Antonius Novellus

Antonius Novellus was a politician of ancient Rome who served as one of the Roman emperor Otho's principal generals, though he possessed no influence with the soldiery.[1]

After Otho heard of the advance of the generals Fabius Valens and Aulus Caecina Alienus against him, he fielded the Praetorian guard under a number of generals, but the guard proved mutinous, with one commander, Aemilius Pacensis, thrown in chains by his men, while Novellus's men utterly disregarded his orders.[2] After his soldiers ignored his rank and authority, leadership effectively devolved on his colleague Titus Suedius Clemens.[3]

Notes

1. Tacitus, Histories i. 87, ii. 12.
2. Wellesley, Kenneth (2002). Year of the Four Emperors. Roman Imperial Biographies. Routledge. pp. 50–51. ISBN 9781134562275. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
3. Morgan, Gwyn (2005). 69 AD: The Year of Four Emperors. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199923694. Retrieved 2016-02-13.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William (1870). "Novellus, Antonius". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 2. p. 1211.