Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/493

 GALEA. 485 less than one hundred and twenty were identified after- wards from their written petitions ; all of whom Vitellius sought out and j^ut to death. There came also into the camp Marius Celsus, and was accused by many voices of encouraging the soldiers to assist Galba, and was demanded to death by the multitude. Otho had no desire for this, yet, fearing an absolute denial, he professed that he did not wish to take him off so soon, having many matters yet to learn from him ; and so committed him safe to the custody of those he most confided in. Forthwith a senate was convened, and as if they were not the same men, or had other gods to swear by, they took that oath in Otho's name which he himself had taken in Galba's and had broken ; and withal conferred on him the titles of Csesar and Augustus; whilst the dead carcasses of the slain lay yet in their consular robes in the market-place. As for theii' heads, when they could make no other use of them, Vinius's they sold to his daughter for two thousand five hundred drachmas ; Piso's was begged by his wife Verania ; Galba's they gave to Patrobius's servants;'^ who when they had it, after all sorts of abuse and indignities, tumbled it into the place where those that suffer death by the emperor's orders are usually cast, called Sessorium. Galba's body was con- veyed away b}^ Priscus Helvidius by Otho's permission, and buried in the night by Argius, his freedman. Thus you have the history of Galba, a person inferior to few Romans, either for birth or riches, rather exceed- ing all of his time in both, having hved in great honor and reputation in the reigns of five emperors, insomuch ' that he overthrew Nero rather by his fame and repute in the world than by actual force and power. Of all the mentioned as one of Nero's freed- ing the city, men who were put to death by
 * Patrobius has already been Galba's orders soon after his enter-