Galba
Servius Sulpicius Galba arrived in the world near Terracina on the 24th of December 3 BC. He emerged from a wealthy family that held no blood ties to the Julio-Claudian dynasty of emperors. Ancient sources describe his cognomen as uncertain, possibly derived from terms for Gauls or insects. One ancestor served as consul in 200 BC while another reached the same office in 144 BC. His father and brother both named Gaius later held the consulship in 5 BC and AD 22 respectively. A grandfather worked as a historian and a son became a barrister married to Mummia Achaica. This wife was the granddaughter of Quintus Lutatius Catulus and great-granddaughter of Lucius Mummius Achaicus. Galba took pride in his descent from his great-grandfather Catulus. Suetonius claims he fabricated a genealogy linking him to Jupiter and Pasiphaë. He claimed distant relation to Livia who left him fifty million sesterces in her will. Emperor Tiberius reduced this inheritance to five hundred thousand sesterces but never paid even that amount.
Galba rose through Roman ranks becoming praetor around 30 AD. He governed Aquitania for about one year before serving as consul in 33 AD. Caligula learned of a plot involving Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Gaetulicus in 39 AD. The emperor installed Galba into the post held by Gaetulicus. One report states Galba ran alongside Caligula's chariot for twenty miles. As commander of legions in Germania Superior, he gained a reputation as a strict disciplinarian. Advisors suggested he take the throne after Caligula's assassination in 41 AD. He loyally served Claudius instead according to some accounts. Galba received appointment as governor of Africa in 44 or 45 AD. He retired during Claudius' reign possibly in 49 AD. Nero recalled him in 59 or 60 AD to govern Hispania. His physical weakness and general apathy later dominated his rule. Chronic gout plagued him by the time he came to power. A corrupt group including Titus Vinius advised him on state matters.
Gaius Julius Vindex orchestrated a rebellion against Nero in Gaul on the anniversary of Agrippina the Younger's death in 68 AD. Galba rejected the title General of Caesar favoring General of The Senate and People of Rome. Imperial official Tigellinus supported this move toward independence. Nymphidius Sabinus falsely announced to the Praetorian Guard that Nero had fled to Egypt at midnight on the 8th of June. The Senate proclaimed Galba emperor following these events. Nero committed assisted suicide with help from his secretary shortly after. Galba arrived in Rome accompanied by Marcus Salvius Otho, governor of Lusitania. An army organized by Nero attacked his forces before reaching the capital. Several of Galba's troops died in the fighting. Sabinus himself was killed by the Praetorians before he could claim the throne for himself. This sequence of events allowed Galba to assume imperial authority despite his age and health issues.
Upon becoming emperor, Galba faced immediate challenges from within his own circle. He seized property from Roman citizens and dismissed his Germanic bodyguards. The emperor failed to pay the Praetorians or soldiers who fought against Vindex. These financial decisions caused him to become deeply unpopular among key groups. A corrupt group including Titus Vinius, Cornelius Laco, and Icelus dominated his decisions. Galba suffered from chronic gout which limited his physical capabilities. His rule became characterized by austerity measures that alienated potential supporters. Tacitus noted he seemed too great to be a subject while still subject. Suetonius recorded that the goddess Fortuna visited him in dreams twice. On the second occasion she withdrew her support right before his downfall. This political isolation left him vulnerable to conspiracies forming around him.
On the 1st of January 69 AD the fourth and twenty-second legions of Germania Superior refused to swear loyalty to Galba. They toppled statues demanding a new emperor be chosen immediately. Soldiers of Germania Inferior also refused their oath on the following day. They proclaimed governor Aulus Vitellius as emperor instead. Galba tried to secure authority by adopting Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus as successor. The soldiery in the capital remained angry about not receiving promised bounties. Men from the fleet resented purges of their officers and fellow soldiers. Many Praetorian Guards feared revenge for their connection to Nymphidius Sabinus. Waverers convinced to join Otho's side out of fear Galba might take action against them. These mutinies created chaos across multiple provinces simultaneously. The year became known as the Year of Four Emperors due to rapid succession of rulers.
Galba was killed by the Praetorians on the 15th of January near the Lacus Curtius. He put on a linen corset claiming it offered little protection against swords. A soldier claimed to have killed Otho prompting Galba to snap On what authority. He was lured out to the assassination scene by false reports of conspirators. Galba either tried buying his life with withheld bounty or asked for beheading. Centurion Sempronius Densus died defending him with a pugio dagger. One hundred twenty persons later petitioned Otho claiming they had killed Galba. They were executed by Vitellius shortly after. Vinius ran away calling out that Otho had not ordered his death but was run through with a spear. Laco was banished to an island where he was murdered by Otho's soldiers. Icelus faced public execution while Piso also met death. Their heads along with Galba's were placed on poles for display. Camp boys mocked Galba's head on a lance at Otho's camp. A freeman bought Galba's head for 100 gold pieces and threw it at Sessorium. Priscus Helvidius took up the body with permission from Otho. His steward Argivus buried both head and body in private gardens on the Aurelian Way.
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Common questions
When and where was Servius Sulpicius Galba born?
Servius Sulpicius Galba arrived in the world near Terracina on the 24th of December 3 BC. He emerged from a wealthy family that held no blood ties to the Julio-Claudian dynasty of emperors.
How did Galba become Roman emperor after Nero's death?
The Senate proclaimed Galba emperor following false announcements by Nymphidius Sabinus that Nero had fled to Egypt at midnight on the 8th of June 68 AD. Galba arrived in Rome accompanied by Marcus Salvius Otho, governor of Lusitania, and assumed imperial authority despite his age and health issues.
Why did Galba lose support among Roman soldiers and Praetorians?
Galba failed to pay the Praetorians or soldiers who fought against Vindex, causing him to become deeply unpopular among key groups. His rule became characterized by austerity measures that alienated potential supporters while mutinies created chaos across multiple provinces simultaneously.
What happened to Galba on the 15th of January 69 AD?
Galba was killed by the Praetorians on the 15th of January near the Lacus Curtius. A soldier claimed to have killed Otho prompting Galba to snap On what authority before he was lured out to the assassination scene by false reports of conspirators.
Who buried Servius Sulpicius Galba after his assassination?
Priscus Helvidius took up the body with permission from Otho. His steward Argivus buried both head and body in private gardens on the Aurelian Way.
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17 references cited across the entry
- 1journalImperial Elements in the Formula of the Roman Emperors during the First Two and a Half Centuries of the EmpireMason Hammond — 1957
- 3bookRembrandt DrawingsSeymour Slive — Getty Publications — 2019
- 4bookThe Drawings of RembrandtOtto Benesch — Phaidon Press — 1955
- 11inlineHistories 1.49
- 12journalReversed Epiphanies: Roman Emperors Deserted by GodsOlivier Hekster — March 2009
- 14bookStudia VariaJiří Frel — L'Erma di Bretschneider — 1994
- 15bookMutilation and Transformation: Damnatio Memoriae and Roman Imperial PortraitureEric Varner — Brill — 2004
- 18bookThe Works of TacitusCornelius Tacitus — J. and F. Rivington — 1770