50 pages • 1 hour read
SuetoniusThe Twelve Caesars
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 121A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
GalbaChapter Summaries & Analyses
Sections 1-10 Summary
Galba was the first Roman emperor not to come from the Julio-Claudian dynasty, but he did come from a distinguished aristocratic family. Also, he enjoyed close ties to Livia and Claudius.
Sections 11-23 Summary
Galba became emperor after Nero’s overthrow and suicide. However, he was dogged by a reputation for cruelty and greed from his time as a general and governor. When Galba did not name his ally Otho as his heir, Otho turned against him and convinced the praetorian guard to side with him. Galba was then killed by his own soldiers.
“Galba” Analysis
Galba (3 BCE-69 CE) was the first man to claim the imperial office in 69 CE, which historians refer to as the Year of the Four Emperors. With the collapse of the Julio-Claudian dynasty following Nero’s death, the imperial office became heavily contested by various claimants who had no dynastic rights. Although Suetonius is careful to stress that Galba had a distinguished family background, he adds that Galba was not related to the Julio-Claudians by blood or marriage.
Instead, Galba claimed the imperial office partly through military power support (and was killed when he lost the all-important confidence of his men). Another important element in his ascension was that Galba was favored by members of the Julio-Claudian family. In addition to being supported by various factions within the Roman army, this trait was common to all four emperors. Unlike Julius Caesar, who partly achieved power by rising through the Republic’s political offices, Galba and the other three emperors achieved prominence through their ties to the emperor and his family.
