Previously she has worked in both curatorial and educational roles, discovering how stories and history can really enrich our experience of art. 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. As well as having criminals and slaves sacrificed before an audience for entertainment, he was said to have even fed a section of the crowd to the beasts because they were running low on criminals. . They paid tribute to Rome, but they were self-ruled and not part of the Empire. 8 Things You May Not Know About Emperor Claudius Although his excessive architectural ambitions ran Rome into debt, he successfully oversaw the completion of important Roman buildings. But he gives a straight up and down handshake to others mostly female leaders such as Theresa May and Angela Merkel. After all, he came from a pretty amazing pedigree, and many were sympathetic to the nightmares he went through as a child. He also rebuilt the walls at the temples of Syracuse and built a city in the Alps. 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. 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. 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. Eventually, when the crowds at chariot races supported teams other than his favorite Blues team, he spoke, only half-jokingly, of executing the lot of them.. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Icas94/De Agostini Picture Library via Getty Images.Caligula is stabbed to death. Though accounts of this event come from years after Caligulas reign, based on what we know about him, is it really that far-fetched? Enrico Verdesi, Rome, 1910/Photo by Print Collector/Getty Images. Drusilla, Caligulas sister, is seated to the right of Felix, who is center. Caligula was fond of spending money, but not so good at making it. Which Roman emperor married a horse? Roman Emperor Caligula: Horse, Facts, Life And Scandals - HistoryExtra The Senate was eager to rid history of the man. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Augustus deeply admired Caligulas father, Germanicus, and made Tiberius promise to make the great general his heir. Revenge against the traitors who killed him was called for which Caligulas successor, his uncle Claudius, heartily provided. Then, of course, all their estates and possessions were his for the taking. Caligula allegedly had a bridge from his home built to the temple of Jupiter to illustrate his divine power. 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. Junia died in childbirth a year after their wedding, and Caligula was left alone once again. Find out whether the much-maligned emperor was as crazy as they say. Wikimedia CommonsCaligulas nickname stemmed from the little boots he wore as a child while accompanying his father on military campaigns. He was diagnosed with epilepsy as a child, but his bipolar symptoms escaped diagnosis because the condition was unknown to physicians in his day. His recorded symptoms suggest he did in fact suffer from bipolar disorder, Dando-Collins reported. During his short reign, Caligula emerged as one of the most dominant leaders of Rome's early emperors. He galloped back and forth across the bridge on his horse for two days straight, wearing a dazzling golden cape. After killing Caligula, his assassins tracked down his wife and their young daughter, determined to eliminate any trace of the emperors bloodline. Caligula (3) But it was the other members of the Roman senate who appeared to suffer the most. 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. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. 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.. At first, Caligulas reign was well-received. By all accounts, Caligula wasnt a particularly formidable figure. He was then tossed into a shallow grave before his wife and daughter were treated to the same fate. In the end, Tiberius was tipped off by Caligulas grandmother that Sejanus was planning to overthrow him, and Sejanus was executed whereas Cheney the puppet master and pliable George W. Bush both went into comfortable retirement., The primary lesson, Dando-Collins concluded, despite massive advances in knowledge and technology, human nature has not changed in two thousand years.. When young Gaius was growing up, his father would dress him in a child-sized soldiers uniform whenever he brought him on campaign. Married Four Times, Each Was Short Lived, 13. 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. Caligula came from a prominent line of Roman leaders. According to Suetonius, an ancient historian, Caligula's horse Incitatus had a stable made of marble and a stall made of ivory. By no means do all modern authors assume Caligula was insane, Winterling wrote. 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. Apparently, when he entered the room and found Tiberius asleep, he had a change of heart and left, but he still felt like people had to know that he could have done it. 50. As such, the heir to the throne rested on Augustus teenaged grandsons, both of whom would die before Augustus himself. 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 purged anyone who appeared loyal to the prior emperor, including his own wife. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. Historians wrote that he would sleep with his own officials wives, then brag about it publicly in front of them. One theory suggests epilepsy as the main cause of his headaches and that he was perhaps deathly afraid of impending seizures. And did this bother the man who thought himself a god? Five Famous Poisoners and Their Hapless Victims - Medium What is Caligula most known for? As befitting a gilded emperor, Caligula absolutely loved gold. Remembered as a cruel and erratic tyrant, his deranged tendencies threw Rome into chaosand eventually caused his violent end. 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. 7. 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. Even though the public strongly considered that Caligula may have been an impetus in his death, they were overjoyed. He got the name "Caligula" as a nickname meaning "little boots," derived from the miniature uniform he wore as a child while on a campaign with his father, Germanicus. He had double standards, Dando-Collins reported. Caligula took every step to ensure his popularity when he became emperor. Cruel and tyrannical Emperor Caligula ruled Ancient Rome through fear and terror. It was almost 300 feet long and outfitted with ornate mosaics, heating, and plumbing. In one famous incident, Caligula arranged for hundreds of merchant ships to form a 3-mile long floating bridge across the Bay of Baiae. Also known as: Gaius Caesar, Gaius Caesar Germanicus. What is Caligula most famous for? Caligula invited the ruler of Mauretania, Ptolemy, to Rome. 14. 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 raised taxes to pay for his lavish lifestyle. He freed unjustly imprisoned citizens, gave bonuses to military men, and eliminated a highly unpopular tax. 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. (See Researchers Note: Caligulas horse.) He Turned A Military Campaign Into Performance Art, 8. Whatever the cause, historian and author Stephen Dando-Collins found through his own research that Caligulas illness caused an indisputable change in his temperament. According to multiple Roman sources, Caligula treated his favorite force, Incitatus, better than most people. The senators set about restoring the Roman Republic, but there was one glaring problem. Six or seven months into his reign, however, everything changed. Introduction. He completed construction on the Temple of Augustus and Pompeys theatre, he started work on an aqueduct to improve Romes water supply, and he built a majestic amphitheater. They include the Temple of Augustus, Pompeiis Theatre, the rebuilding of the walls in the temples of Syracuse, and the Roman city in the Alps. Perhaps a loving family might have calmed the mercurial Caligula down a littlebut tragedy soon tore his new family apart. Mussolini personally ordered the Lake Nemi excavation project, but he wasnt the first person to get his hands on the wreck. As far as Caligula was concerned, fashion was fashion. Caligula always had the best clothes that money could buy. He allegedly liked to spread gold coins all over the ground and walk on them with his bare feetsome stories even say he pulled a Scrooge McDuck and waded in them like water. Before he took the throne, the astrologer Thrasyllus made a prediction that Caligula had no more chance of becoming emperor than of riding a horse across the Gulf of Baiae. Caligula set out to prove the man a fooland he went to desperate lengths to do so. Lazzaro Baldi (1624-1703). For most of his youth, Caligulas great-grandmother Livia shielded him from politics. When Germanicus died under suspicious circumstances, Agrippina boldly accused one of his rivals of poisoning him. 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. Drusilla died in a pandemic, and as far we know wasnt pregnant at the time. 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. They believe he suffered from hyperthyroidism, which also commonly leads to headaches. Known for his extreme extravagance, eccentricity, depravity and cruelty, he is remembered as a despot, and as the . But just how far Caligulas taste for extremism and excess goes is still hotly debated. Its thought that during this tumultuous period in Caligulas life, he began to relish in the macabre. The emperor decided to do the same himself, and embarked on incestuous relationships with all three of his sisters in the hope of perfectly preserving his royal blood. He was severely ill seven months after his accession. According to reports, Chaerea struck first, but soon the entire crowd swarmed the Emperor, viciously cutting him down where he stood. Legend has it that Caligula loved his horse Incitatus so much he planned on anointing it to high office. Ahh politics, making things as complicated as possible for thousands of years. Caligula - World History Encyclopedia Claudius completed the Roman annexation of Britain. And while he complained about the rulings of the Senate, he never overturned those rulings, even though he had the power to do so.. In 39 and 40 he led military campaigns to the Rhine and the English Channel, where he eschewed battles for theatrical displays, commanding his troops to plunder the sea by gathering shells in their helmets). Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Suetonius recorded that the Romans sacrificed a whopping 160,000 animals in the first three months of Caligulas reign. The emperor sent him to live with his great-grandmother Livia. According to Suetonius, Caligula was extremely interested in the Egyptian practice of using incest to protect the royal bloodline. ), most commonly known as Caligula, was the third Roman Emperor and a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 37 C.E. When he first took power, Caligula hd the ashes of his mother and brother moved to the sacred tomb of his ancestors. 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. Roman Emperors: 16 Notorious Leaders That Defined Ancient Rome. Roman Emperor Caligula's massive party ships were not burned by the He only survived to become emperor by chance, Dando-Collins concluded. Son of the great military hero Germanicus, the people had high hopes for their new, young Emperor. When the emperor died in 37, Caligulas Praetorian ally Marco arranged for Caligula to be proclaimed the sole emperor. WATCH: Full episodes of Colosseum online now. Caligula turned Roman Gladiatorial games into a demonstration of cruelty and power. As Caligulas tyrannical reign flew wildly out of control, a secret plot was hatched to have him killed. The son of a great military leader, he escaped family intrigues to take the throne, but his personal and fiscal excesses led him to be the first Roman emperor to be assassinated. Perhaps desperate to shut the narrative down, Tiberius banished Agrippina to prison on a remote island. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Gaius and his three sisters survived. Omissions? Whether or not that is the case, the mad emperor was stabbed more than 30 times and died on the spot. Remember that I have the right to do anything to anybody, hed remind people. For someone as megalomaniacal as Caligula, that idea was too good to pass up. Julius Caesar was his great-great-grandfather, Augustus was his grandfather, and his father Germanicus was one of Romes most effective and popular generals. Though known for his harsh treatment of others, the infamous Roman emperor Caligula lavished attention upon his horse Incitatus, giving the animal his own house with a marble stall and ivory manger. He Banned Anyone From Talking About Goats Near Him, 9. He was nonetheless named sole emperor of Rome. It was rumoured that he planned to appoint his horse consul before he died. Even today, historians cant quite agree on his reason for building them. Stephen Dando-Collins reported that he found numerous similarities between Caligula and Donald Trump. Unlike her weasely son, Caligulas mother Agrippina the Elder was a famously tough and courageous woman. Some historians, like Stephen Dando-Collins, assert that this is just legend. New York Public LibraryClaudius crouches behind a curtain as Caligula lies assassinated before him. Thanks for your time! Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Early in his reign, he decided to spend a fortune to build a floating bridge across the Bay of Naplesjust to stick it to one of his naysayers. Hypatia of Alexandria, an ancient Greek intellectual killed for her beliefs, the incredible true story of Charles Van Doren and the Quiz Show scandals. In 1979 the film Caligula, directed by Tinto Brass and starring Malcolm McDowell, shocked the world with its explicit portrayal of the emperors cruel and salacious escapades. Pubic DomainCaligula in a winged helmet and holding double-headed arrows before a military scene in the background, even though the emperor had no military experience. May 1, 2020 By Rosie Lesso, MA Contemporary Art Theory, BA Fine Art After this he restored treason trials, showed great cruelty, and engaged in wild despotic caprice; e.g., he bridged the Bay of Naples with boats from Baiae to Puteoli in the summer of 39. Nero was worse, because Caligula was to put it succinctly batshit crazy. Indeed, at some point in his reign, Caligula was said to have been plagued with headaches. So when Caligula took the throne, the Romans rejoiced. 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 . All Rights Reserved. In 41 A.D., he was attacked by a cabal of Praetorian Guards following a sporting event, before he was brutally stabbed over 30 times. The young Caligula barely survived the fallout of his fathers demise. Growing up, Agrippina the Elder had a close relationship with her grandfather, the Emperor Augustus, who personally oversaw her education. Caligula forced Macro, whom he owed so much, to commit suicide. Both were dictators with absolute power and they were both stabbed 30 times by a group of conspirators led by a man named Cassius. When he went to actual performances, he also liked to sing along with actors. Discover why the name of Caligula is notorious throughout the world.. When Augustus died on August 19, 14 A.D., however, Tiberius assumed power and sent Germanicus to the eastern provinces. This amused the other soldiers, who mockingly nicknamed him Caligula, meaning little boot.. Though the Praetorian Guard had turned on Caligula, his personal Germanic Guard was still rabidly loyal to him right to the end. When Caligula came of age between 18 and 19 years old, Tiberius felt it necessary to garner the young mans loyalty. So Caligula, who now had access to absolute power, discovered new ways to secure funds. Most of the myths are just that, myths. Dando-Collins asserted. A reluctant Tiberius was adopted as full son and heir, required to adopt his nephew Germanicus in order to continue the bloodline and to take the crown upon his stepfather Augustus death. Yet, the emperor still named Caligula his successorwhy? As well as having criminals and slaves sacrificed before an audience for entertainment, he was said to have even fed a section of the crowd to the beasts because they were running low on criminals. She holds an MA in Contemporary Art Theory from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in Fine Art from Edinburgh College of Art. In 40 AD, he began making plans to permanently move to Alexandria, taking the capital with him. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. Caligula (12-41 C. E.) was the third emperor of Rome. They found evidence of palace walls that actually joined directly to the sacred temple. 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 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. 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. They brutally attacked everyone around, conspirator or otherwise. The 11 Most Sexually Depraved Things the Roman Emperors Ever Did Caligula is often remembered as a selfish and capricious ruler whose ineptitude weakened the Roman empire during his four-year reign. the rebuilding of the walls in the temples of Syracuse, and the Roman city in the Alps. Caligulas wife Caesonia and his daughter were also put to death. Immediately following his death, the Roman senate set about destroying Caligulas statues in the hope that he could be forgotten from history. As Caligulas behavior became more erratic and cruel, critics began to question his actions. As you can imagine, Caligula despised Tiberius for what he did. into a demonstration of cruelty and power. DeAgostini/Getty ImagesCaligula lies dead in the foreground after having already been executed, while his wife and daughter are murdered beside him. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (August 31, 12 - January 24, 41 C.E. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. But by far his most devious get-rich-quick scheme took place at one of his favorite hauntsthe gladiatorial arena. Rachel Seigel is an avid reader and book enthusiast with over 15 years of experience writing. What is Caligula most famous for? 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. Indeed, Caligula killed anyone who displeased him, regardless of how close they were to him. 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 his heir. Caligula, considered by many to be a mad and unpredictable tyrant, is also known for transferring the last legion under a senatorial proconsul to an imperial legate, completing the emperors monopoly of army command. In the chilling days following Caligulas near-fatal illness, he had nearly every single one of his close family members executed. These days, many historians reject the notion that Caligula terrorized Rome with his unbridled madness, talking to the moon, ordering arbitrary executions and trying to make his horse a consul. 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. He retreated to his behaviors on Capri, and with that, the hedonistic ruler infamous today was born. But these were just warmups for his grandest goal of all. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Caligula was born Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus on August 31, 12 AD, in Antium, Italia, to Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder. He even turned murder into a sport, attacking people at random, prompting abject fear into everyone around him. Caligula allegedly executed two consuls for forgetting his birthday. Caligula (2) But his insanity, coupled with his power as Emperor of Rome, would secure him a most unusual legacy. As legend has it, he likened himself to an immortal God who could do anything to anyone, rampaging through Rome on an unstoppable streak of spending, adultery and murder.
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