1The first thing that gave Otho confidence was news from Illyricum that the legions of Dalmatia, Pannonia and Moesia had sworn allegiance to him. 1The same was reported from Spain, and Cluvius Rufus was praised in an edict: but it was immediately learned that Spain had gone over to Vitellius. 1Not even Aquitania, though bound to Otho's oath by Julius Cordus, held firm for long. 1Nowhere was there loyalty or affection: they shifted this way and that from fear and necessity. 1The same fear turned the province of Narbonensis to Vitellius, for going over to the nearest and stronger is easy. 1The distant provinces and all the armed forces separated by the sea remained with Otho, not from devotion to his party, but there was great weight in the name of the city and the cloak of the senate, and he had taken possession of their minds by being heard of first.
1Vespasian swore the army of Judaea to allegiance to Otho, Mucianus the legions of Syria; 1at the same time Egypt and all the provinces facing the East were held in his name. 1Africa showed the same compliance, the start being made at Carthage without waiting for the authority of the proconsul Vipstanus Apronianus: Crescens, a freedman of Nero (for in bad times these men too make themselves part of the state), had given a banquet to the common people in joy at the new reign, and the populace rushed into most things without restraint. 1The other communities followed Carthage.