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Galba - Roman Emperor: June 10th 68
A.D. - January 15th 69 A.D.
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Servius Sulpicius Galba (24 December 3 BC – 15 January 69),
commonly known as Galba, was
Roman Emperor for seven months from 68
to 69. Galba was the governor of
Hispania Tarraconensis, and made a bid
for the throne during the rebellion of
Julius Vindex. He was the first emperor
of the
Year of the Four Emperors.
Origins
and rise to power
He was born as Servius Sulpicius Galba near
Terracina, "on the left as you go
towards Fundi" in the words of
Suetonius.
Through his paternal grandfather ("more eminent for his learning than
for his rank — for he did not advance beyond the grade of praetor" and
who "published a voluminous and painstaking history", according to
Suetonius), who predicted his rise to power (Suetonius,
4), he was descended from
Servius Sulpicius Galba. Galba's father
attained the consulship, and although he was short,
hunchbacked and only an indifferent
speaker, was an industrious pleader at the
bar.
His mother was
Mummia Achaica, the granddaughter of
Catulus and great-granddaughter of
Lucius Mummius Achaicus. They only had
one other child, an elder son called
Gaius who left Rome after squandering
the greater part of his estate, and committed suicide because Tiberius
would not allow him to take part in the allotment of the provinces in
his year. On his father's remarriage to
Livia Ocellina, Galba was adopted by
her and took her names, remaining Lucius Livius Ocella Sulpicius
Galba until becoming emperor.
He came from a noble family and was a man of great wealth, but was
unconnected either by birth or by
adoption with the first six Caesars. In
his early years he was regarded as a youth of remarkable abilities, and
it is said that both
Augustus and
Tiberius prophesied his future eminence
(Tacitus,
Annals,
vi. 20;
Suet. Galba, 4).
His wife, however, was connected at least by the marriage of some of
her relatives to some of the Julii-Claudii. The couple had two sons,
Galba Major and Galba Minor who died during their father's life. Galba
Major was the elder son and born circa 25 AD. Hardly anything is known
about his life as he died young. He was engaged to his stepsister
Antonia Postuma, but they never wed, which leads modern historians to
believe that he died during this time. Their engagement is dated to 48,
and that is generally believed to be his time of death. Galba Minor was
the younger son. His date of birth was later than 25 but before 30. This
Galba outlived his older brother, but did not live a long time. He was a
quaestor in 58, but he was never seen in politics after that. Suetonius
mentions that "Galba Minor had discovered his father's affair with a
male slave and threatened to tell his stepmother, which led to death of
him." His time of death is generally believed to be around 60 AD. Galba
Minor was never married and had no children.
In addition,
Suetonius's description of Galba was
that In sexual matters he was more inclined to males, and then none
but the hard bodied and those past their prime. This seems to be the
only case in Roman history where a named individual male is stated to
prefer adult males.
He became
Praetor in 20, and
consul in 33; he earned a reputation in
the provinces of
Gaul,
Germania,
Africa and
Hispania (Iberia,
comprising modern
Spain and
Portugal) for his military capability,
strictness and impartiality. On the death of
Caligula, he refused the invitation of
his friends to make a bid for the empire, and loyally served
Claudius. For the first half of
Nero's reign he lived in retirement,
until 61, when the emperor bestowed on him the province of
Hispania Tarraconensis.
In the spring of 68, Galba was informed of Nero's intention to put
him to death, and of the insurrection of
Julius Vindex in Gaul. He was at first
inclined to follow the example of Vindex, but the defeat and death of
the latter renewed his hesitation.
The news that
Nymphidius Sabinus, the
Praetorian
Prefect, had given him his favour
revived Galba's spirits. Until now, he had only dared to call himself
the
legate of the
senate and Roman people; after Nero's
suicide, he assumed the title of
Caesar, and marched straight for
Rome.
Following Nero's death, Nymphidius Sabinus sought to seize power
prior to the arrival of Galba, but he could not win the loyalty of the
Praetorian guard and was killed. Upon Galba's approach to the city in
October, he was met by soldiers presenting demands; Galba replied by
killing many of them.
Rule
and fall
Mutiny
Galba's primary concern during his brief reign was restoring state
finances, and to this end he undertook a number of unpopular measures,
the most dangerous his refusal to pay the praetorians the reward
promised in his name. Galba scorned the notion that soldiers should be "bribed"
for their loyalty. He further disgusted the populace by his meanness and
dislike of pomp and display. Advanced age destroyed his energy, and he
was entirely in the hands of favourites. Three of these —
Titus Vinius, who became Galba's
colleague as
consul,
Cornelius Laco, the commander of the
Praetorian Guard, and Galba's
freedman Icelus Marcianus — were said
to virtually control the emperor.[citation
needed] The three were called "The Three
Pedagogues" because of their influence
on Galba. All this made the new emperor gravely unpopular.
On 1 January 69, two legions in
Germania Superior refused to swear
loyalty to Galba. They toppled his statues, demanding that a new emperor
be chosen. On the following day, the soldiers of
Germania Inferior also rebelled and
took the decision of who should be the next emperor into their own
hands, proclaiming the governor of the province,
Vitellius, as emperor. This outbreak of
revolt made Galba aware of his own unpopularity and of the general
discontent. In order to check the rising storm, he adopted as his
coadjutor and successor
L. Calpurnius Piso. The populace
regarded the choice of successor as a sign of fear and the Praetorians
were indignant, because the usual donative was not forthcoming.
Assassination
M. Salvius Otho, formerly governor of
Lusitania, and one of Galba's earliest
supporters, disappointed at not being chosen instead of Piso, entered
into communication with the discontented Praetorians, and was adopted by
them as their emperor. Galba at once set out to meet the rebels, though
he was so feeble that he had to be carried in a litter. He was met by a
troop of Otho's cavalry and was killed near
Lacus Curtius. One guard,
centurion
Sempronius Densus, died defending him.
Piso was killed shortly afterwards. According to Plutarch, during
Galba's last moments he offered his neck, and said, "Strike, if it be
for the good of the Romans!" According to Suetonius, Galba prior to his
death had put on a linen corset—although remarking that it had little
protection against so many swords. After his death, Galba's head was
brought to Otho, who gave it to his camp followers who paraded and
mocked it—the camp followers' mocking was their angry response to a
remark by Galba that his strength was unimpaired. The head was then
bought by a freedman so he could throw it on the place where his former
master had been executed on Galba's orders. Galba's steward buried both
head and trunk in a tomb by the Aurelian Road.
Altogether, around 120 people claimed the credit for killing Galba,
being anxious to win Otho's favour and hoping to be rewarded. A list of
their names was drawn up, which fell into the hands of Vitellius when he
succeeded Otho as emperor. Every one of them was executed.
During the later period of his provincial administration, Galba was
indolent and apathetic, but this was due either to a desire not to
attract Nero's favor or to the growing infirmities of age.
Tacitus says all pronounced him worthy
of the empire, until he became emperor ("omnium consensū cāpax
imperiī nisi imperasset"). | 
