Of all the soldiers present, only Sempronius Densus, who had been assigned by Galba to guard Piso, stood firm, while his colleagues either joined in the murder or melted away.
[1][2][3] While Piso fled to seek a safe hiding place, Sempronius bought him time to escape, first remonstrating with the assassins and then fighting them to the death.
[5] According to Plutarch, Sempronius gave his life defending both Galba and Piso: No man resisted or offered to stand up in his defence, save one only, a centurion, Sempronius Densus, the single man among so many thousands that the sun beheld that day act worthily of the Roman empire, who, though he had never received any favour from Galba, yet out of bravery and allegiance endeavoured to defend the litter.
[3][7] Dio Cassius simply relates: Sempronius Densus, a centurion, defended him as long as he could, and finally, when he could accomplish nothing, let himself be slain over Galba's body.
While most of the assassins hacked Galba's corpse to pieces and paraded his severed head on a pole, two of them sought out Piso, who had taken refuge in the Temple of Vesta.