Roman Portraits: The Civil War of 69 AD.

When Nero fell from power, a seasoned military man, Galba, took over.

Galba had displayed talent and ambition during his lengthy career. He enjoyed distinguished ancestry, moved easily among the Julio-Claudian emperors (with the exception of Nero towards the end of his principate), and had been awarded the highest military and religious honors of ancient Rome. His qualifications for the principate cannot be questioned.

 

Even so, history has been unkind to him. The chaotic times called for a man with flexibility – not one of Galba’s traits.  Tacitus characterized Galba as "weak and old," a man "equal to the imperial office, if he had never held it." To be sure, Galba's greatest mistake lay in his general handling of the military. His treatment of the army in Upper Germany was heedless, his policy towards the praetorians short sighted, and finally, his decision not to appoint Otho as heir was fatal. Given the climate in 68-69, Galba was unrealistic in expecting discipline without paying the promised rewards. 

 

AR Denarius (18mm, 2.97 gm). Rome mint. Bare head right / Legend in three lines within oak wreath. RIC I 167; RSC 287. Ex-CNG

 

Otho, who engineered Galba’s down fall, took the purple next.  He remains an enigma – he was a friend of Nero whose earlier life amounted to almost nothing.  Yet, after a skirmish with Vitellius, the next contender of the purple, he took his own life to spare the State more bloodshed. Neither Otho's person nor his bearing suggested such great courage. He is said to have been of moderate height, splay-footed and bandy-legged, but almost feminine in his care of his person. He had the hair of his body plucked out, and because of the receding hairline, he wore a wig.

 

 

AR Denarius (18mm, 3.20 gm). Bare head left / Securitas standing left, holding wreath and sceptre. RIC I 12; RSC 19. Fine. Ex-CNG

 

Without doubt, the most fortuitous moment in Vitellius' political career was his appointment as governor of Lower Germany by the emperor Galba late in 68.
He was in the perfect position to declare for the purple when Galba was murdered.
Vitellius defeated Otho when the latter rushed to battle without waiting for reinforcements.  After Otho’s suicide, he took control of Rome.  He was famous for his gluttony, but his depiction as indolent, cruel, and extravagant is based almost entirely on the propaganda of his enemies.  Again, his lack of military expertise was fatal.  He was no match for Vespasian, an old general just concluded a brutal war in Judea.  When Vespasian forces marched on Rome, Vitellius’ allies abandoned him and he died in a disgraceful matter. 

 

 

AR Denarius (20mm, 3.24 gm). Rome mint. Laureate head right / Tripod-lebes; dolphin above, raven below. RIC I 109; RSC 111. Ex-Cng