[Sidenote:—­23—­] Such words falling from the lips of Vindex met with entire approval from all.  Vindex was not working to get the imperial office for himself but chose Servius Sulpicius Galba for that position:  this man was distinguished for his upright behavior and knowledge of war, was governor of Spain, and had a not inconsiderable force.  He was also nominated by the soldiers as emperor.

It is stated that Nero having offered by proclamation two hundred and fifty myriads to the person who should kill Vindex, the latter when he heard of it remarked:  “The person who kills Nero and brings his head to me may take mine in return.”  That was the sort of man Vindex was.

[Sidenote:—­24—­] Rufus, governor of Germany, set out to make war on Vindex; but when he reached Vesontio he sat down to besiege the city, for the alleged reason that it had not received him.  Vindex came against him to the aid of the city and encamped not far off.  They then sent messages back and forth to each other and finally held a conference together at which no one else was present and made a mutual agreement,—­against Nero, as it was thought.  After this Vindex set his army in motion for the apparent purpose of occupying the town:  and the soldiers of Rufus, becoming aware of their approach, and thinking the force was marching straight against them, set out without being ordered to oppose their progress.  They fell upon the advancing troop while the men were off their guard and in disarray, and so cut down great numbers of them.  Vindex seeing this was afflicted with so great grief that he slew himself.  For he felt, besides, at odds with Heaven itself, in that he had not been able to attain his goal in an undertaking of so great magnitude, involving the overthrow of Nero and the liberation of the Romans.

This is the truth of the matter.  Many afterwards inflicted wounds on his body, and so gave currency to the erroneous supposition that they had themselves killed him.

[Sidenote:—­25—­] Rufus mourned deeply his demise, but refused to accept the office of emperor, although his soldiers frequently obtained it.  He was an energetic man and had a large, wide-awake body of troops.  His soldiers tore down and shattered the image of Nero and called their general Caesar and Augustus.  When he would not heed them, one of the soldiers thereupon quickly inscribed these words on one of his standards.  He erased the terms, however, and after a great deal of trouble brought the men to order and persuaded them to submit the question [Footnote:  [Greek:  ta pragmata] supplied by Polak.] to the senate and the people.  It is hard to say whether this was merely because he did not deem it right for the soldiers to bestow the supreme authority upon any one (for he declared this to be the prerogative of the senate and the people), or because he was entirely highminded and felt no personal desire for the imperial power, to secure which others were willing to do everything.