palace and in the Forum were now of one tenor, now of another, first
urging battle and next terms of peace. At times he was inclined to
surrender himself for the public welfare, and later he would clasp his
child in his arms, kiss him, and hold him out to the people as if to
arouse their pity. Similarly he would dismiss the Pretorians and then send
for them again, would leave the palace to retire to his brother's house
and then return: in this way he dulled the enthusiasm of almost everybody
interested in him. Seeing him dashing hither and thither so frenziedly
they ceased to carry out commands with their usual diligence, and began to
consider their own interests as well as his. They ridiculed him a great
deal, especially when in the assemblies he proffered his sword to the
consuls and to the senators present as if to show that by this act he had
divested himself of the imperial office. No one of the above persons dared
to take it, and the bystanders jeered.

[Sidenote:--17--] In view of these conditions, when Primus at last drew
near, the consuls, Gaius Quintius Atticus and Gnaeus Caecilius Simplex,
together with Sabinus (a relative of Vespasian) and the other foremost men
held a consultation, the result of which was that they set out for the
palace in company with the soldiers that favored their cause, intending to
either persuade or force Vitellius to resign his position as emperor. They
encountered, however, the Celtae who were guarding him, and getting
decidedly the worst of the encounter they fled to the Capitol. Arrived
there they sent for Domitian, son of Vespasian, and his relatives, and put
themselves in a state of defence. The following day, when their
adversaries assailed them, they managed for a time to repulse them; but
when the environs of the Capitol were set on fire, its defenders were
beaten back by the flame. In this way the soldiers of Vitellius forced
their way up, slaughtered many of the resisting party, and after
plundering the whole stock of votive offerings burned down with other
structures the great temple. Sabinus and Atticus they arrested and sent
them to Vitellius. Domitian and the junior Sabinus had made their escape
from the Capitol at the first noise of conflict and by concealing
themselves in houses had succeeded in eluding observation.

[Sidenote:--18--] Those soldiers of Vespasian that were led by Quintus
Petilius Cerialis [Footnote: The epitome of Dio spells uniformly
_Cerealius_.] (