Galba - Servius Sulpicus Galba. Descended from noble families. Husband of Aemilia Lepida (granddaughter of the triumvir Lepidus), had two sons whose names are unknown.

Mints: Carthage, Lugdunum, Narbo, Rome, Spain, Tarraco.

Biography: Servius Sulpicius Galba (3 BC - AD 69) was the scion of two great patrician families and successfully rose to be governor of Aquitania, proconsul of Africa and finally governor of Spain at the time of Nero's downfall. When the revolt began in April 68, he proclaimed himself a representative of the Roman people and the Senate, but lacked the military base to open a direct attack on Rome and refrained from claiming the imperial title. At the end of May, however he heard that the Senate had pronounced him emperor after the death of Nero. His march to Rome was easy, but once in the capital he quickly disillusioned the praetorians by refusing to hand out the cash bonuses that had been promised to them. Even worse was the revolt of the seven legions in Germany, whose soldiers felt that they have a better right to make emperors than their brethren from the single Spanish legion. Back in Rome, Galba decided to strengthen his position by adopting a successor, but chose the wrong person, alienating his former crony Otho. Disappointed, Otho quickly organized a conspiracy among the praetorians and on January 15, 69, the guards murdered Galba, thus paying him back for the thriftiness he displayed at his accession.

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