What kind of ruler was caligula

An experienced officer in the Praetorian Guard, he had served on the Rhine and prided himself on his sense of honour. To add insult to injury, the emperor treated Chaerea as a comic punch line. For Chaerea this was all too much. And when he heard of a plot against the insufferable emperor, he decided to play his part. On 24 January, Caligula rose late and decided to go and see a troupe of young actors, who were rehearsing just below the palace. Caligula fell instantly. The slaughter did not end there.

But Cassius Chaerea did not live to enjoy his revenge. Caligula had a favourite racehorse named Incitatus The Swift. He gave the animal regular treats and a stable made from marble. Soldiers were ordered to hush the neighbourhood when the horse was sleeping. When even he repeats something as hearsay, it is time to be very wary.

Instead, the consul story has become part of the Caligula myth. In reality, he did not. Perhaps he publicly quipped that even his horse would make a better consul than the present incumbents, and the senate propaganda machine took it from there.

It is also possible that Caligula did seriously contemplate making his horse a consul, but as a way of demeaning the senate. Nero later tried to demean senators by making them fight as gladiators and by prostituting their wives. Technically, we are asking why is Caligula called Caligula? Caligula was a childhood nickname that stuck — much to his chagrin. Despite his dislike for the moniker when he grew up, he was forevermore known by it.

Whether this actually happened is debatable. As the story goes, Caligula led an ill-conceived campaign to Britain, which made it to the furthest shores of Gaul before being aborted. As returning to Rome without a victory was unthinkable, Caligula declared war on Neptune, god of the sea, and had the waves whipped. His soldiers were ordered to collect seashells as prizes of war. Sometimes we only hear what we want to hear. When people start with an idea they want to be true, they may downplay or reinterpret anything that disagrees with it and enthusiastically accept anything that helps confirm it.

Anyone who has been wildly in love and later disillusioned will know this phenomenon. Thanks to Suetonius, confirmation bias has shaped our view of Caligula. Why did he commit his atrocities? Because he was mad. Once we break confirmation bias, other motives become apparent.

But then we have a mundane political power struggle, when we secretly prefer the delicious horror of an empire safely distant from us ruled by a sex-crazed, murderous tyrant. Sign in. Back to Main menu Virtual events Masterclasses.

Home Period Roman Caligula: murderous and depraved, or a victim of history? Plus four big questions about his reign answered. Succeeded by: His uncle, Claudius.

Known for his philosophical interests, Marcus Aurelius was one of the most respected emperors in Roman history. He was born into a wealthy and politically prominent family. Growing up, Marcus Aurelius was a dedicated student, learning Latin and Greek. But his greatest Greek philosophy and rhetoric moved fully into Latin for the first time in the speeches, letters and dialogues of Cicero B.

A brilliant lawyer and the first of his family to achieve Roman office, Cicero was one of the In B. He then marched his massive army across the Pyrenees and Alps into central Italy in what would be remembered as one of the most Located just east of the Roman Forum, the massive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was commissioned around A.

By the time the First Punic War broke out, Rome had become the dominant power throughout the Italian Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. The Emperor Caligula Caligula was not quite 25 years old when he took power in 37 A. Recommended for you. Julius Caesar. Think of it as the ancient equivalent of miniature Nikes and tuxedo-imprinted onesies: Even in Roman times, parents liked to proudly dress their progeny in tiny versions of grownup gear.

Growing up, Agrippina the Elder had a close relationship with her grandfather, the Emperor Augustus, who personally oversaw her education. After marrying Germanicus, she defied tradition by accompanying him on his military campaigns in Germania, reportedly acting as an adviser and diplomat.

When Germanicus died under suspicious circumstances, Agrippina boldly accused one of his rivals of poisoning him. She then starved herself to death while in prison, four years before her son Caligula came into power. It was Suetonius who first published claims that Caligula committed incest with his three sisters.

Earlier chroniclers who actually lived under Caligula, namely Seneca and Philo, make no mention of this type of behavior despite their harsh criticism of the emperor.

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.