Life

Caligula's father Germanicus was the nephew and adoptive son of emperor Tiberius. He was a very successful general. He was one of Rome's most beloved public figures.

When Germanicus died at Antioch in 19 AD, Caligula's mother, Agrippina the Elder, returned to Rome with her six children. She had a bitter feud with Tiberius. That eventually led to the destruction of her family. Caligula was the only male survivor. In the year 31, he joined the emperor on the island of Capri. Tiberius had gone there five years earlier. When Tiberius died in 37, Caligula became emperor.

There are few surviving sources on Caligula's reign. He is described as a noble and moderate ruler during the first two years of his rule. After this, the sources focus upon his cruelty, extravagance, and sexual perversity, presenting him as an insane tyrant.

Caligula worked to give more authority to the emperor. He put a lot of his effort into ambitious construction projects and luxurious dwellings for himself. He started the construction of two new aqueducts in Rome: the Aqua Claudia and the Anio Novus. During his reign, the empire took over the Kingdom of Tunisia and made it into a province.

In early 41, Caligula was assassinated. There was a conspiracy involving officers of the Praetorian Guard, members of the Roman Senate and members of the imperial court. After Caligula's death, the conspirators' tried to bring back the Roman Republic, but they were unsuccessful. The Praetorian Guard declared Caligula's uncle Claudius emperor in his place.

Ancestry

Insanity?

There are stories about Caligula that show cruelty and insanity. He was accused of killing just for amusement.[2] He was accused of committing incest with his sisters and prostituting them with other men.[3] He was accused of turning the palace into a brothel.[4]

Caligula appeared in public dressed as various gods. He demanded to be worshipped as a god.[5] There was a legend that he appointed a horse to the priesthood.[6][7]

It is difficult to know anything for certain about Caligula. Only two sources from his time still exist. Those are the works of Philo and Seneca. They give mostly anecdotes. At one time, there were detailed histories on Caligula. Now they are lost. Caligula's sister, Agrippina the Younger, wrote an autobiography which certainly had a lot of information about Caligula's reign. It is also lost. No surviving source paints Caligula in a favorable light. It is not known whether Caligula was insane. Philo describes the emperor as arrogant and cynical, but does not say he was psychotic.[8] Seneca was exiled in part because of Caligula. He writes that Caligula caused people to be tortured and executed in brutal ways. Secena writes that Caligula was a sadist. [9]Seneca also gives a definition of insanity as a variant of a tyranny, turned the wrong way; in this definition, he does not mention Caligula.[10] Flavius Josephus uses the term insaity multiple time, when he talks abour the emperor. What remains unclear though if Josephus speakes about a psychological condition, or simply the way in which Caligula ruled.

Relics

In 2017 a mosaic from one of Caligula's Lake Nemi pleasure ships was discovered in New York City[11]

References

  1. ↑ Barrett, Anthony A. 1989. Caligula: the corruption of power. Batsford, London. ISBN 0-7134-5487-3
  2. ↑ Seneca the Younger, On Anger III.xviii.1.
  3. ↑ Cassius Dio, Roman History LIX.11, LIX.22; Suetonius, The Lives of Twelve Caesars, Life of Caligula 24.
  4. ↑ Suetonius, The Lives of Twelve Caesars, Life of Caligula 41
  5. ↑ Cassius Dio, Roman History LIX.26-28.
  6. ↑ Tom Meltzner (June 30, 2013). "Caligula with Mary Beard – TV review". Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  7. ↑ Suetonius, The Lives of Twelve Caesars, Life of Caligula 55; Cassius Dio, Roman History LIX.14, LIX.28.
  8. ↑ Philon, De legatione ad Gaium, 11(76); 13(93)
  9. ↑ Seneca ira 3,18–19
  10. ↑ Seneca clem. 1,25
  11. ↑ NBC NewsOct 20, 2017

Other websites

Caligula
Born: 31 August AD 12 Died: 24 January AD 41
Royal titles
Preceded by
Tiberius		 Roman Emperor
37–41		 Succeeded by
Claudius
Political offices
Preceded by
Gnaeus Acerronius Proculus, and
Gaius Petronius Pontius Nigrinus
as Ordinary consuls		 Suffect consul of the Roman Empire
37
with Claudius		 Succeeded by
Aulus Caecina Paetus, and
Gaius Caninius Rebilus
as Suffect consuls
Preceded by
Servius Asinius Celer,
and Sextus Nonius Quinctilianus
as Suffect consuls		 Consul of the Roman Empire
39
with Lucius Apronius Caesianus		 Succeeded by
Quintus Sanquinius Maximus
as Suffect consul
Preceded by
Aulus Didius Gallus,
and Gnaeus Domitius Afer
as Suffect consuls		 Consul of the Roman Empire
40
sine collega		 Succeeded by
Gaius Laecanius Bassus,
and Quintus Terentius Culleo
as Suffect consuls
Preceded by
Gaius Laecanius Bassus,
and Quintus Terentius Culleo
as Suffect consuls		 Consul of the Roman Empire
41
with Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus		 Succeeded by
Quintus Pomponius Secundus
as Suffect consul
source: http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula