The Battle of Locus Castorum took place during the

Year of the Four Emperors The Year of the Four Emperors, AD 69, was the first civil war of the Roman Empire, during which four emperors ruled in succession: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian. It is considered an important interval, marking the transition from the ...

between the armies of the rival Roman Emperors

Otho Marcus Otho (; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors. A member of a noble Etr ...

and

Vitellius Aulus Vitellius (; ; 24 September 1520 December 69) was Roman emperor for eight months, from 19 April to 20 December AD 69. Vitellius was proclaimed emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of ci ...

Locus Castorum Locus Castorum was an ancient village of the Roman Empire era located in northern Italy approximately from Cremona, and midway between Cremona and Bedriacum. Its name derives from the Gemini twins, of Castor and Pollux Castor; grc, Κάστω ...

was a village that existed in the 1st century

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

roughly 15 kilometers from Cremona. It was also referred to as "the Castors" and "at Castor's." The village may have been the location of a temple to the Gemini twins,

Castor and Pollux Castor; grc, Κάστωρ, Kástōr, beaver. and Pollux. (or Polydeukes). are twin half-brothers in Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri.; grc, Διόσκουροι, Dióskouroi, sons of Zeus, links=no, from ''Dîos'' ('Z ...

. The forces of Otho met the forces of Vitellius there. It was one of three early victories for Otho (the first being in the Alps and the second being near Placentia), but Vitellius was eventually the victor at Betriacum. Locus Castorum is mentioned in Suetonius ''The Lives of Twelve Caesars'' Life of Otho, 9 and

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...

''Histories'' II.24

References

69 Year of the Four Emperors

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