and sluggish instead of active, then again one after another, corrupted by the same poverty and licence, they rushed into mutinies and quarrels and finally civil wars.
Hist. 1.47.1Sed Othō nē vulgī largītiōne centuriōnum animōs āverteret, fiscum suum vacātiōnēs annuās exolūtūrum prōmīsit, rem haud dubiē ūtilem et ā bonīs posteā prīncipibus perpetuitāte disciplīnae firmātam.But Otho, so as not to alienate the centurions by generosity to the rank and file, promised that his own treasury would pay for the annual exemptions, a measure undoubtedly useful, and later made a permanent part of discipline by good emperors. Hist. 1.47.1Lacō praefectus, tamquam in īnsulam sēpōnerētur, ab ēvocātō, quem ad caedem eius Othō praemīserat, cōnfossus;The prefect Laco, ostensibly being banished to an island, was stabbed to death by a recalled veteran whom Otho had sent ahead to kill him; Hist. 1.47.1in Mārciānum Icelum ut in lībertum palam animadversum.on Marcianus Icelus, as a freedman, punishment was inflicted openly.