His last wife, Milonia, was the only one to have a child with him their daughter was called Julia Drusilla. For most of his youth, Caligulas great-grandmother Livia shielded him from politics. According to the ancient historian Suetonius, the Roman emperor known as Caligula loved one of his horses, Incitatus, so much that he gave the steed a marble stall, an ivory manger, a jeweled collar and even a house. Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus was born in 12 A.D., the third son of the renowned Roman general Germanicus and his wife, Agrippina the Elder. Caligula forced Macro, whom he owed so much, to commit suicide. He was the third of the six surviving children of the couple. In 39 and 40 he led military campaigns to the Rhine and the English Channel, where he eschewed battles for theatrical displays, commanding his troops to plunder the sea by gathering shells in their helmets). Im sure Caligula did this and worse to countless people in Romebut this was one man he never should have crossed. Read on for 42 facts about the man who thought himself a god. into a demonstration of cruelty and power. Caligula: Reign of Madness He died at just 28 years old, but his reign was a legendary frenzy of lunacy, murder, and lust. Caligulas wife and daughter were also put to death. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Five Famous Poisoners and Their Hapless Victims - Medium Caligula give his horse Incitatus a drink during a banquet. At the last minute, Caligula had an even worse ideahe turned and struck the priest instead. Readers might be familiar with the 1979 arthouse film Caligula, but the truth here is truly stranger than fiction. In 2008, archaeologists managed to find the actual corridor in Caligulas palace where the killing took place. Omissions? Caligula, born Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus in 12 AD, was the Emperor of Rome between 37 and 41 AD. The Roman populace had by now grown weary of this mad and unpredictable tyrant, and several conspiracies were formed against him. A conspiracy formed between the Praetorian Guard, the Senate and the equestrian order, and in late January of 41 A.D. Caligula was stabbed to death, along with his wife and daughter, by officers of the Praetorian Guard led by Cassius Chaerea. The Madness of Caligula: Rome's Cruelest Emperor? When he went to actual performances, he also liked to sing along with actors. He was so obsessed that sometimes he even slept in the stables with the horses! Aside from the obvious political motivations, Chaerea had a personal vendetta against the emperor as well. Hey, as long as hes not executing people on a whim, Id say thats a good thing. Countless people died or were ruined as a result of his whims or paranoia. If you think it seems strange that Tiberius would let Caligula live after killing almost his entire family, youre not the only one. What is Caligula most known for? Some say she and her brother engaged in incest, though author and historian Stephen Dando-Collins is dubious. As legend has it, he likened himself to an immortal God who could do anything to anyone, rampaging through Rome on an unstoppable streak of spending, adultery and murder. The Roman emperor Caligula Incitatus. Though the Praetorian Guard had turned on Caligula, his personal Germanic Guard was still rabidly loyal to him right to the end. But the young man ruled for only four years until he was brutally slain alongside his wife and daughter by a group of guardsmen and dumped into a shallow grave. Much to everyones surprise, Claudius, Caligulas much older Uncle, was called to take up the throne. His favourite phrase, which he frequently repeated, was Remember I have the right to do anything to anybody. This included adulterous affairs with the wives of his allies and the torment or murder of high-ranking senators who dared to disagree with him. ), most commonly known as Caligula, was the third Roman Emperor and a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 37 C.E. Tinto Brass 1979 film is a historical drama that some have relegated as cinematic erotica. Caligula allegedly carried two notebooks with him wherever he went. The senators set about restoring the Roman Republic, but there was one glaring problem. One day, the emperor allegedly found the days activities to be a little dull, so he ordered his guards to throw an entire section of the crowd to the beasts to make up it. Tiberius was responsible for wiping out most of Caligulas family, but when the emperor offered to make Caligula his heir, the boy wasnt about to say no! One reason for this might be that he was afraid he would have a seizure and drown while in the water. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Corrections? As well as having criminals and slaves sacrificed before an audience for entertainment, he was said to have even fed a section of the crowd to the beasts because they were running low on criminals. Tiberius adopted Caligula and made him and his cousin Gemellus equal heirs to the empire. Though the former was 24 when he was anointed and the latter 70, the historian has observed several parallels in their behaviors. Summoned to live with Tiberius in Capri as a teenager, Caligula became a pampered prisoner to his great uncle and adoptive grandfather, although he secretly despised him. I am nursing a viper for the Roman people, he said. Ethics vs. the Law: Whats the Difference? Caligula is often remembered as a selfish and capricious ruler whose ineptitude weakened the Roman empire during his four-year reign. Approximately six to seven months after taking power, Caligula suddenly fell ill, possibly by poisoning. Caligula Flashcards | Quizlet Tiberius summoned Caligula to the island of Capri where, by conflicting accounts, was either treated like a prince or a prisoner by the emperor. His recorded symptoms suggest he did in fact suffer from bipolar disorder, Dando-Collins reported. He ushered in a bountiful era of public events that ranged from chariot races and boxing matches to plays and gladiatorial fights. When archaeologists began digging, they made a surprising discovery. To procure the revenues needed to finance his extravagances, he then resorted to the extortion of prominent Roman citizens and the confiscation of their estates. They ordered the destruction of his statues and propped up a new Republic under the reign of Caligulas uncle, Claudius, who was found cowering behind a set of curtains while Caligula and his immediate family were executed. But the young man ruled for only four years until he was brutally slain alongside his wife and daughter by a group of guardsmen and dumped into a shallow grave. Oddly enough, the people of ancient Rome were actually angry when Caligula was murdered. Wikimedia CommonsDrusilla, Caligulas sister, is seated to the right of Felix, who is center. Eventually, Tiberius had her exiled, where she refused all food, eventually wasting away. He did just this. Each day, he had the statue dressed in whatever he was wearing, and Romes wealthiest citizens would make offerings to the emperor there. Revenge against the traitors who killed him was called for which Caligulas successor, his uncle Claudius, heartily provided. Rachel Seigel is an avid reader and book enthusiast with over 15 years of experience writing. (Reward if Found), 4 Roman Naval Battles that Made Rome Master of the Mediterranean, Scourge of the Inner Sea: The Pirates of the Ancient Mediterranean, 5 Myths About Emperor Caligula You Shouldnt Believe, Emperor Tiberius: 20 Facts about Ancient Romes Unpopular Leader, Roman Republic vs. Roman Empire and The Imperial System. There is a significant amount of evidence, however, that high-born women were as well. Remember that I have the right to do anything to anybody, hed remind people. Caligula didnt host orgies, but that was in part because Tiberius, who was actually a known pedophile, forced him to have sex with male prostitutes as a teenager. As with most of these sudden deaths that surrounded Caligulas life, a debate rages on as to whether or not the woman committed suicide or was, indeed, poisoned by the emperor. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Caligula was devastated by her death and had her declared a goddess, but thats as far as his devotion to her went, he concluded. Dressed in proper soldier attire with boots and armor, he earned the nickname . He soon became one of the most hated people in the entire empire. Most people know him from the infamous 1979 explicit film. Luckily for him, a sympathetic soldier found him, and a faction of the Praetorian Guard quickly took him out of the city to safety. When asked to explain the reason for his mirth, he replied, Ive just thought that Ive only to give the word and youll all have your throats cut. Hilarious, right?! Sometimes called pleasure barges, they were said to have marble dcor, mosaic floors, statues and there he held a succession of wild, debaucherous parties. Hed reprehend landowners just so that he could take their belongings. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. Caligulas grandmother Antonia managed to shield him from these intrigues until Sejunus death in 31. Thus, Cassius Dio notes, Caligula learned by actual experience that he was not a god.. Despite his noted cruelty, Caligula did manage to complete some crucial building projects that his predecessor Tiberius had ignored. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place, the man took a moment to think of the right answerwhich was evidently not the right move. She went out on campaigns with his father, the beloved general Germanicus, and served as his advisor. Then Caligula hit the scene, and things changed fast. Caligula | Biography & Facts | Britannica Very soon, Caligulas madness began to creep into his actions. To further the epilepsy diagnosis, multiple sources confirmed that Caligula could not swim, despite the fact that swimming lessons would absolutely have been a part of his education. Emperor Caligula: 16 Facts About the Cruel Roman Emperor Gaius Caesar Germanicus, better known as Caligula, was 24 years old when he became the third Roman emperor in 37 A.D. 12. While living as Tiberiuss guest, Caligula befriended Naevius Sutorius Macro, the head of the powerful Praetorian guard. Rumour has it he even had statues beheaded, replacing their heads with his own. So how did explorers finally find the ships that had been lost for almost two millennia? At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Because Im sure that fooled everybody. Caligulas legendary parentage was part of why people loved him so muchbut the man himself felt a little differently. But did you know that one of his most trusted advisors was a horse? He also had his father-in-law and brother-in-law executed, and his two living sisters exiled. Caligula, considered by many to be a mad and unpredictable tyrant, is also known for transferring the last legion under a senatorial proconsul to an imperial legate, completing the emperors monopoly of army command. Agrippina often and openly expressed her dislike for her sons predecessor, Emperor Tiberius. Known for his extreme extravagance, eccentricity, depravity and cruelty, he is remembered as a despot, and as the . Thin, pale, and covered in large amounts of fine hair, Caligula was not blessed with natural good looks. Sure, he wasted an untold fortune of public money, but oh well, old Thrassy was probably sored. Tiberius bolstered Caligulas ego by making him an heir to the throne and exposing him to scenes of torture and brutality, venomously claiming he was nursing a viper in Romes bosom.. But their attempt was unsuccessful; he remains today one of the most studied and written about Emperors of all time. But by far his most devious get-rich-quick scheme took place at one of his favorite hauntsthe gladiatorial arena. Caligulas wife Caesonia and his daughter were also put to death. Such a thing would have been extremely taboo at the timebut Caligula figured himself a god anyway, so I doubt that would have stopped him. It wasn't just an upgraded stable, either. Caligula always had the best clothes that money could buy. He marched his troops to the northern shoreline of Gaul as a prelude to the invasion of Britain but then ordered them to collect seashells there, which he called the spoils of the conquered ocean. In one twisted story, Caligula was supposedly meant to sacrifice a bull to the gods by hitting it over the head with a huge mallet. Caligula: The Immoral Legacy of 'Little Boots' - brewminate.com Tiberiuss son died, perhaps murdered by a political rival. Whatever the cause, historian and author Stephen Dando-Collins found through his own research that Caligulas illness caused an indisputable change in his temperament. Caligulas response was utterly chilling. This horse had his own home. The Roman Senate strongly concurred with that notion. He had an extensive collection of jewelry and a shoe collection that included many female shoes. When archaeologists finally uncovered the wreck in 1932, they were shocked at just how advanced the ship was. Caligula was Rome's most tyrannical emperor. He had double standards, Dando-Collins reported. Although Caligula got no further than the English Channel and was murdered soon after, his preparations for the invasion would allow Claudius to begin Romes successful conquest of Britain in 43 A.D. Caligula is most known for his cruelty and madness which he exhibited through the harsh taxes he levied on his citizens, the execution of senators whom he deemed untrustworthy, and other. When young Gaius was growing up, his father would dress him in a child-sized soldiers uniform whenever he brought him on campaign. He called himself Jupiter, after the Roman King of the Gods, and made senators refer to him as such. He had brazen affairs with the wives of his allies and was rumored to have incestuous relationships with his sisters. He also apparently suffered from faintness throughout his lifeperiods where he was incapable of almost any effort. According to Suetonius, Caligula in his infinite profligacy once constructed a temporary floating bridge across the Bay of Baiae just so he could ride triumphantly from one end to the other. They accuse Agrippina, the Younger, sister to the Emperor Caligula, of employing Locusta to murder her husband, the Emperor Claudius, . Caligula treasured the steed so much that he gave it its own house with an ivory manger and a marble stall. He dissolved pearls in vinegar for sustenance, gave his horse a jewel-encrusted collar, and declared war on the ocean the legends are endless. When he went to actual performances, he also liked to sing along with actors. She starved to death, after which the emperor imprisoned her two elder sons. He purged anyone who appeared loyal to the prior emperor, including his own wife. Roman Emperor Caligula's massive party ships were not burned by the After this he restored treason trials, showed great cruelty, and engaged in wild despotic caprice; e.g., he bridged the Bay of Naples with boats from Baiae to Puteoli in the summer of 39. We should note that Suetonius The TwelveCaesars was written 80 years after Caligulas assassination, and since earlier chronicles never mention Caligulas incestuous behavior, it may be an exaggeration on Suetoniuss part. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Caligula (2) But his insanity, coupled with his power as Emperor of Rome, would secure him a most unusual legacy. He was severely ill seven months after his accession. Caligula allegedly had a bridge from his home built to the temple of Jupiter to illustrate his divine power. Caligula fell so ill that he teetered between life and death for a solid month. o, how did he justify this ridiculous excess? But these were just warmups for his grandest goal of all. As a joke, Dando-Collins was sure to add. Apart from portraying Caligula as a deranged twenty-something emperor of Rome, they got just about everything else wrong.. He was diagnosed with epilepsy as a child, but his bipolar symptoms escaped diagnosis because the condition was unknown to physicians in his day. Nero was worse, because Caligula was to put it succinctly batshit crazy. Lazzaro Baldi (1624-1703). As Caligula became more unhinged, the aging emperor commented, I am nursing a viper in Romes bosom He didnt even know the half of it. But it was the other members of the Roman senate who appeared to suffer the most. Maybe he felt like he couldnt live up to his name, or maybe he just hated attention being drawn away from him, but Caligula deeply resented his famous ancestors. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Rome didnt let Caligulas cruel and disturbing behavior go unnoticed. Claudius completed the Roman annexation of Britain. He even sent an official officer of the Roman Army there to examine the sitebut perhaps his reach exceeded his grasp. In yet another of the famous stories about Caligulas megalomania, he once stood near a statue of Jupiter and asked a nearby actor who was more mightyhimself or the god. As such, the heir to the throne rested on Augustus teenaged grandsons, both of whom would die before Augustus himself. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. And as if that wasnt enough, he also had his dinner table set with golden loaves of bread. Wikimedia CommonsWhen he first took power, Caligula hd the ashes of his mother and brother moved to the sacred tomb of his ancestors. Then, of course, all their estates and possessions were his for the taking. Known for: Though he ruled Rome as Emperor for only four years, Caligula has been immortalised as one of history's most cruel and erratic leaders. Caligula is often remembered as a selfish and capricious ruler whose ineptitude weakened the Roman empire during his four-year reign. But assuming the much-maligned emperor was the loon his chroniclers describe, some scholars have suggested that an illness made him come unhingedpossibly temporal lobe epilepsy, hyperthyroidism or Wilsons disease, an inherited disorder that can cause mental instability. Who Made His Horse A Roman Consul? - Great American Adventures Sejanus manipulated the emperor and virtually ran the empire from his subordinate position. According to Suetonius, the few remaining Julii were mere prisoners, constantly under the eye of Tiberiuss men. Although his excessive architectural ambitions ran Rome into debt, he successfully oversaw the completion of important Roman buildings. Believing He Had Extraordinary Powers, He Declared Himself An Immortal God, 11. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her long-time partner and her dog. He only survived to become emperor by chance, Dando-Collins concluded. In 40 AD, he began making plans to permanently move to Alexandria, taking the capital with him. Whether or not that is the case, the mad emperor was stabbed more than 30 times and died on the spot. Enrico Verdesi, Rome, 1910/Photo by Print Collector/Getty Images. The second lover was the Emperor's favorite, and also the best dancer of his time. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Not at allhe simply said: Let them hate me, so long as they fear me.. Either affectionately or mockingly, Germanicus troops called the boy Caligula, meaning Little Boots or Booties. The nickname stuck, but Gaius reportedly hated it. We want our readers to trust us. One theory is that he wanted to prove to the Egyptian leaders that Rome was capable of matching any luxury craft that they built. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Its thought that during this tumultuous period in Caligulas life, he began to relish in the macabre.
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