Otho by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Marcus Salvius Otho was a Roman Emperor who held power for just three months in 69 AD. He ascended to the throne via a coup but ultimately took his own life to prevent a civil war, choosing not to fight on and risk further Roman casualties. Ancient historians, including Plutarch, regarded this as an unexpectedly noble act, while Shelley — captivated by Roman republican heroes — viewed Otho as someone who redeemed himself through his self-sacrifice.

A tyrannicide refers to a person who takes the life of a tyrant. Shelley suggests that Otho embodied both roles at once — he was the tyrant (since he had absolute power) and he killed that tyrant (by taking his own life). This creates a paradox that sets Otho's act apart: he didn't require an assassin because he took on that role himself.

It's a rhetorical device known as apostrophe — a way of speaking to someone who can't respond. By addressing Cassius, Shelley sets up the poem as a debate with history, suggesting that the elite group of Roman republican heroes should welcome Otho. This also flatters Cassius while subtly challenging his claim to the title of "Last of the Romans."

According to Plutarch, Brutus referred to Cassius as "the last of the Romans" following Cassius's death at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC, implying that no one with equal Roman virtue was left. This phrase came to symbolize the pinnacle of republican heroism. Shelley argues that Otho's actions secure him a spot in that same legacy.

Steel here refers to the sword — the embodiment of Roman power and brutality. To sanctify something means to make it holy. Shelley suggests that Otho rendered the sword sacred by using it on himself for the sake of his country, transforming an act of political suicide into something that approaches the divine.

It’s possible. Mary Shelley published the poem posthumously in 1839, and she didn’t provide notes to clarify if it was complete. As it is, the two stanzas create a cohesive argument — the first sets up the Roman heroic standard, while the second demonstrates how Otho meets that standard — leading many readers to view it as a complete, stand-alone lyric.

This is a textual variant note. The first edition from 1839 printed "buy" in line 13, which is somewhat unclear. Two later editors — Garnett and Rossetti — each suggested a different correction: "bring" and "wring," respectively. Most modern editors lean towards "bring" (meaning a deed to bring tears from all men), as it aligns with the grammar and meaning more naturally.

Shelley consistently grappled with themes of tyranny and resistance in his work, as seen in The Masque of Anarchy, Prometheus Unbound, and the sonnet "England in 1819." "Otho" aligns with these themes but explores them through the lens of classical history instead of modern politics. The notion that self-sacrifice can serve as a form of political action, driven by pride and love, is a recurring thread throughout much of his writing.