Germanicus brought Gaius Caesar Germanicus, as young as three, along with him on his military campaigns. Claudius completed the Roman annexation of Britain. Sometimes called pleasure barges, they were said to have marble dcor, mosaic floors, statues and there he held a succession of wild, debaucherous parties. Son of the great military hero Germanicus, the people had high hopes for their new, young Emperor. As Caligulas tyrannical reign flew wildly out of control, a secret plot was hatched to have him killed. But growing up in the environment Caligula experienced, rife with murder, execution, and suicide, anyone could have become paranoid. But these were just warmups for his grandest goal of all. In one famous incident, Caligula arranged for hundreds of merchant ships to form a 3-mile long floating bridge across the Bay of Baiae. 14. But if you thought the rumors about Caligula were bad, you should hear the disturbing things we know for sure. The Roman emperor Caligula Incitatus. The project was never completed in ancient times. Icas94/De Agostini Picture Library via Getty Images. Instead, the reputation of the mad emperor could have been one fabricated by political rivals. Caligula often referred to himself as a god during political meetings and was even registered as such in public documents recording his attendance or appearance. But Caligula, 24 years old at the time, had no experience in war, diplomacy, or government. Which Roman Emperor Had A Horse? - Great American Adventures following a sporting event, before he was brutally stabbed over 30 times. What is Caligula most known for? Corrections? Augustus deeply admired Caligulas father, Germanicus, and made Tiberius promise to make the great general his heir. As the water level dropped, the outlines of the ships that had sat on the bottom for centuries finally revealed themselves. Roman Emperors: 16 Notorious Leaders That Defined Ancient Rome. In 38 he executed Naevius Sutorius Macro, prefect of the Praetorian Guard, to whose support he owed his accession, and Tiberius Gemellus, grandson of Tiberius, whom he had supplanted in the succession. He would also reportedly force senators to run alongside his chariot dressed in their full robes. Gaius Caesar Germanicus, better known as Caligula, was 24 years old when he became the third Roman emperor in 37 A.D. 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. Was Ancient Roman Emperor Caligula Actually The Insane, Sadistic Pervert Everyone Thinks? 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. 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. Because Im sure that fooled everybody. All of this sounds like totally normal behavior for the most powerful person on Earth. He decided to move. So Caligula, who now had access to absolute power, discovered new ways to secure funds. The reign of Augustus, the first emperor, was nearing its end when Caligula was born. 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. 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. Known for his extreme extravagance, eccentricity, depravity and cruelty, he is remembered as a despot, and as the . Caligula lavished large sums on aqueducts, harbours, theatres and temples in his name. So, how did he justify this ridiculous excess? Who was Caligula's lover? New York Public LibraryA depiction of Caligulas mother, Agrippina, who was imprisoned and starved to death for accusing the reigning emperor Tiberius of murdering her husband, Germanicus. 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. For one thing, his fellow lawmakers would likely have whisked him out of power for such conduct. Historical accounts of Caligula may vary, but, Unlike her weasely son, Caligulas mother Agrippina the Elder was a famously tough and courageous woman. Whether it was lowering taxes or buying extravagances for himself, none of these came cheap, and Rome started running out of money fast. Immediately following his death, the Roman senate set about destroying Caligulas statues in the hope that he could be forgotten from history. He put these abilities to good use on the day of his predecessors funeral, despite his utter hatred for the man who murdered his family. He didnt have sex with all his sisters. 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?). Others have focused on Caligulas impatience and irritability, as well as a recorded penchant of his for staring into the distance. 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. Just like that. Both his wife and one-year old daughter were also murdered at the imperial palace. However, right across the Mediterranean in Egypt, people had spent millennia worshipping their rulers as divine. Cruel and tyrannical Emperor Caligula ruled Ancient Rome through fear and terror. Gaius Caesar Germanicus, better known as Caligula, was 24 years old when he became the third Roman emperor in 37 A.D. 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. The mans unleashed id became so apparent that even Tiberius made mention of it. He dissolved pearls in vinegar for sustenance, gave his horse a jewel-encrusted collar, and declared war on the ocean the legends are endless. Remembered as a cruel and erratic tyrant, his deranged tendencies threw Rome into chaosand eventually caused his violent end. On the day of Caligulas brutal end, the Senate and the Praetorian Guard pillaged and sank his fabulous Lake Nemi barges. Caligula allegedly had a bridge from his home built to the temple of Jupiter to illustrate his divine power. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. This horse had his own home. After Germanicus died in 17 A.D., Caligulas family fell from favor in the eyes of the emperor Tiberius and the powerful Praetorian guardsman Sejanus, who saw the elder sons of the popular general as political rivals. He was sent to live with his great-grandmother Livia, who would soon die, leaving Caligula to the care of his grandmother Antonia. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. 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. My mom never told me how her best friend died. 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. He Turned A Military Campaign Into Performance Art, 8. 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. Lazzaro Baldi (1624-1703). What is Caligula most famous for? Even as a grown man, Caligula despised his nickname, so he did what any self-respecting emperor would do: he made a new one. Criminals and slaves were often sacrificed to vicious beasts for entertainmentbut apparently that wasnt enough for someone as bloodthirsty as Caligula. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. 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. 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. DeAgostini/Getty Images. May 1, 2020 By Rosie Lesso, MA Contemporary Art Theory, BA Fine Art The Roman populace had by now grown weary of this mad and unpredictable tyrant, and several conspiracies were formed against him. Mussolini personally ordered the Lake Nemi excavation project, but he wasnt the first person to get his hands on the wreck. When Caligula recovered, he discovered Macros plansand condemned his one-time ally to a horrifying fate. Caligula, born Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus in 12 AD, was the Emperor of Rome between 37 and 41 AD. What can we say, when it came to hedonism, Caligula was way ahead of his time. Claudius crouches behind a curtain as Caligula lies assassinated before him. Female Gladiators In Ancient Rome - World History Encyclopedia According to Suetonius, Caligula was extremely interested in the Egyptian practice of using incest to protect the royal bloodline. (See Researchers Note: Caligulas horse.) Caligula could be utterly monstrous in his dealings with humans, but that doesnt mean he disregarded all forms of life: He loved his horse Incitatus so much that he gave him his own house with a marble stall and manger made from ivory. Caligula (1979), Penthouse Films International, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Tragic Facts About Sophia Of Celle, The Prisoner Bride, Steadfast Facts About Queen Adelaide, The Tragic Consort, Gaudy Facts About Alva Vanderbilt, The Gilded Age Queen, Felicitous Facts About Philip V, The Melancholy King. But Suetonius wrote The Lives of the Caesars in 121 A.D., 80 years after Caligula was assassinated at age 28 by members of the Praetorian Guard. Caligula turned Roman Gladiatorial games into a demonstration of cruelty and power. Caligula had been a total disaster of an emperorbut the Roman military still liked the idea of an empire. 1. There are no real parallels between Richard Nixon and Caligula other than the fact that both were corrupted by power. As such, the people of Rome absolutely hated him by the time he died. Unfortunately for Caligula, falsely accusing people and stealing their stuff didnt bring in nearly enough money to pay off his debts, so he had to resort to even more ridiculous methods. 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. Caligula was devastated by her death and had her declared a goddess, but thats as far as his devotion to her went, he concluded. Caligulas first years in office were a wild ride, but nearly everything he did had one thing in common: they were expensive. By Rosie LessoMA Contemporary Art Theory, BA Fine ArtRosie is a contributing writer and artist based in Scotland. 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. But because history is often written only by the victor, what we glean about Caligulas legacy in popular culture is rife with bias, or capitalizes on the potential seediness and sexiness of his reign. His last wife, Milonia, was the only one to have a child with him their daughter was called Julia Drusilla. When Germanicus died, Caligulas mother Agrippa firmly believed Tiberius was to blame. So how did explorers finally find the ships that had been lost for almost two millennia? Then, of course, all their estates and possessions were his for the taking. If he moved to Alexandria, Rome, and the people who lived there, would lose their political influence. Dick Cheney can be compared to Sejanus, head of the Praetorian Guard under Caligulas predecessor Tiberius. Tiberius agreed, and Augustus diedcompletely unaware that his best-laid plans were about to go down in flames. 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. The oath went: I will not value my life or that of my children less highly than I do the safety of the Emperor Gaius and his sisters.. But something shifted in the next few months, which some have attributed to a serious illness, leading Caligula to become increasingly erratic and deranged. According to reports, Chaerea struck first, but soon the entire crowd swarmed the Emperor, viciously cutting him down where he stood. One of Tiberiuss first acts as emperor was to send Germanicus on a diplomatic mission, where the general mysteriously caught ill and died. 12. 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. How did he get the name of Caligula? After publicly declaring her desire for revenge, Tiberius swiftly had Agrippa and her children imprisoned, where they later died. Its believed by Suetonius, a biographer of Caligulas largely believed to have begotten his infamous legacy, that Germanicus was actually poisoned on the orders of Tiberius who feared the latter was a political rival. Caligula - Horse, Facts & Emperor - HISTORY The Egyptian Queen apparently melted a pearl earring in vinegar and drank it. 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. The third emperor reintroduced treason trials and performed public executions. Adopting his fathers distinguished name, he became Gaius Caesar Germanicus. 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. Caligula: Reign of Madness He died at just 28 years old, but his reign was a legendary frenzy of lunacy, murder, and lust. After the death of Emperor Caligula (37-41 CE) and his family at the hands of the Praetorian Guard, the future Emperor Claudius was found quivering behind a set of curtains, fearing for his own life, and named emperor.Historian Cassius Dio wrote: "At first the soldiers, supposing that he was someone else or perhaps had something worth taking . Lazzaro Baldi (1624-1703). According to Suetonius, Caligula managed to blow 2.7 billion sesterces in just the first year of his reign. The most famous story about Incitatus is that Incitatus made him a consul in the Incitatus.. Who made his horse a consul? Accounts of Caligulas reign by ancient historians are so biased against him that the truth is almost impossible to disentangle. What is Caligula most famous for? Martin proud, they allegedly killed Caligulas child, Julia Drusilla, by dashing her head against a wall. He continued his childhood games of dress-up, donning strange clothing, womens shoes and lavish accessories and wigseager, according to his biographer Cassius Dio, to appear to be anything rather than a human being and an emperor., Caligulas profligacy was draining the Roman treasury faster than he could replenish it through taxes and extortion. Suetonius recorded that the Romans sacrificed a whopping 160,000 animals in the first three months of Caligulas reign. The real name given to this notorious Emperor was Gaius Caesar Germanicus, from his parents Germanicus and Agrippa the Elder. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caligula-Roman-emperor, GlobalSecurity.org - Biography of Caligula. 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. Roman Emperor Caligula's massive party ships were not burned by the Although his excessive architectural ambitions ran Rome into debt, he successfully oversaw the completion of important Roman buildings. For someone as megalomaniacal as Caligula, that idea was too good to pass up. Both Gaius great-grandfather Augustus and father Germanicus were largely heralded and respected in their times, but his legacy would be a sadistic one. About halfway through his reign, Caligula broke with the senate and started using every opportunity to humiliate them. Gaius Caesar Germanicus was born in Antium (modern-day Anzio), Italy on August 31, 12 A.D. Which Roman emperor married a horse? Caligula, known for his taste for opulent luxury and love of outlandish parties, had the "pleasure boats" equipped with artwork - including marble statues and mosaics, archeologists believe. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. He was then tossed into a shallow grave before his wife and daughter were treated to the same fate. Some historians, like Stephen Dando-Collins, assert that this is just legend. The great-great grandson of Julius Caesar certainly left his mark by his possible madness and definitely horrific acts. Remember that I have the right to do anything to anybody, hed remind people. 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?). He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. 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. She starved to death, after which the emperor imprisoned her two elder sons. Caligulas grandmother Antonia managed to shield him from these intrigues until Sejunus death in 31. We want our readers to trust us. Caligula invited the ruler of Mauretania, Ptolemy, to Rome. The second lover was the Emperor's favorite, and also the best dancer of his time. He may have suffered from epilepsy. But in 19 A.D., however, Germanicus fell ill and died. Caligula was born as Emperor Augustus lay dying. Who Made His Horse A Roman Consul? - Great American Adventures When young Gaius was growing up, his father would dress him in a child-sized soldiers uniform whenever he brought him on campaign. How did Caligula become emperor? Whereas Nero was sane and malignantly evil. When it seemed as though Caligula might die of illness, Macro made some political maneuvers to try and save his own career. Earning the nickname Caligula - 'Little Boots' - in childhood, he would be immortalised as one of Rome's cruellest and most erratic leaders, even though he was only emperor for four years. Ethics vs. the Law: Whats the Difference? 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. The senators set about restoring the Roman Republic, but there was one glaring problem. 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.