he made use of it as a remedy, wrapped up in wool: others, on account of
his being prodigiously corpulent, such a one being called, in the
language of the Gauls, Galba; or, on the contrary, because he was of a
slender habit of body, like those insects which breed in a sort of oak,
and are called Galbae. Sergius Galba, a person of consular rank [644],
and the most eloquent man of his time, gave a lustre to the family.
History relates, that, when he was pro-praetor of Spain, he perfidiously
put to the sword thirty thousand Lusitanians, and by that means gave
occasion to the war of Viriatus [645]. His grandson being incensed
against Julius Caesar, whose lieutenant he had been in Gaul, because he
was through him disappointed of the consulship [646], joined with Cassius
and Brutus in the conspiracy against him, for which he was condemned by
the Pedian law. From him were descended the grandfather and father of
the emperor Galba. The grandfather was more celebrated for his
application to study, than (402) for any figure he made in the
government. For he rose no higher than the praetorship, but published a
large and not uninteresting history. His father attained to the
consulship [647]: he was a short man and hump-backed, but a tolerable
orator, and an industrious pleader. He was twice married: the
first of his wives was Mummia Achaica, daughter of Catulus, and
great-grand-daughter of Lucius Mummius, who sacked Corinth [648]; and the
other, Livia Ocellina, a very rich and beautiful woman, by whom it is
supposed he was courted for the nobleness of his descent. They say, that
she was farther encouraged to persevere in her advances, by an incident
which evinced the great ingenuousness of his disposition. Upon her
pressing her suit, he took an opportunity, when they were alone, of
stripping off his toga, and showing her the deformity of his person, that
he might not be thought to impose upon her. He had by Achaica two sons,
Caius and Sergius. The elder of these, Caius [649], having very much
reduced his estate, retired from town, and being prohibited by Tiberius