12a few days after the first of january a dispatch arrived from belgica, in which pompeius propinquus,32 the imperial agent, announced that the legions of 29upper germany had broken their oath of allegiance and were clamouring for a new emperor, but that by way of tempering their treason they referred the final choice to the senate and people of rome. galba had already been deliberating and seeking advice as to the adoption of a successor, and this occurrence hastened his plans. during all these months this question formed the current subject of gossip throughout the country; galba was far spent in years and the general propensity for such a topic knew no check. few people showed sound judgement or any spirit of patriotism. many were influenced by foolish hopes and spread self-interested rumours pointing to some friend or patron, thereby also gratifying their hatred for titus vinius,33 whose unpopularity waxed daily with his power. galba's affability only served to strengthen the gaping ambition of his newly powerful friends, for his weakness and credulity halved the risk and doubled the reward of treason.
13the real power of the throne was divided between the consul, titus vinius, and cornelius laco, the prefect of the guards; and an influence as great was enjoyed by icelus, one of galba's freedmen, who had been given the gold ring34 and was now greeted by the name of marcianus. these three ordinarily disagreed, and followed each his own interest in smaller 30matters: on the question of the succession they fell into two camps. vinius was for marcus otho. laco and icelus were agreed not so much on any one as on any other. galba was aware of the friendship between otho and vinius. otho was a bachelor and vinius had an unmarried daughter: so gossip, never reticent, pointed to them as father and son-in-law. galba, one may suppose, felt some concern for his country, too. why take the throne from nero, if it was to be left to otho? otho had led a careless boyhood and a dissolute youth, and endeared himself to nero by aping his vices. thus it was to otho, as being already in the secret, that nero entrusted his favourite mistress, poppaea sabina,35 until he could get rid of octavia. later he grew jealous and removed otho to the province of lusitania under cover of a governorship. otho had been popular in his administration of the province, and was one of the first to join galba's party. being a man of action and one of the most distinguished of galba's officers in the war, when once he had conceived the hope of succeeding him, he eagerly indulged it. most of the soldiers were on his side and the court supported him as nero's double.
14after receiving the news of the german revolt, although galba knew nothing for certain of vitellius' 31plans, he was fearful to what lengths the outbreak of the troops might go; so, being unable to trust the troops in the city,36 he had recourse to what seemed his sole remedy and held an imperial election. besides vinius and laco he summoned marius celsus, consul-elect and the city-prefect ducenius geminus.37 after prefacing a few words about his own advanced age he ordered piso licinianus38 to be sent for, either on his own initiative, or, as some believed, at the instance of laco. laco had met piso at rubellius plautus' house and they had formed a friendship, but he cunningly pretended that he was supporting a stranger, and piso's good repute gave colour to this policy. piso was a noble on both sides, being the son of marcus crassus and scribonia. there was an old-world austerity in his face and bearing, and just critics spoke of his strict morality: people who took a less favourable view thought him soured. but while those who disliked this side of his character carped at it, it was a recommendation in the eyes of the emperor who intended to adopt him.
15galba is said to have taken piso's hand and addressed him as follows: 'were i a private citizen, and were i to adopt you in the presence of the priests 32by the usual formality of a curial statute,39 it would be an honour for me to introduce into my family a descendant of cnaeus pompeius and of marcus crassus, and for you it would be a distinction to add to your noble ancestry the glories of the sulpician and lutatian houses.40 as it is, i have been called by the consent of gods and men to be an emperor. your distinguished qualities and your patriotism have persuaded me to offer to you peacefully and quietly the throne for which our ancestors fought on the field of battle,41 and which i too won by war. in so doing i am following the precedent set by the sainted augustus, who raised to the rank next himself first his nephew marcellus, then his son-in-law agrippa, then his daughter's sons,42 and finally his stepson tiberius nero. however, while augustus looked for a successor in his own family, i have searched throughout the country. not that i lack either kinsmen or supporters, but it was by no favour of birth that i myself came to the throne, and, to prove my policy in this matter, consider how i have passed over not only my own relatives but yours. 33you have an elder brother,43 as noble as yourself. he would have been worthy of this position, but you are worthier. you are old enough to have outlived youthful passions. your life has been such that you have nothing in your past to excuse. so far you have only experienced misfortune. prosperity probes the heart with a keener touch; misery only calls for patience, but there is corruption in success. honesty, candour, and affection are the best of human qualities, and doubtless you yourself have enough character to retain them. but the complaisance of others will weaken your character. flattery and servile compliments will break down its defences and self-interest too, the bane of all sincerity. what though you and i can talk plainly with each other to-day? others will address themselves not to us but to our fortunes. to persuade an emperor what he ought to do is a laborious task: any one can flatter him without a spark of sincerity.
16'if the vast bulk of this empire could stand and keep its balance without a guiding hand, the republic might well have dated its birth from me. as it is, things have long ago come to such a pass that neither i in my old age can give the roman people any better gift than a good successor, nor you in your prime anything better than a good emperor. under tiberius, caligula, and claudius, rome was the heirloom of a single family. there is a kind of liberty in the free choice we have begun to exercise. now that the 34julian and claudian houses are extinct, by the plan of adoption the best man will always be discovered. royal birth is the gift of fortune, and is but valued as such. in adoption we can use a free judgement, and if we wish to choose well, the voice of the country points the way. think of nero, swollen with the pride of his long line of royal ancestry. it was not with a powerless province at his back, nor i with a single legion that freed rome's shoulders of that burden: it was his own cruelty and profligacy. and that was before there was any precedent for the conviction of an emperor.
'we have been called to the throne by the swords of those who thought us worthy. our high state will not escape the eye of envy. you may be sure of that. but there is no reason for you to feel alarm because in this world-wide upheaval a couple of legions have not yet settled down. i myself did not succeed to a safe and peaceful throne, and, when once the news of your adoption is spread, i shall cease to be charged with my advanced age, which is now the only fault they find in me. the rascals will always miss nero: you and i have got to see that good citizens do not miss him too.
'a longer sermon would ill befit the time and i have fulfilled my purpose, if i have done right in choosing you. the soundest and easiest criterion of right and wrong policy is to consider what you would have approved or condemned in another emperor. for rome is not like the nations which are ruled by kings, 35where one house is supreme and the rest are slaves. your future subjects are men who cannot endure the extremes either of bondage or of freedom.'
galba spoke these words and more to the same effect in the tone of one creating an emperor: the rest addressed piso as though he were emperor already. 17he is said to have betrayed no sign of amazement or elation either before those who were then present, or later when everybody's eyes centred upon him. his language to his emperor and adoptive father was deeply respectful and he spoke modestly of himself. he made no change in his expression or bearing, showing himself more able than anxious to rule. a discussion then took place whether the adoption should be announced before the people or in the senate, or in the guards' camp. they decided in favour of the camp, on the ground that it would be a compliment to the troops, whose goodwill was hard to win by flattery or bribes, but was by no means to be despised, if it could be won by good means. meanwhile the curiosity of the populace, impatient of any important secret, had brought together crowds all round the palace, and when once the rumour began to leak out an attempt at suppression only resulted in spreading it.
18the tenth of january was a dreary wet day, and an extraordinary storm of thunder and lightning showed the displeasure of providence. such phenomena were regarded in old days as a sign for the suspension of public business, but they did not deter galba from proceeding to the camp. either he disregarded such 36things as the result of pure chance or else he felt that the blows of fate may be foretold but not forestalled. he addressed a crowded assembly of the soldiers with true imperial brevity, stating simply that in adopting piso he was following the example of the sainted augustus, and the old military custom whereby each man chose another.44 he was afraid that by suppressing the news of the german rebellion he might only seem to exaggerate the danger, so he voluntarily declared that the fourth and twenty-second legions had been led by a few traitors into seditious murmurings but no further, and would soon return to their allegiance. he made no attempt to enhance his words either by eloquence or largess. however, the tribunes and centurions and those of the soldiers who stood nearest to him gave well-sounding answers. the rest were sorry and silent, for the war seemed to have lost them the largess that had always been usual even in peace. everybody agrees that they could have been won over had the parsimonious old emperor made the least display of generosity. he was ruined by his strict old-fashioned inflexibility, which seems too rigorous for these degenerate days.
19from the camp they proceeded to the senate, and galba's speech to its members was no fuller or finer than to the soldiers. piso spoke graciously, and there was no lack of support in the senate. many wished him well. those who did not were the more effusive. 37the majority were indifferent, but displayed a ready affability, intent on their private speculations without thought of the country's good. no other public action is reported of piso during the four days which intervened between his adoption and assassination.
