Βιτέλλιος

Vitellius, Bitellios

Translated by Jennifer Benedict · 17 Apr 2002 · Vetting: high · 10 revisions

Translation

Emperor of the Romans, who succeeded Galba,¹ he admitted every shame both among other things in his way of life and not least of all in being immoderate and insatiable in respect of his stomach. For often he took food not only during the day, but also at night and in preparations for feasts he wasted a lot of the public funds. For he was observed to have spent one million, two thousand five hundred pieces of silver on feasts, gorging himself continuously and insatiably, continuously disgorging himself and vomiting everything up. In which way alone he continued, since his eating companions were also utterly awful. Vibius Crispus² for some time had been absent from the symposium on account of an illness and said rather glibly: "If I had not been sick, I would have died." For this and for the feast at his brother's house, it is remembered that this distinction of Vitellius arose: according to what they say, apart from the remaining extravagence, two thousand fish and seven thousand birds were brought out for the feast. He praised both the [deeds] of Nero and revered the corpse of Nero which had been placed into a certain hollow and secret tomb. He was killed at the hands of the generals of Vespasian,³ when the reign had already been changed over.

Greek original

Βιτέλλιος, βασιλεὺς Ῥωμαίων, ὁ Γάλβαν διαδεξάμενος, πᾶν αἶσχος ἀναδεδεγμένος ἔν τε τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα τῷ κατὰ γαστρὸς ἀκρατῶς τε καὶ ἀκορέστως ἔχειν. πολλάκις γὰρ οὐ μόνον τῆς ἡμέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς νυκτὸς σῖτον ᾑρεῖτο καὶ παρὰ τὰς δείπνων παρασκευὰς τὸ πολὺ τῶν δημοσίων ἀπετρύετο. δέκα γὰρ δὴ μυριάδας ἀργυρίου ἐπὶ δισχιλίαις καὶ φʹ ἐς τὰ δεῖπνα δεδαπανηκέναι ἱστόρηται, συνεχῶς μὲν καὶ ἀπλήστως ἐμφορούμενος, συνεχῶς δὲ ἅπαντα ἀπερευγόμενός τε καὶ ἐξεμῶν. ᾧ δὴ καὶ μόνῳ διεγένετο, ἐπεὶ οἵ γε σύσσιτοι αὐτοῦ καὶ πάνυ κακῶς εἶχον. Βέβιος γοῦν Κρίσπος διὰ νόσον χρόνου τινὸς ἀπολειφθεὶς τοῦ συμποσίου μάλα στωμύλως ἔφη· εἰ μὴ ἐνενοσήκειν, ἀπολόμην ἄν. ἐς τόδε γοῦν καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ ἀδελφῷ δεῖπνον τοῦ Βιτελλίου ἐπίσημον γεγονὸς διαμνημονεύεται· καθ' ὅ φασι δίχα τῆς λοιπῆς πολυτελείας δισχιλίους μὲν ἰχθῦς, ἑπτακισχιλίους δὲ ὄρνις ἐπὶ τὴν θοίνην παρενεχθῆναι. ἐπῄνει δὲ καὶ τὰ Νέρωνος καὶ τὸν νεκρὸν τοῦ Νέρωνος ἐς κοῖλόν τινα καὶ ἀφανῆ τάφον κατακείμενον ἀπεσέμνυνε. πρὸς δὲ τῶν στρατηγῶν Οὐεσπασιανοῦ, μεταποιουμένου τῆς βασιλείας ἤδη, κατακτείνεται.

Betacode

*bite/llios, basileu\s *(rwmai/wn, o( *ga/lban diadeca/menos, pa=n ai)=sxos a)nadedegme/nos e)/n te toi=s a)/llois toi=s kata\ to\n bi/on kai\ ou)x h(/kista tw=| kata\ gastro\s a)kratw=s te kai\ a)kore/stws e)/xein. polla/kis ga\r ou) mo/non th=s h(me/ras, a)lla\ kai\ th=s nukto\s si=ton h(|rei=to kai\ para\ ta\s dei/pnwn paraskeua\s to\ polu\ tw=n dhmosi/wn a)petru/eto. de/ka ga\r dh\ muria/das a)rguri/ou e)pi\ disxili/ais kai\ f# e)s ta\ dei=pna dedapanhke/nai i(sto/rhtai, sunexw=s me\n kai\ a)plh/stws e)mforou/menos, sunexw=s de\ a(/panta a)pereugo/meno/s te kai\ e)cemw=n. w(=| dh\ kai\ mo/nw| diege/neto, e)pei\ oi(/ ge su/ssitoi au)tou= kai\ pa/nu kakw=s ei)=xon. *be/bios gou=n *kri/spos dia\ no/son xro/nou tino\s a)poleifqei\s tou= sumposi/ou ma/la stwmu/lws e)/fh: ei) mh\ e)nenosh/kein, a)polo/mhn a)/n. e)s to/de gou=n kai\ to\ para\ tw=| a)delfw=| dei=pnon tou= *bitelli/ou e)pi/shmon gegono\s diamnhmoneu/etai: kaq' o(/ fasi di/xa th=s loiph=s polutelei/as disxili/ous me\n i)xqu=s, e(ptakisxili/ous de\ o)/rnis e)pi\ th\n qoi/nhn parenexqh=nai. e)ph/|nei de\ kai\ ta\ *ne/rwnos kai\ to\n nekro\n tou= *ne/rwnos e)s koi=lo/n tina kai\ a)fanh= ta/fon katakei/menon a)pese/mnune. pro\s de\ tw=n strathgw=n *ou)espasianou=, metapoioume/nou th=s basilei/as h)/dh, kataktei/netai.

Notes (3)

On Vitellius see generally Brian Campbell in OCD(4) s.v.; De Imperatoribus Romanis entry (John Donahue) at web address 1. Some of the material in the present entry follows Eutropius, Breviarium 7.18; cf. also e.g. Cassius Dio 65.2-3.
1More exactly, Vitellius succeeded the brief reign of Otho (omicron 82) at the beginning of July, 69 CE (the infamous "Year of the Four Emperors"). ↩
2beta 220. ↩
3For Vespasian, see beta 246 & omicron 833.

↩

External resources

Web address 1 roman-emperors.sites.luc.edu

Linked from (3)

α3089Ἀπετρύετοwas wasted β220Βέβιος ΚρίσποςVibius Crispus δ357Δεῖπνόν τι ὦ Σκύθαsome meal, Mr Scythian

Neighbours in Adler order

β306Βίρρονbirrus, cloak, mantle β307Βιστάκιαpistachios β308ΒιστονίαBistonian β309ΒιτέλλιοςVitellius, Bitellios β310ΒίτινναBitinna β311ΒιττίονBittion β312Βιοῖοof a bow-string

Revisions (10)

26 Aug 2015David Whiteheadexpanded primary note; more keywords
28 Nov 2014Catharine Rothtweaked notes
1 Aug 2014David Whiteheadupdated a ref
29 May 2012David Whitehead
29 May 2012David Whiteheadaugmented notes and keywords
24 May 2012David Whiteheadanother x-ref; tweak
2 Oct 2002David Whiteheadadded x-ref
18 Apr 2002Catharine Rothadded links
17 Apr 2002Jennifer Benedicttranslated

Translation

Greek original

Betacode

*bite/llios, basileu\s *(rwmai/wn, o( *ga/lban diadeca/menos, pa=n ai)=sxos a)nadedegme/nos e)/n te toi=s a)/llois toi=s kata\ to\n bi/on kai\ ou)x h(/kista tw=| kata\ gastro\s a)kratw=s te kai\ a)kore/stws e)/xein. polla/kis ga\r ou) mo/non th=s h(me/ras, a)lla\ kai\ th=s nukto\s si=ton h(|rei=to kai\ para\ ta\s dei/pnwn paraskeua\s to\ polu\ tw=n dhmosi/wn a)petru/eto. de/ka ga\r dh\ muria/das a)rguri/ou e)pi\ disxili/ais kai\ f# e)s ta\ dei=pna dedapanhke/nai i(sto/rhtai, sunexw=s me\n kai\ a)plh/stws e)mforou/menos, sunexw=s de\ a(/panta a)pereugo/meno/s te kai\ e)cemw=n. w(=| dh\ kai\ mo/nw| diege/neto, e)pei\ oi(/ ge su/ssitoi au)tou= kai\ pa/nu kakw=s ei)=xon. *be/bios gou=n *kri/spos dia\ no/son xro/nou tino\s a)poleifqei\s tou= sumposi/ou ma/la stwmu/lws e)/fh: ei) mh\ e)nenosh/kein, a)polo/mhn a)/n. e)s to/de gou=n kai\ to\ para\ tw=| a)delfw=| dei=pnon tou= *bitelli/ou e)pi/shmon gegono\s diamnhmoneu/etai: kaq' o(/ fasi di/xa th=s loiph=s polutelei/as disxili/ous me\n i)xqu=s, e(ptakisxili/ous de\ o)/rnis e)pi\ th\n qoi/nhn parenexqh=nai. e)ph/|nei de\ kai\ ta\ *ne/rwnos kai\ to\n nekro\n tou= *ne/rwnos e)s koi=lo/n tina kai\ a)fanh= ta/fon katakei/menon a)pese/mnune. pro\s de\ tw=n strathgw=n *ou)espasianou=, metapoioume/nou th=s basilei/as h)/dh, kataktei/netai.

Notes (3)

On Vitellius see generally Brian Campbell in OCD(4) s.v.; De Imperatoribus Romanis entry (John Donahue) at web address 1. Some of the material in the present entry follows Eutropius, Breviarium 7.18; cf. also e.g. Cassius Dio 65.2-3.

1More exactly, Vitellius succeeded the brief reign of Otho (omicron 82) at the beginning of July, 69 CE (the infamous "Year of the Four Emperors"). ↩

2beta 220. ↩

3For Vespasian, see beta 246 & omicron 833.