Battles of Bedriacum

Battle context

The two engagements near Bedriacum, sometimes designated First and Second Cremona, were fought during the Year of the Four Emperors, the period of civil war that followed Nero's death and produced four claimants to the imperial throne in rapid succession. Fought in northern Italy approximately 35 kilometers from Cremona, the battles pitted forces loyal to the reigning emperor Otho against the legions advancing on behalf of Aulus Vitellius. With Othonian casualties recorded at 40,000, the scale of loss indicates a decisive and costly defeat for Otho's cause. The outcome effectively ended Otho's challenge and transferred power to Vitellius, continuing the rapid succession of emperors that characterized 68–69 CE before the eventual consolidation of power under the Flavian dynasty.