Livia's will

[G-Manicus]

I'm currently reading "69 AD: The Year of the Four Emperors" by Gwyn Morgan. In discussing Galba, he indicates that Livia bequeathed him the sum of 50,000,000 sesterces upon her death. He doesn't explain why this might have been. I know Galba served under Augustus and all that, but is it odd that Livia would leave him such a sum? What was the nature of their relationship?

Edited April 10, 2008 by G-Manicus

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

I'm currently reading "69 AD: The Year of the Four Emperors" by Gwyn Morgan. In discussing Galba, he indicates that Livia bequeathed him the sum of 50,000,000 sesterces upon her death. He doesn't explain why this might have been. I know Galba served under Augustus and all that, but is it odd that Livia would leave him such a sum? What was the nature of their relationship?

 

Plutarch states that Galba was somehow related to Livia, but nowhere does he mention the sum of 50,000,000 sesterces.....

 

 

That Sulpicius Galba was the richest private person who ever came to the imperial throne, is generally admitted; moreover, his connection with the noble house of the Servii gave him great prestige, although he prided himself more on his relationship to Catulus, who was the foremost man in his time in virtue and reputation, even if he gladly left to others the exercise of greater power. Galba was also somehow related to Livia, the wife of Augustus Caesar, and therefore, at the instance of Livia, he was made consul by the emperor.

 

Plutarch- Life of Galba

 

Where as Suetonius does mention the amount but he says that Galba recieved nowhere near the stated amount......

 

He showed marked respect to Livia Augusta, to whose favour he owed great influence during her lifetime and by whose last will he almost became a rich man; for he had the largest bequest among her legatees, one of fifty million sesterces. But because the sum was designated in figures and not written out in words, Tiberius, who was her heir, reduced the bequest to five hundred thousand, and Galba never received even that amount.

 

Suetonius- Galba

 

 

[G-Manicus]

Thanks, GPM. Morgan says that Tiberious cut the inheritance down to 50,000 because he wanted it for himself.

 

Morgan does say that Galba's stepmother was a "Livia Ocellina" who apparently was quite fond of him and adopted him upon her death. Was she a relative of THE Livia perhaps? I'm not well versed enough in Roman naming conventions to know how it all works.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Livia Ocellina

 

This is from Suetonius.....

 

The emperor Servius Galba was born in the consulship of Marcus Valerius Messala and Gnaeus Lentulus, on the ninth day before the Kalends of January, in a country house situated on a hill near Tarracina, on the left as you go towards Fundi. Adopted by his stepmother Livia, he took her name and the surname Ocella, and also changed his forename; for he used Lucius, instead of Servius, from that time until he became emperor.

I'm not sure whether she did actually legally adopt him though because a woman in classical law was not allowed to adopt during her life time so she was just probably responsible for raising him.

 

 

On the other hand, according to Roman emperors.org It says that Galba was indeed adopted in his youth by Livia (Drussila) the mother of Tiberius, and owed much of his early advancement to her. I think this must be wrong though, I'd prefer to trust the ancient sources first.

[Primus Pilus]

On the other hand, according to Roman emperors.org It says that Galba was indeed adopted in his youth by Livia (Drussila) the mother of Tiberius, and owed much of his early advancement to her. I think this must be wrong though, I'd prefer to trust the ancient sources first.

 

Yes, this is incorrect. Livia Ocellina is not the same person as Livia Drusilla. The latter was never married to Galba's father.

 

Plutarch makes the claim that Galba was indeed related to Livia Drusilla but he presents no evidence. Life of Galba 3.

[G-Manicus]

On the other hand, according to Roman emperors.org It says that Galba was indeed adopted in his youth by Livia (Drussila) the mother of Tiberius, and owed much of his early advancement to her. I think this must be wrong though, I'd prefer to trust the ancient sources first.

Sounds like they've got their Livia's confused.

 

By the way, here is Morgan's passage about his stepmother adopting him:

 

The second was his relationship with his stepmother, Livia Ocellina. In her will she adopted Galba as her own child, leaving him considerable wealth so long as he took her name. From then on he styled himself officially Lucius Livius Ocella Sulpicius Galba.

[Nephele]

Morgan does say that Galba's stepmother was a "Livia Ocellina" who apparently was quite fond of him and adopted him upon her death. Was she a relative of THE Livia perhaps? I'm not well versed enough in Roman naming conventions to know how it all works.

 

Despite the scant evidence to be found in the ancient sources (as already noted in this thread), Dr. Leonhard Schmitz (classicist and 19th century Rector of the High School of Edinburgh) seemed convinced that Livia Ocellina and Livia Drusilla were related. In his article on Galba for Smith's Dictionary he wrote: "Livia Ocellina, a relative of Livia, the wife of Augustus, and the second wife of Galba's father, adopted young Ser. Sulpicius Glaba, who on this account altered his name into L. Livius Ocella, which he bore down to the time of his elevation."

 

I'm not sure whether she did actually legally adopt him though because a woman in classical law was not allowed to adopt during her life time so she was just probably responsible for raising him.

 

I, too, thought that women of ancient Rome were barred from adopting. Perhaps Livia Ocellina may have been a special case, considering her relationship to Livia Drusilla and the imperial family.

 

The fact that the young Servius Sulpicius Galba not only took the nomen gentilicium and cognomen of Livia Ocellina, but also the praenomen of "Lucius", suggests to me that perhaps the father of Livia Ocellina had been named "Lucius." There was a Lucius Livius Ocella who had been a praetor in the late Republic, and it's likely that Livia Ocellina may have been descended from him. Another noteworthy Ocella was Gaius Livius Ocella (the son of a Lucius) who was a quaestor in Spain in the late Republic (circa 40 BCE).

 

-- Nephele

[G-Manicus]

Thanks, Neph. That's interesting stuff.