Aulus Vitellius

Roman Emperor (reigned January to December 69). One of the four emperors who rose to power after the fall of Emperor Nero. His father was a senior official of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. At the end of 68, he was ordered by Emperor Galba to take up his post as governor of the province of Lower Germania, but was supported as emperor by the local legions who disliked the emperor (January 69), and marched to Italy with the support of the western provinces. During this time, he defeated Otto, who had taken the throne in place of Galba, and entered the capital, Rome (July 69). In the autumn of the same year, he intercepted the advance troops of Vespasian, supported by the eastern legions, at Betriacum, but was defeated. Vitellius, who was in the capital, seemed at first to accept the enemy's demand to abdicate, but then changed his mind. After a fierce street battle with the troops of Vespasian's subordinates who had entered the city, he was discovered in his hiding place on December 20 of the same year and brutally murdered.

[Nobuko Kurita]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ローマ皇帝（在位69年1月～12月）。ネロ帝没落後に乱立した4人の皇帝の1人。父はユリウス・クラウディウス朝の重臣。68年末、ガルバ帝の命令で総督として下ゲルマニア州に赴任したが、帝を嫌う当地の諸軍団によって皇帝に擁立され（69年1月）、西部諸州の支持を得てイタリアへ進軍。この間ガルバにかわって即位していたオットーを倒し、首都ローマに入城した（69年7月）。同年秋、東部諸軍団に擁立されたウェスパシアヌスの先発隊をベトリアクムBetriacumに迎撃したが敗北。首都にいたウィテリウスは、いったんは敵の退位要求に応ずるかにみえたが翻意。突入してきたウェスパシアヌスの部下の軍隊と激しい市街戦を交えたのち、同年12月20日隠れ場所から発見され惨殺された。

［栗田伸子］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例