Aelius Vitellius was born in the year 32 AD.Upon his ascension,he abandoned himself to extravagance and all but ignored the troops who had given him the position. He actually did not want to be emperor and even tried to make peace with the troops of Otho which his soldiers would not allow because they wanted their own general on the throne who would pay them a cash bonus. Also,upon hearing that the troops of his rival, Vespasian, were approaching Rome Vitellius begged the senate to allow him to adbicate the throne and live as a private citizen so he could be spared the miserable death he knew that the Flavian troops would give him. The Roman people were appauled by this act of cowardess and told him to wait for his fate like a man.