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<p>[QUOTE="IdesOfMarch01, post: 2850456, member: 39084"]<b>Galba</b></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]676376[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Servius Sulpicius Galba was born on December 24, 3 BC in Terracina, Italy to a well-connected and very wealthy family. His paternal grandfather was Servius Sulpicius Galba, praetor in 54 BC and his maternal grandfather was politician Quintus Lutatius Catulus. In his youth, Galba was remarked by both Augustus and Tiberius to have great abilities and destined to be important. </p><p><br /></p><p>He became a Consul in 33 AD, followed by a military command in Upper Germany, and then a proconsul in Africa. Just prior to becoming imperator, he was the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis (Spain). Suetonius describes his Hispania tenure as “<i>…variable and inconsistent. At first he was vigorous and energetic… but he gradually changed to sloth and inaction, not to give Nero any cause for jealousy, and as he used to say himself, because no one could be forced to render an account for doing nothing.</i>”</p><p><br /></p><p>Galba would become the first emperor in the so-called “Year of Four Emperors” (which was 69 AD, although he became emperor in 68 AD). Late in the reign of Nero, three of Nero’s governors revolted: Galba (in Spain); Vindex (in Gaul); and Clodius Macer (in North Africa). The rebellions in Gaul and North Africa were ineffective, but Galba’s revolt was successful, resulting in his being proclaimed emperor in April 68, and becoming Augustus in June 68 following Nero’s semi-suicide. Galba then took his armies and marched toward Rome.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]676377[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Galba entered the city, was proclaimed emperor by the Senate, and set about immediately to restore Rome’s finances, but his lack of political acumen and penurious nature proved to be his downfall. He refused to pay the Praetorian guards the donative (i.e., bribe) promised to them by Galba’s representative for their support. He also heavily taxed the provinces who refused to support him. He incensed the people by approving few citizenships, foregoing the normal pomp and display the people enjoyed and routinely sentenced accused to death without a trial. </p><p><br /></p><p>After only seven months of rule, on January 1, 69, two legions refused to support Galba and promoted Vitellius. Sensing the tide turning against him and toward civil war, Galba tried to suppress this unrest by adopting L. Calpurnius Piso as his heir, but that triggered Otho, one of Galba’s earliest supporters, to respond. Otho marched on Rome and on January 15 was the first of what would be rival forces to arrive, slaying both Galba and Piso, becoming the second of four emperors that would rule during 69.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Side Note:</b></p><p><br /></p><p>The entire civil war of 68 – 69 AD was mostly one of greed and power. The Roman citizens were curiously detached, uninvolved in the machinations among the generals other than being occasionally victimized. Citizens believed the participants didn’t merit being fought over, and thought the war was generally without any real substance. The ancient historian Tacitus describes the atmosphere as:</p><p><br /></p><p><i>“Close by the fighting stood the people of Rome, like the audience at a show, cheering and clapping this side or that in turns as if this were a mock battle in the arena. Whenever one side gave way, men would hide in ships or take refuge in some great house. They were then dragged out and killed at the instance of the mob, who gained most of the loot, for the soldiers were bent on bloodshed and massacre, and the booty fell to the crowd.”</i></p><p><br /></p><p><b>About the Coins</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Despite his short tenure, Galba’s coinage is described by Vagi as “<i>… among the most complex and diverse in the entire Roman series. Not only did he strike as Imperator (which includes many of the anonymous “civil war coinages,” notably including those on which his facial features are assimilated in the portrait of Divus Augustus), but he also struck as emperor. He coined in all three metals… [his] reverse types are varied, and many of them are historical in content. Most of his coinage as Imperator is propagandistic in nature…</i>”</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]676378[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>My sestertius of Galba might be the most artistic 12 Caesars portrait in my collection, and is even more striking in hand than the pictures illustrates.</p><p><br /></p><p>Let’s see those Galbas!</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Next: Otho</b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="IdesOfMarch01, post: 2850456, member: 39084"][B]Galba[/B] [ATTACH=full]676376[/ATTACH] Servius Sulpicius Galba was born on December 24, 3 BC in Terracina, Italy to a well-connected and very wealthy family. His paternal grandfather was Servius Sulpicius Galba, praetor in 54 BC and his maternal grandfather was politician Quintus Lutatius Catulus. In his youth, Galba was remarked by both Augustus and Tiberius to have great abilities and destined to be important. He became a Consul in 33 AD, followed by a military command in Upper Germany, and then a proconsul in Africa. Just prior to becoming imperator, he was the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis (Spain). Suetonius describes his Hispania tenure as “[I]…variable and inconsistent. At first he was vigorous and energetic… but he gradually changed to sloth and inaction, not to give Nero any cause for jealousy, and as he used to say himself, because no one could be forced to render an account for doing nothing.[/I]” Galba would become the first emperor in the so-called “Year of Four Emperors” (which was 69 AD, although he became emperor in 68 AD). Late in the reign of Nero, three of Nero’s governors revolted: Galba (in Spain); Vindex (in Gaul); and Clodius Macer (in North Africa). The rebellions in Gaul and North Africa were ineffective, but Galba’s revolt was successful, resulting in his being proclaimed emperor in April 68, and becoming Augustus in June 68 following Nero’s semi-suicide. Galba then took his armies and marched toward Rome. [ATTACH=full]676377[/ATTACH] Galba entered the city, was proclaimed emperor by the Senate, and set about immediately to restore Rome’s finances, but his lack of political acumen and penurious nature proved to be his downfall. He refused to pay the Praetorian guards the donative (i.e., bribe) promised to them by Galba’s representative for their support. He also heavily taxed the provinces who refused to support him. He incensed the people by approving few citizenships, foregoing the normal pomp and display the people enjoyed and routinely sentenced accused to death without a trial. After only seven months of rule, on January 1, 69, two legions refused to support Galba and promoted Vitellius. Sensing the tide turning against him and toward civil war, Galba tried to suppress this unrest by adopting L. Calpurnius Piso as his heir, but that triggered Otho, one of Galba’s earliest supporters, to respond. Otho marched on Rome and on January 15 was the first of what would be rival forces to arrive, slaying both Galba and Piso, becoming the second of four emperors that would rule during 69. [B]Side Note:[/B] The entire civil war of 68 – 69 AD was mostly one of greed and power. The Roman citizens were curiously detached, uninvolved in the machinations among the generals other than being occasionally victimized. Citizens believed the participants didn’t merit being fought over, and thought the war was generally without any real substance. The ancient historian Tacitus describes the atmosphere as: [I]“Close by the fighting stood the people of Rome, like the audience at a show, cheering and clapping this side or that in turns as if this were a mock battle in the arena. Whenever one side gave way, men would hide in ships or take refuge in some great house. They were then dragged out and killed at the instance of the mob, who gained most of the loot, for the soldiers were bent on bloodshed and massacre, and the booty fell to the crowd.”[/I] [B]About the Coins[/B] Despite his short tenure, Galba’s coinage is described by Vagi as “[I]… among the most complex and diverse in the entire Roman series. Not only did he strike as Imperator (which includes many of the anonymous “civil war coinages,” notably including those on which his facial features are assimilated in the portrait of Divus Augustus), but he also struck as emperor. He coined in all three metals… [his] reverse types are varied, and many of them are historical in content. Most of his coinage as Imperator is propagandistic in nature…[/I]” [ATTACH=full]676378[/ATTACH] My sestertius of Galba might be the most artistic 12 Caesars portrait in my collection, and is even more striking in hand than the pictures illustrates. Let’s see those Galbas! [B]Next: Otho[/B][/QUOTE]
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