italianartsociety:ByJean Marie CareyRoman EmperorGalba (Servius SulpiciusGalba) wasborn 24 December
italianartsociety:ByJean Marie CareyRoman EmperorGalba (Servius SulpiciusGalba) wasborn 24 December 3 BCE in Rome. The son of an ancient patrician family was afavorite of the Empress Livia moved in the most elevated social circles of theJulio-Claudian era. He was governor of Aquitania, consul (33), governor ofUpper Germany (40–2), and proconsul of Africa (44–5 his standing wasrecognized by the award of triumphal insignia and three priesthoods. Governorof Hispania Tarraconensis (north-east Spain) from 60, he was approached in 68by Julius Vindex, who was instigating revolt against Nero. Galba had his troopsproclaim him as representative of the senate and people of Rome, and enrolled anew legion (eventually VII Gemina) in addition to the one in his province.AlthoughVindex was defeated, Nero’s suicide and the support of Gaius Nymphidius Sabinusand the praetorians encouraged Galba to march on Rome. Once in power, Galbatried to recover Nero’s extravagant largess, but the execution of severalopponents including Lucius Clodius Macer who had raised revolt in Africa, andthe brutal killing of soldiers recruited by Nero from the fleet cast a shadow. Galba’s avarice was notorious.He declined to pay the praetorians the donative promised by Nymphidius, sayingthat it was his practice to levy his troops not to buy them. He compounded thismisjudgement by failing to control his own supporters. When on 1 January thelegions of Upper Germany, who felt that they had been cheated of their rewardfor defeating Vindex, renounced their allegiance, Galba decided to adopt asuccessor, choosing Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi Licinianus. Otho, covetingthis role for himself, fomented revolt among the praetorians, who murderedGalba on 15 January 69.Reference: Campbell, John Brian. “Galba.” In Who’s Who in the Classical World. Oxford University Press, 2003.http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780192801074.001.0001/acref-9780192801074-e-236.Gravemonument for the cavalryman Longinus Biarta who served with a unit of auxiliarycavalry originally raised in Bulgarian Thrace by the Emperor Galba, 68. Römisch-GermanischesMuseum, Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, Nr. S.25/474.GoldAureus of Galba, 68. Reverse: Livia, holding patera in right hand and leaningon scepter in left hand; DIVA AVGVSTA; obverse: Laureate head of Galba; SERGALBA IMP CAESAR AVG P M TR P. Wriston Art Galleries, Lawrence University,Appleton, Wisconsin. Ottilia Buerger Coin Collection, Nr. 91142.AndreaSchiavone, Galba: The Twelve Caesars.The Illustrated Bartsch. Vol. 32, Italian Artists of the Sixteenth Century:School of FontainebleauGalba, Emperor of Rome, Anonymous Italian Sculptor, late 17th Century. Foto Reali Archive.WallPaintings, Villa of Poppaea, owned by Nero, c. First Century. Oplontis, Italy. ShmuelMagal, Sites and Photos.Further Reading: Erich S. Gruen. Cultural Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean. LosAngeles, CA.: Getty Research Institute, 2011. Jiří Frel and Sandra Knudsen Morgan. Roman Portraits in the Getty Museum.Tulsa, Okla.: Philbrook Art Center, 1981. -- source link
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