Totally random Roman history!

When attending a morning sacrifice before the victim was killed, Galba was now repeatedly warned by a soothsayer to expect danger - murderers were about. Soon afterwards news came that Otho had seized the Guards' Camp. Though urged to hurry there in person, because his rank and presence could carry the day, Galba stayed where he was, bent on rallying to his standard the legionaries scattered throughout the city. He did, indeed, put on a linen corselet, but remarked that it would afford small protection against so many swords. Meanwhile, some of his supporters rashly assured him that the affair was over and the rebels suppressed - their troops were on the way to surrender and offer their congratulations, ready to obey all his orders. Galba went forward to meet them in the utmost confidence. When a soldier claimed with pride to have killed Otho, he snapped: 'On whose authority?' and hurried on to the Forum. There a party of cavalrymen, clattering through the city streets and dispersing the mob, caught sight of him from a distance. These were his appointed assassins. They reined in for a moment, then charged at him; his followers abandoned him, and he was butchered.

So ended Servius Sulpicius Galba, who ruled Rome as emperor for seven months. He succeeded Nero after Rome finally wised up and dispatched that crazy guy, but Galba was not the answer. He died in January in AD 69, "the year of four emperors," when Rome was wracked by civil war. He was succeeded by Otho, who was succeeded by Vitellius, who was succeeded by Vespasian, who finally restored order to the empire. Good job, Vespasian!

This is from Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars. Interesting book. I also recently bought 69 A.D.: The Year of Four Emperors by Gwyn Morgan, who tells us that Galba's head was cut off and brought to Otho while his body was left in the middle of the Forum. Those Romans knew how to perform a coup!