Battle of Bedriacum The Battle of Bedriacum refers to two battles fought during the Year of the Four Emperors ( 69 ) near the village of Bedriacum ( now " Calvatone " ) , about from the town of Cremona in northern Italy . The fighting in fact took place between Bedriacum and Cremona , and the battles are sometimes called " First Cremona " and " Second Cremona " . First Battle of Bedriacum . Marcus Salvius Otho , with the support and aid of the Praetorian Guard , had his predecessor Galba murdered in January and claimed the throne for himself . However , legate Aulus Vitellius , governor of the province of Germania Inferior , had also claimed the throne earlier in the month and marched on Rome with his troops . Vitellius ' forces were divided into two armies , one commanded by Aulus Caecina Alienus and the other by Fabius Valens . The Vitellian forces included legions XXI " Rapax " , V " Alaudae " and powerful vexillatio nes from all the other legions stationed on the Rhine , together with a strong force of Batavian auxiliaries , a force of around 70 , 000 in total . The forces commanded by Caecina crossed the Alps by the Great St . Bernard Pass to reach northern Italy . They attacked Placentia but were repulsed by the Othonian garrison and fell back on Cremona to await the arrival of Valens ' army . Otho left Rome on the March 14 , and marched north to meet the challenge , leaving his brother Titianus in charge of Rome . He made his base at Brixellum . His forces included legions I " Adiutrix " , XIII " Gemina " , a forward detachment of XIIII " Gemina " , the Praetorian Guard and a force of gladiator s . His general staff included generals such as Gaius Suetonius Paulinus , who , as governor of Britain , had defeated Boudica eight years before , but Otho decided to call his brother Titianus from Rome to act as his commander in chief . Before Titianus arrived , one engagement had already been fought . Caecina tried to set up an ambush at a village called Locus Castorum , about half way between Bedriacum and Cremona on the Via Postumia . However the Othonians were informed of this , and their army marched for Locus Castorum , led by Suetonius Paulinus . The Othonians had the better of the fighting which followed , and Caecina ' s troops retreated to Cremona . Here they were joined by Valens ' army , which had followed a longer route through Gaul . Titanius had now joined the Othonian armies and took command . It was decided to march on Cremona to give battle , against the advice of Paulinus and other generals , who wished to wait until other legions , known to be on the way , had arrived . Otho himself remained at Brixellum to await the outcome . On 14 April the two armies met on the Via Postumia , nearer Cremona than Bedriacum , with the Othonian troops already tired after a long march . Some of the heaviest fighting was where Otho ' s 1st Adiutrix legion , recently raised from the marines at Ravenna , clashed with Vitellius ' veteran " Rapax " . The " Adiutrix " acquitted itself well , capturing the eagle of the 21st , though its commanding officer was killed as the 21st strove to recover it . Elsewhere on the battlefield , however , Otho ' s 13th legion was defeated by Vitellius ' " Alaudae " , and the " Adiutrix " eventually gave way when a force of Batavian auxiliaries took them in the flank . According to Dio Cassius about 40 , 000 men were killed in the fighting . The Othonian troops fled back to their camp in Bedriacum , and the next day surrendered to the Vitellian forces and took the oath of allegiance to Vitellius . When news of the defeat was brought to Brixellum , many of Otho ' s troops urged him to fight on , pointing out that more troops were on the way . Otho however decided to commit suicide rather than cause more deaths . He had been emperor for less than three months . Vitellius continued his march on Rome , where he made a triumphal entry and was recognized as emperor by the Senate . Second Battle of Bedriacum . Meanwhile , the legions stationed in the Middle East provinces of Judaea and Syria had acclaimed Vespasian as emperor . Vespasian had been given a special command in Iudaea by Nero in 67 with the task of putting down the Great Jewish Revolt . He gained the support of the governor of Syria , Gaius Licinius Mucianus and a strong force drawn from the Judaean and Syrian legions marched on Rome under the command of Mucianus . Before the eastern legions could reach Rome , the Danubian legions of the provinces of Raetia and Moesia also acclaimed Vespasian as Emperor in August . Three of these legions , III " Gallica " , VIII " Augusta " and VII " Claudia " had been on their way to support Otho when they heard of his defeat at the first battle of Bedriacum . They had been made to swear allegiance to Vitellius , but when they heard of Vespasian ' s bid for power they switched their support to him . They persuaded the other two legions , VII " Galbiana " and XIII " Gemina " to join them , which the XIII " Gemina " did all the more readily as they were one of the legions which had been defeated at First Bedriacum , and had been made to build amphitheatres for Valens and Caecina as punishment . Led by the commanding officer of the seventh " Galbiana " , Marcus Antonius Primus , they marched on Rome , and having a shorter distance to march reached Italy before Mucianus ' troops . When Vitellius heard of Antonius ' approach , he dispatched Caecina with a powerful army composed of XXI " Rapax " , V " Alaudae " , I " Italica " and XXII " Primigenia " together with detachments from seven other legions and a force of auxiliaries . The first of Antonius ' legions had arrived at Verona , but though urged to attack them before the remainder of the army arrived , Caecina declined to do so . Caecina had been plotting with Lucilius Bassus , commander of the fleet at Ravenna , to switch their support to Vespasian . His troops refused to follow his lead however , and put him in chains . Valens , who had been delayed by illness , had by now set out from Rome . Caecina ' s army , now without their general , advanced on Cremona . Antonius was now based at Bedriacum , and advanced towards Cremona with a force of cavalry . They encountered the vanguard of the Vitellian army between Bedriacum and Cremona on the 24 October and a battle followed , with Antonius sending back to Bedriacum for the legions . Antonius ' troops had the better of the fighting , and the Vitellian troops retreated to their camp outside Cremona . Antonius ' forces advanced along the Via Postumia towards Cremona . They were opposed by a powerful Vitellian army , who had been reinforced by other legions including legion IIII " Macedonica " , but were still without a commander as Valens had not yet arrived . By now night had fallen and the battle continued through the hours of darkness . The seventh Galbiana , Antonius ' own legion , suffered heavy casualties and lost its eagle for a while , though one of its centurions later sacrificed his own life to win it back . Eventually Antonius ' forces began to gain the upper hand , and the turning point came when dawn broke . Antonius ' third Gallica had served in Syria for many years and while there had adopted a local custom . As the sun rose they turned to the east to salute it , and this was misinterpreted by the Vitellian forces who thought that they were greeting reinforcements from the east and lost heart . The Vitellian forces were driven back into their camp , which was taken by Antonius ' forces . Antonius then attacked Cremona itself , which surrendered . Cremona was burned by the victorious troops . Antonius continued to Rome , where Vitellius was taken prisoner and shortly afterwards killed . The way was thus cleared for Vespasian to ascend the throne near the end of this bloody year of crisis .