Galba

Servius Sulpicius Galba, born in 3 BC, was a relic of Rome's old aristocracy when he became emperor. With a long career as a provincial governor and senator, he was in his seventies—ancient by Roman standards—when Nero's suicide created a power vacuum. Proclaimed emperor by his troops in Spain, he marched on Rome, his reputation for stern discipline initially welcomed after Nero's excesses. But Galba's reign quickly unraveled. He refused to pay the Praetorian Guard the promised donative, famously stating he 'chooses his soldiers, he does not buy them.' His favoritism and harsh economic measures alienated nearly everyone. When he adopted a successor, Piso, it angered the ambitious Marcus Otho. In January of 69 AD, Otho bribed the Praetorians, who dragged Galba from his litter in the Roman Forum and killed him. His death ignited the chaotic 'Year of the Four Emperors,' proving the empire's stability had died with Nero.