Galba first Emperor in the Year of Four Emperors
Servius Sulpicius Galba was the first emperor of what later became known as the Year of the Four Emperors. His reign as emperor began on June 8th, 68 AD and lasted until his death in 69 AD.
Galba was born on December 24th, in the year 3 BC, in Terracina, which was a town near Fundi. He was descended by way of his paternal grandfather from another Servius Sulpicius Galba, who was a praetor in 54 BC.
While his grandfather never advanced past the position of praetor, which he held for most of his life, he was well respected for his encyclopaedic knowledge, which bore forth an extensive published history. Galba's father was also a well-respected man, although perhaps to a lesser extent, in spite of the fact that he was a hunchback of relatively modest physical stature.
Although the senior Galba was by no means a remarkable public speaker, he offset this shortcoming with his industriousness and perseverance in pleading cases before the bar. His mother Mummia Achaica for her part was descended from Catulus, who was her grandmother, and Lucius Mummius Achaicus, her great grandmother.
Between the couple, they only bore one other child, a boy named Gaius who was a few years older than Servius Sulpicius Galba. Gaius left the family home in Rome after a series of misfortunes had depleted the bulk of his inheritance. When Tiberius later withheld his yearly allotment of the yield from the provinces, Gaius took his own life.
Servius Sulpicius Galba's father remarried to a woman named Livia Ocellina, and after his subsequent adoption, Galba began to use the name Lucius Livius Ocella and continued to do so until his ascendancy to the throne of emperor.
Although Servius Sulpicius Galba was descended from a noble familial bloodline and as a result was a man of great wealth and influence, he was not actually directly related to the original six Caesars, either by birth or through adoption. Nevertheless, he showed much promise as a young man and many observers, among them Augustus and Tiberius, felt certain that Galba was destined for greatness.
Servius Sulpicius Galba soon delivered on this promise and was proclaimed Praetor in 20 AD and consul in 33 AD. His fame also began to spread far and wide to the provinces of Gaul, Germania, Africa and Spain where he became known for his military skill, steadfastness and stern fairness.
One of Servius Sulpicius Galba’s most enduring traits was his loyalty, and this was no better exemplified by his refusal to make a bid for the throne after the death of Caligula. Remaining loyal to Claudius, he instead went into retirement during the first part of Nero's reign. It would only be upon the emperor's bestowment of the province of Hispania Tarraconensis that Galba would return to public office.
After the death of Nero, Galba was sufficiently confident to make a bid for the throne and he took the title Caesar and marched to Rome with this end in mind. He would only rule as emperor for a few months before internal squabbles and incompetent policies would result in numerous rebellions that ultimately resulted in his death at the hands of disgruntled soldiers.
Original Authors: Doods Pangburn
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 22/07/2008
