ABSTRACT
The day before Nero breathed his last, Galba, who had already proclaimed himself emperor, was confirmed as such by the Senate. He was already an old man in his seventies and had lived through all the emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. No one, except perhaps Galba himself, would ever have thought that he would become ruler of the Empire. He came from a very distinguished Roman family, had been consul and proconsul and had also earned his spurs as a soldier. During the reign of Nero he gained a reputation for being someone who had strong feelings about Old Roman discipline. He believed he was the man to restore the law and order that had fallen by the wayside under Nero.
