28 April AD 32 the future  Roman emperor Otho was born.

Otho had a reputation for being amongst the most reckless youth to be associated with the emperor Nero. Nero later stole Otho’s wife Poppaea Sabina and sent Otho to Lusitania as governor to get him out of the way.

When Galba declared against Nero, Otho siezed his opportunity and accompanied Galba to Rome, possibly hoping to succeed Galba as emperor. Galba’s adoption of Piso must have seemed a deliberate slight and led to Otho conspiring with the Praetorian guard to claim the principate for himself (some 5 days after Piso’s adoption).

The Praetorians murdered Galba and Piso on the same day. Otho soon realised how precarious his position actually was, when he read Galba’s correspondence and discovered that the legions in Germany were marching on Rome under Vitellius.

After the two forces clashed at Brixellum Vitellius’ victory led Otho to commit suicide. The fact that he could have continued the fight probably led to Martial’s comment that his suicide was the best thing he ever did for the empire.