Ahh politics, making things as complicated as possible for thousands of years. to 41 C.E. Plinys history of Cleopatra described a decadentand utterly revoltingcocktail. DeAgostini/Getty ImagesCaligula lies dead in the foreground after having already been executed, while his wife and daughter are murdered beside him. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Caligula insisted that every Roman take an official oath of allegiance, not just to himself, but also to his sisters (remember some of the rumors about ol Little Boots and his sisters?). One theory suggests epilepsy as the main cause of his headaches and that he was perhaps deathly afraid of impending seizures. following a sporting event, before he was brutally stabbed over 30 times. The emperor sent him to live with his great-grandmother Livia. For one thing, the film has a scene in which Caligula cuts the fetus of his child with his sister, Drusilla, out of her body. 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 starved to death, after which the emperor imprisoned her two elder sons. This may not seem like that big of a deal after all the disturbing things he had done, but had Caligula survived, his plans would have altered history forever. Caligula is often remembered as a selfish and capricious ruler whose ineptitude weakened the Roman empire during his four-year reign. He made pretensions to divinity and showed extravagant affection for his sisters, especially for Drusilla, who on her death (in 38) was consecrated Diva Drusilla, the first woman in Rome to be so honoured. 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. Two Pleasure Barges Were Built In Lake Nemi. When the emperor died in 37, Caligulas Praetorian ally Marco arranged for Caligula to be proclaimed the sole emperor. 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?! Caligula was not quite 25 years old when he took power in 37 A.D. At first, his succession was welcomed in Rome: He announced political reforms and recalled all exiles. Caligulas wife and daughter were also put to death. The next year, Caligula moved in with the aging Tiberius, who gleefully indulged his great-nephews worst habits, commenting that he was nursing a viper in Romes bosom.. This scene is great if youre a horror film fan, Dondo-Collins said, but not so great when it comes to historical accuracy. In January 41, four months after his return to Rome from Gaul, Caligula was murdered at the Palatine Games by Cassius Chaerea, tribune of the Praetorian guard, Cornelius Sabinus, and others. Some say she and her brother engaged in incest, though author and historian Stephen Dando-Collins is dubious. In one famous incident, Caligula arranged for hundreds of merchant ships to, form a 3-mile long floating bridge across the Bay of Baiae. But when all the battles were lost, he reached the brink of madness. 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. Very soon, Caligulas madness began to creep into his actions. But this was Ancient Rome, and powerful people didnt usually drop dead without a reason; rumors spread like wildfire that Tiberius had been behind Germanicuss end. He had an extensive collection of jewelry and a shoe collection that included many female shoes. Unsurprisingly, insulting the most powerful person on earth had dark consequences. It was an open secret throughout Rome that she intended to be the mother of emperors. Hed reprehend landowners just so that he could take their belongings. Well, as it turns out, no one was safe from the Caligulas wild mood swings. Little boot Caligula and his sisters, however, were spared violent retribution as they did not appear to be immediate threats. Caligula thought of himself as a godbut he was never a benevolent deity. Unfortunately he died before he could make this dream a reality. Caligula treasured the steed so much that he gave it its own house with an ivory manger and a marble stall. Which Roman emperor had a talking horse? He does not know yet hes about to be named the new emperor. Tiberius acted first and accused her and Caligulas two older brothers of treason. Augustus deeply admired Caligulas father, Germanicus, and made Tiberius promise to make the great general his heir. He purged anyone who appeared loyal to the prior emperor, including his own wife. Ancient Origins - The Madness of Caligula: Romes Cruelest Emperor. It was an open secret throughout Rome that she intended to be the mother of emperorsbut she crossed the wrong man, and she would never live to see her dream come true. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder, Augustus ' granddaughter. Others have focused on Caligulas impatience and irritability, as well as a recorded penchant of his for staring into the distance. After his accession Caligula quickly squandered the vast sums Tiberius had accumulated in the state treasury. In addition, Caligula maintained sexual relations with her sister's husband Marcus Lepidus and the actor pantomina Mnester. Persichini. When his glorious (and pointless) bridge was completed, Caligula supposedly covered himself in a gold cloak, put on Alexander the Greats breastplate, and crossed the bridge on his horse, showing Thrasyllus for good. According to contemporary accounts, Caligula, at least when he was young, was a gifted actor, and he managed to hide all of his dark feelings. If a Roman wanted to honor someone on meeting them, or ingratiate themselves with them, they gave the other person the upper hand in the handshake deliberately offering their right hand palm up, so that the other person had the dominant position, palm down, Dando-Collins wrote. He freed those his predecessor had unjustly imprisoned and eliminated a universally unpopular tax. Claudius crouches behind a curtain as Caligula lies assassinated before him. Uncovered during the 1920s and 30s, they had mostly been destroyed during the Second World War, but a lead pipe was found bearing the inscription Property of Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.. Then Caligula hit the scene, and things changed fast. Whether it was poison, trauma, mental illness, overblown rumors, or coming of age in a toxic environment, Caligulas behavior nonetheless left him unpopular. As Caligulas tyrannical reign flew wildly out of control, a secret plot was hatched to have him killed. In 2008, archaeologists managed to find the actual corridor in Caligulas palace where the killing took place. Who was Caligula's lover? Caligula allegedly executed two consuls for forgetting his birthday. As you can imagine, Caligula despised Tiberius for what he did. Known for his extreme extravagance, eccentricity, depravity and cruelty, he is remembered as a despot, and as the . Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. His grandmother was utterly furious with him, but she too died shortly after. Theres Nothing in the Rulebook That Says A Horse Cant Be Consul, Caligula could be utterly monstrous in his dealings with humans, but that doesnt mean he disregarded. About halfway through his reign, Caligula broke with the senate and started using every opportunity to humiliate them. It featured technology that most researchers figured the Romans wouldnt develop until centuries later. One of his favorites was to accuse someone of treason or some other crime, and have them fined, imprisoned, or even executed. Caligula ( / kljl /; 31 August 12 - 24 January 41), formally known as Gaius (Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from AD 37 until his assassination in AD 41. In January 41, four months after his return to Rome from Gaul, Caligula was murdered at the Palatine Games by Cassius Chaerea, tribune of the Praetorian Guard, Cornelius Sabinus, and others. He retreated to his behaviors on Capri, and with that, the hedonistic ruler infamous today was born. The second lover was the Emperor's favorite, and also the best dancer of his time. On January 22, 41 AD, Caligula was busy speaking to a group of young actors in the corridors beneath his luxurious palace when Chaerea and his fellow conspirators appeared out of nowhere. In the years that followed, many fishermen swore they could see the outlines of the luxurious ships under the waves. Im sure Caligula did this and worse to countless people in Romebut this was one man he never should have crossed. Caligula was the son of Augustus' adopted grandson, the very popular Germanicus, and his wife, Agrippina the Elder who was Augustus' granddaughter and a paragon of womanly virtue. Rampaging through Rome committing murder, adultery and acts of debauchery, his reign came to an abrupt end when he was brutally assassinated after only four years. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The future emperors famed history of incest is believed to have started during this time. The bridge, built on countless floating pontoons, allegedly stretched three miles across the Bay and featured several rest stops with drinking water along the way. He grew up with a massive chip on his shoulderand it only got worse as he got older. Thanks for your help! Rampaging through Rome committing murder, adultery and acts of debauchery, his reign came to an abrupt end when he was brutally assassinated after only four years. 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. Naturally, soiling the Roman Empires corridors of power with such madness wasnt well-received by virtually anyone. Caligula didnt just think of himself as a godhe resented the actual gods for being worshipped alongside him! He was diagnosed with epilepsy as a child, but his bipolar symptoms escaped diagnosis because the condition was unknown to physicians in his day. Tiberius will named Caligula co-heir with his younger cousin Tiberius Gemellus, but the Senate rejected these provisions and gave complete imperial power to Caligula, who instead made Gemellus, Even before he was Emperor, Caligula had an innate viciousness. Caligula "Little Boots" Known as "Caligula" ('Little Boots'), Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was born August 31, CE 12, died 41 CE, and ruled as emperor 37-41 CE. After raising taxes to pull in more money, Caligulas spending quickly became out of control. 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. He galloped back and forth across the bridge on his horse for two days straight, wearing a dazzling golden cape. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. Caligula (12-41) was the third emperor of Rome. A depiction of Caligulas mother, Agrippina, who was imprisoned and starved to death for accusing the reigning emperor Tiberius of murdering her husband, Germanicus. As Caligulas behavior became more erratic and cruel, critics began to question his actions. Hypatia of Alexandria, an ancient Greek intellectual killed for her beliefs, the incredible true story of Charles Van Doren and the Quiz Show scandals. 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! He was so obsessed that sometimes he even slept in the stables with the horses! Caligula was fond of spending money, but not so good at making it. Caligula lies dead in the foreground after having already been executed, while his wife and daughter are murdered beside him. Strangely enough, in order to drain Lake Nemi and uncover Caligulas ancient barges, engineers reactivated a centuries-old Roman irrigation channel that had once been used to connect the lake to nearby farmland. Simple: they drained the lake! For one thing, his fellow lawmakers would likely have whisked him out of power for such conduct. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Whereas Nero was sane and malignantly evil. According to Dando-Collins account, Caligula would have developed paranoia as part of bipolar disorder. Although the Senate oversaw the destruction of his statues after his death, Caligulas colourful extravagance and brutality solidified his renown for more than two millennia. He also apparently suffered from faintness throughout his lifeperiods where he was incapable of almost any effort. Caligula allegedly had a bridge from his home built to the temple of Jupiter to illustrate his divine power. His relationships with other individuals were turbulent as well. Claudius was Roman emperor from 41 to 54 CE. Suetonius recorded that the Romans sacrificed a whopping 160,000 animals in the first three months of Caligulas reign. Caligula appeared unexpectedly on the Upper Rhine in October 39 and suppressed an incipient revolt, executing Drusillas widower M. Aemilius Lepidus and Gnaeus Lentulus Gaetulicus, commander of the Upper Rhine armies. He had brazen affairs with the wives of his allies and was rumored to have incestuous relationships with his sisters. Find out whether the much-maligned emperor was as crazy as they say. But something shifted in the next few months, which some have attributed to a serious illness, leading Caligula to become increasingly erratic and deranged. The Roman historian Philo described those first few months as blissful, but the bliss ended almost as quickly as it started. A.D., Caligula led military campaigns to the Rhine and the English Channel, hoping to follow in the almighty legacy of his fearless father Germanicus. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He laughed as he made everyone around them miserablebut he would eventually pay the ultimate price for it. His ancestor, Emperor Nero, felt two ways about Caligulas spending habits: he admired how much Caligula managed to spendand was jealous he didnt inherit a nest egg that big. Caligula was now a teenager and is rumored to have engaged in ancestral relations with his sister Drusilla while the two lived with their grandmother. Omissions? Not at allhe simply said: Let them hate me, so long as they fear me.. (See Researchers Note: Caligulas horse.) One of the first things Caligula did once he became emperor was ban those male prostitutes from Rome., Finally, Dando-Collins was quick to dispel the myth of incest. Nero was worse, because Caligula was to put it succinctly batshit crazy. Caligula invited the ruler of Mauretania, Ptolemy, to Rome. As one might expect from such Hollywood fare that admittedly is more avant-garde than say, Stanley Kubricks Spartacus, the film is riddled with inaccuracies which Dando-Collins has no qualms in pointing out: The 1979 film was produced and co-written by Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione, who set out with co-writer Gore Vidal to make it as gory and sexually titillating as possible. But Claudius came to prove a much better leader than his wayward young nephew. Nero was worse, because Caligula was to put it succinctly batshit crazy. Whatever the cause, historian and author Stephen Dando-Collins found through his own research that Caligulas illness caused an indisputable change in his temperament. He may have fooled around with his favorite sister Drusilla as a teenager, but even that is debatable., Caligula was far from a fair ruler, Dondo-Collins maintained. When Caligula took the throne, Mauretania in North Africa was a client kingdom to the Roman Empire. Well never know what really happened on that dark day, but the result was clear: Caligula took the throne, and Rome trembled. Rome didnt let Caligulas cruel and disturbing behavior go unnoticed. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! For most of his youth, Caligulas great-grandmother Livia shielded him from politics. He may have suffered from epilepsy. And Tacitus, during a lengthy diatribe in which he accuses Caligulas sister Agrippinawife of the Emperor Claudiusof incest with her son, never implicates her brother. In 40 AD, he began making plans to permanently move to Alexandria, taking the capital with him. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Caligulas grandmother was infuriated at the deed, and, of course, died shortly after expressing that fact. 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! Remembered as a cruel and erratic tyrant, his deranged tendencies threw Rome into chaosand eventually caused his violent end. DeAgostini/Getty Images. His wives were Junia Claudilla, Livia Orestilla, Lollia Paulina and Milonia Caesonia. He does not know yet hes about to be named the new emperor. The Inspiring Story Of Joe Medicine Crow, The Plains War Chief Who Fought The Nazis During World War II, Robert Hansen: The Alaskan Serial Killer Who Hunted His Victims Like Animals, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Stephen Dando-Collins reported that he found numerous similarities between Caligula and Donald Trump. However, right across the Mediterranean in Egypt, people had spent millennia worshipping their rulers as divine. 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. And while he complained about the rulings of the Senate, he never overturned those rulings, even though he had the power to do so.. Regardless of whether Caligula actually hosted orgies or made parents watch as their children were killed, Dando-Collins concludes that he was nonetheless a dangerous man to know. Caligulas legendary parentage was part of why people loved him so muchbut the man himself felt a little differently.