Faced with the revolt of Aulus Vitellius in Germany, Galba adopted the young nobleman Piso Licinianus as heir. The choice of Piso over the ambitious Otho proved fatal, as Otho immediately began plotting to seize the throne.

Otho bribed the Praetorian Guard, who murdered Galba in the Forum just seven months into his reign. The elderly emperor offered his neck to his assassins, saying 'Strike, if it be for the good of Rome.' His brief reign inaugurated the Year of Four Emperors.

When Gaius Julius Vindex rebelled against Nero in Gaul, Galba declared himself legate of the Senate and Roman People. Though Vindex's rebellion was crushed, Nero's position collapsed, and Galba found himself proclaimed emperor by his troops.

With Nero's suicide, the Senate recognized Galba as emperor, ending the Julio-Claudian dynasty. At seventy, Galba became Rome's oldest emperor, his reputation for probity and military experience promising stability after Nero's chaos.

Galba marched slowly from Spain to Rome, executing suspected opponents along the way. His severity and the violence of his supporters began to alienate those who had welcomed him, while his delays allowed opposition to form.

Galba refused to pay the promised donatives to the Praetorian Guard, declaring that he levied soldiers, not bought them. This principled but politically fatal decision turned the Guard against him and encouraged those plotting his overthrow.

The aging emperor fell under the influence of three favorites whose corruption and cruelty undermined his reputation for integrity. Romans who had hoped for reform found the new regime as rapacious as Nero's had been.

Nero appointed Galba governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, where he would spend eight years. Initially energetic, he became increasingly passive as Nero's tyranny grew, carefully avoiding any action that might draw the emperor's lethal attention.

Galba governed Africa Proconsularis for two years, maintaining order in one of Rome's richest provinces. His administration was characterized by the same severity he had shown in Germany, and he successfully suppressed local unrest.

Emperor Caligula appointed Galba to command the legions in Upper Germany. He restored discipline to forces that had grown lax, leading troops in successful campaigns against Germanic tribes and earning a reputation as an effective frontier commander.

Galba served as consul, achieving the highest regular magistracy of the Roman state. His tenure was marked by the same strict discipline that characterized his entire career, maintaining order but winning few friends among Rome's elite.

Galba entered Roman politics, holding the praetorship and advancing through the traditional cursus honorum. His incorruptibility and strict discipline won respect, though his severity made him more feared than loved by those who served under him.

Galba received a traditional aristocratic education in Rome during the reign of Augustus. He gained favor with the empress Livia, who included him in her will, and he was known for his intelligence, stern morality, and old-fashioned Roman virtues.

Servius Sulpicius Galba was born into one of Rome's most ancient patrician families. The Sulpicii traced their lineage to the earliest days of the Republic, and young Galba's aristocratic connections would shape his long career in imperial service.