[58] Later, he began the construction of aqueducts Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus, which Pliny the Elder considered to be engineering marvels. The horse has even made it into the Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: its definition for the name "Incitatus" reads "the name of Caligula's horse, made a consul by the emperor". However, according to Josephus, when the ship carrying the statue was still underway, news of Caligula's death reached Petronius. [33] Caligula's first acts were said to be generous in spirit, though many were political in nature. Retrieved 4 February 2009. For one thing, his fellow lawmakers would likely have whisked him out of power for such conduct. Philo's works, On the Embassy to Gaius and Flaccus, give some details on Caligula's early reign, but mostly focus on events surrounding the Jewish population in Judea and Egypt with whom he sympathizes. Caligula is often remembered as a selfish and capricious ruler whose ineptitude weakened the Roman empire during his four-year reign. J.H. Fabius Rusticus was a friend of Seneca who was known for historical embellishment and misrepresentation. It looks like he suffered some kind of brain damage from this extended sicknessmaybe a prolonged high fever, but that's just my guess. [9] In 30, his brother Drusus was imprisoned on charges of treason, and his brother Nero died in exile from either starvation or suicide. He was tyrannical, possibly insane, and had tendencies towards debauchery and even the merciless taking of life. Caligula did not trust the prefect of Egypt, Aulus Avilius Flaccus. [56] Caligula completed the temple of Augustus and the theatre of Pompey and began an amphitheatre beside the Saepta. Therefore speculations about madness are fruitless, as they can't be proven. The bulk of what is known of Caligula comes from Suetonius and Cassius Dio. to 41 C.E. And why not? [42] Cassius Dio said that this act "though delighting the rabble, grieved the sensible, who stopped to reflect, that if the offices should fall once more into the hands of the many many disasters would result". HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Herod Antipas confessed and Caligula exiled him. Or, faced with absolute power, did he allow himself to be corrupted absolutely? R.W. Accessibility October, 37 CE: Caligula fell seriously ill, with what was described at the time as a brain fever; there was great mourning in Rome, and much joy at his recovery. [63] This act was in defiance of a prediction by Tiberius' soothsayer Thrasyllus of Mendes that Caligula had "no more chance of becoming emperor than of riding a horse across the Bay of Baiae". [74] The first known equestrian governor of the two provinces was Marcus Fadius Celer Flavianus, in office in 44. He was the son of Germanicus and the future emperor spent his early years on military campaigns with his father. After this, the sources focus upon his cruelty, sadism, extravagance, and sexual perversion, presenting him as an insane tyrant. "[52] Furthermore, Alston points out that Caligula's successor, Claudius, was able to donate 15,000 sesterces to each member of the Praetorian Guard in 41,[24] suggesting the Roman treasury was solvent. ), they went onto say he woke up after 3 months! Mental health of UK Members of Parliament in the House of Commons: a cross-sectional survey. 38 CE: Early in the year, Caligula forced his father-in-law, Gaius Silanus, and young Gemellus, grandson of Tiberius, to commit suicide by accusing them of treasonable activities. [84] The validity of these accounts is debatable. CALIGULA (Latin: Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus; [1] 31 August 12 AD - 24 January 41 AD), also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. (The Roman historian added that these trysts even occurred during banquets, as guests and Caligulas wife gathered around.) 8600 Rockville Pike ago The funniest Roman emperor 172 44 r/ancientrome Join 5 mo. [108] Additionally, they mention affairs with various men including his brother-in-law Marcus Lepidus. Following the former's death in 37, Caligula succeeded him as emperor. [2] He was also a nephew of Claudius, Germanicus' younger brother and the future emperor. The site of the ships' discovery, Lake Nemi, lies 19 miles south of Rome in the region of Lazio. It was Suetonius who first published claims that Caligula committed incest with his three sisters. Only two sources contemporary with Caligula have survived the works of Philo and Seneca. [Emperor, comet and catastrophy - the <> plague and the end of antiquity]. [63] Caligula, who could not swim,[64] then proceeded to ride his favourite horse Incitatus across, wearing the breastplate of Alexander the Great. [101] Agrippa finally convinced Caligula to reverse the order. He was the third child of Augustus Caesar's granddaughter, Agrippina the Elder, and her husband, the Roman general Germanicus.As a . [87] Caligula's religious policy was a departure from that of his predecessors. He was known to distribute a lot of cash among the soldiers and the people of Rome as gifts. Although Gaius was named after Gaius Julius Caesar, he acquired the nickname "Caligula" ("little caliga", a type of military boot) from his father's soldiers during their campaign in Germania. Claudius was Caligula's uncle. [20][21] Caligula was briefly married to Junia Claudilla in 33, though she died in childbirth the following year. [60], At Syracuse, he repaired the city walls and the temples of the gods. One of the four conditions described as brain fever is Encephalitis (most common). ), most commonly known as Caligula, was the third Roman Emperor and a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 37 C.E. [131] Uncomfortable with lingering imperial support, the assassins sought out and killed Caligula's wife, Caesonia, and killed their young daughter, Julia Drusilla, by smashing her head against a wall. After about four years of depravity, dramatic stunts, and cruelty, Caligula was assassinated. [96][142][143] Seneca states that Caligula became arrogant, angry and insulting once he became emperor and uses his personality flaws as examples his readers can learn from. However, Caligula was successful in charming the people, the Senate, as well as the army through his behavior in the initial ruling days. Epilepsy Behav. He is known as the first truly insane emperor that the Roman Empire had. One of the most infamous emperors was Gaius Caesar or as history has branded him the cognomen "Caligula" after his tours in Gaul with his father Germanicus. Thus, the statue was never installed. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. [45] His nephew Nero both envied and admired the fact that Gaius had run through the vast wealth Tiberius had left him in so short a time. [79] "Seashells", or conchae in Latin, may be a metaphor for something else such as female genitalia (perhaps the troops visited brothels) or boats (perhaps they captured several small British boats). In the meantime our Twitter, Facebook, and Sunday Digest feature excellent content that has already been written! He allowed new members into the equestrian and senatorial orders. Caligula : I have existed from the morning of the world and I shall exist until the last star falls from the night. Caligula tricked Macro into believing that he was being made prefect of Egypt and then had him arrested and executed. Can someone clear this up for me, google isn't satisfying. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the [65] The ships burned in 1944 after an attack in the Second World War; almost nothing remains of their hulls, though many archaeological treasures remain intact in the museum at Lake Nemi and in the Museo Nazionale Romano (Palazzo Massimo) at Rome. The ships were among the largest vessels in the ancient world. [152][153] Based on scientific reconstructions of his official painted busts, Caligula had brown hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. "[58] In 40, Caligula began implementing very controversial policies that introduced religion into his political role. "Many of the symptoms and the post-mortem evidence were consistent with some forms of meningitis or encephalitis," writes Peterson. PMC Available at:https://www.museumcenter.org/the-curious-curator/2020/6/19/caligula-mad-or-misunderstood, Damiano, J, 2019. Suetonius. The problem about power back then there no checks or balances. Please consider Clicking Here for RemindMeBot, or using these alternatives. Ancient sources, like Suetonius and Cassius Dio, describe Caligula having a "brain fever". However, evidence of the emperors extravagant lifestyle has surfaced at Lake Nemi, where workers salvaged two massive pleasure bargescomplete with marble dcor, mosaic floors and statuesin the late 1920s and early 1930s. Caligula also made a significant attempt at expanding into Britannia. Rome would never be a republic again. Upon recovering, Caligula had permanently lost his hair and apparently his mind; extremely high fevers are known to cause brain damage that alters personality and mental function, and the result is very seldom an improvement. and Rome takes a devastating turn. [69] Suetonius reports that other senators were degraded by being forced to wait on him and run beside his chariot. In October of 37 C.E. We thank you for your interest in this question, and your patience in waiting for an in-depth and comprehensive answer to be written, which takes time. Caligula was the third emperor of the Roman empire. [7], Germanicus died at Antioch, Syria province, in AD19, aged only 33. [2][4] At the age of two or three, Gaius accompanied his father, Germanicus, on campaigns in the north of Germania. Josephus gives a detailed description of Caligula's assassination. [89], Caligula needed to quell several riots and conspiracies in the eastern territories during his reign. While some sources state that it was a kind of brain fever, others believe it could be a virus, lead poisoning, or even an assassination attempt. And here, an intriguing possibility arises: were the worst excesses of Caligula a fictitious smear campaign, put about to justify his death? All these occurrences naturally alarmed the senate. Occasionally he was liable to faintness, during which he remained incapable of any effort". Indeed, he was represented as a sun god on Egyptian coins. [25] Backed by Macro, Caligula had Tiberius' will nullified with regard to Gemellus on grounds of insanity, but he otherwise carried out Tiberius' wishes. [68] Caligula reviewed Tiberius' records of treason trials and decided, based on their actions during these trials, that numerous senators were not trustworthy. Afterward, his behavior changed. Claudius granted a general amnesty, although he executed a few junior officers involved in the conspiracy, including Chaerea. Before [27] He accepted the powers of the principate and entered Rome on 28 March amid a crowd that hailed him as "our baby" and "our star", among other nicknames. [9] To the surprise of many, Caligula was spared by Tiberius. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Bipin Dimri is a writer from India with an educational background in Management Studies. "Mister Cameron - I have read the unexpurgated Ovid, the love poems of Sappho, the Decameron in the original, and a great many texts in Greek and Latin histories that were not though fit for proper gentlemen to read, much less proper ladies. But if his leadership skills were so abysmal, some scholars have argued, how did he wind up annexing new provinces, expanding westward and formulating a feasible plan to take over Britain? [72] Pliny claims that division was the work of Caligula, but Dio states that in 42 an uprising took place, which was subdued by Gaius Suetonius Paulinus and Gnaeus Hosidius Geta, and the division only took place after this. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. (Before Caligula). And so, when the respected general Germanicus brought his son Gaius on campaign, the tyke sported soldiers footwear, or caligae, scaled down to his size. In fact, they found out almost immediately. I cant imagine you will find a definite answer on this. [5] The soldiers nicknamed him Caligula ("little [soldier's] boot"). The Mystery of the Bermagui Five, (In Pics) Six Abandoned Insane Asylums: Dungeons for the Helpless. [41] Perhaps most significantly, he restored the practice of elections. Known for his extreme extravagance, eccentricity, depravity and cruelty, he is remembered as a despot. In his early reign, Caligula is often described as the first Roman empire admired by everyone in all the world, from the rising to the setting sun. He charmed the people of Rome. The reign began with good feelings all around, since Caligula declared an amnesty for all Romans imprisoned or exiled under Tiberius, posthumously restored honor to his mother and brothers, and stopped the treason trials, getting rid of the informers in the process. His younger sisters were Julia Drusilla, Agrippina the Younger, and Julia Livilla. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help of course the popular view that he was crazy is in itself rather disputed, since 27 bc when augustus establish the princeps and became rome first emperor he held the real power however officialy the republic was "restored". In the centuries before the birth of Christ, the pre-eminent power of the northern shores of the Mediterranean was the Roman Republic. [9] Tiberius would not allow Agrippina to remarry for fear her husband would be a rival. Careers. In Roman political culture, insanity and sexual perversity were often presented hand-in-hand with poor government. So it was that Caligula's place in Roman history was secured. Known for his extreme extravagance, eccentricity, depravity and cruelty, he is remembered as a despot. Although the prefect of the Praetorian Guard, Macro, had been influential in helping Caligula secure the throne, the emperor apparently felt that Macro was becoming too powerful. He had a horse named Incitatus, who was his favorite. Caligula ruled over the Roman Empire from 37 to 41 AD in a style that has earned him the descriptors "mad" and "notorious." He was a dictator who set the bar for horrible dictator behavior, a. There are several details in Caligula's biography that support this argument. We have records from Herod Agrippa and others who knew him before and after and it seemed like he suffered some sort of brain damage from the fever. According to Wilkinson, Caligula's use of precious metals to mint coins throughout his principate indicates that the treasury most likely never fell into bankruptcy. [39], In 38, Caligula focused his attention on political and public reform. [62][63] It was said that the bridge was to rival the Persian king Xerxes' pontoon bridge crossing of the Hellespont. 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