Galba - Vatican City State
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Metro2
N 41° 54.402 E 012° 27.213
33T E 288793 N 4642553
This sculpture is located in one of the rotundas of the Vatican Museum.
Waymark Code: WMNPWB
Location: Vatican City State
Date Posted: 04/15/2015
Views: 3
This sculpture depicts the Emperor Galba larger than life, seated, bare-chested and wearing a toga. He holds a long staff on his right side. A museum placard indicates that the piece was found in 1776 below the Aurelian Walls near Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. An artist reworked portions of the sculpture.
Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"Galba ... Latin: Servius Sulpicius Galba Caesar Augustus; 24 December 3 BC – 15 January 69), 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 and the last emperor born in the First Century BCE...
Rule
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 was notoriously cruel throughout the Empire; according to the historian Suetonius, Galba levied massive taxes against areas that were slow to receive him as Emperor.
He also sentenced many to death without trial, and rarely accepted requests for citizenship.[10] 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. The three were called "The Three Pedagogues" because of their influence on Galba. All this made the new emperor gravely unpopular.
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 notice or to the growing infirmities of age. Tacitus says all pronounced him worthy of the empire, until he became emperor ("omnium consensu capax imperii nisi imperasset")."