Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/466

 458 GALEA. gone, promising to all the court and prastorian soldiers, as they are called, seven thousand five hundred drachmas apiece, and to those in service abroad twelve hundred and fifty drachmas each ; so vast a sum for a largess as it was impossible any one could raise, but he must be infinitely more exacting and oppressive than ever Nero was. This quickly brought Nero to his grave, and soon after Galba too; they murdered the first in ex- pectation of the promised gift, and not long after the other because they did not obtain it from him ; and then, seeking about to find some one who would pui-chase at such a rate, they consumed themselves in a succession of treacheries and rebellions before they obtained their demands. But to give a particular relation of all that passed would require a history in full form ; I have only to notice what is projierly to my purpose, namely, what the Caesars did and suffered. Sulpicius Galba is owned by all to have been the rich- est private person that ever came to the imperial seat^ And besides the additional honor of being of the family of the Servii, he valued himself more especially for his relationship to Catulus, the most eminent citizen of his time both for virtue and renown, however he may have volmitardy yielded to others as regards power and au- thority. Galba was also akin to Livia, the wife of Augustus, by whose interest he was preferred to the consulship by the emperor.* It is said of him that he commanded the troops well in Germany, and, being made proconsul in Libya, gained a reputation that few ever had. But his quiet nianner of living and his sparing- ness in expenses and his disregard of appearance gave consul from the Palatium ; " i. e., gradually coming to occupy the as the nominee of the emperor ; whole Palatine HUl or Palatium. the Palatium being the name for
 * Literally, " he came out as the CaBsars' residence, which was