Caligula

Caligula
Emperorof theRoman Empire
Bust of the Emperor Gaius, known as Caligula
3rd Emperorof theRoman Empire
Reign	18 March AD 37 – 24 January AD 41 (3 years, 10 months)
Predecessor	Tiberius,great-uncle and adoptive grandfather
Successor	Claudius,uncle
Born	31 August AD 12 Antium(modernAnzioandNettuno),Italy
Died	24 January AD 41 (aged 28) Palatine Hill,Rome
Burial	Mausoleum of Augustus,Rome
Spouse	Junia Claudilla Livia Orestilla Lollia Paulina Milonia Caesonia
Issue	Julia Drusilla Tiberius Gemellus(adoptive) Nymphidius Sabinus(disputed)
Full name Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus (birth) Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (as emperor)
House	Julio-Claudian dynasty
Father	Germanicus
Mother	Agrippina the Elder
Religion	ancient Roman religion

Caligula(Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, 31 August 12 – 24 January 41) was the thirdRoman Emperor.He reigned from AD 37. After only four years, he wasassassinatedby members of hisbodyguardand theRoman Senate.During hisreign,many innocent people were killed without fairtrials.Even with all that, he was popular with the Roman public in his time.

Life

Caligula's fatherGermanicuswas the nephew and adoptive son of emperorTiberius.He was a very successful general. He was one of Rome's most beloved public figures.

When Germanicus died atAntiochin 19 AD, his motherAgrippina the Elderreturned to Rome with her six children. She had a bitter feud with Tiberius. That eventually led to the destruction of her family. Caligula was the only male survivor. In 31, he joined the emperor on the island ofCapri.Tiberius had gone there five years earlier. When Tiberius died in 37, Caligula became emperor.

There are few surviving sources on Caligula's reign. He is described as a noble and moderate ruler during the first two years of his rule. After this, the sources focus upon his cruelty, extravagance, and sexual perversity, presenting him as an insanetyrant.

Caligula worked to give more authority to the emperor. He put a lot of his effort into ambitious construction projects and luxurious dwellings for himself. He started the construction of two new aqueducts in Rome: theAqua Claudiaand theAnio Novus.During his reign, the empire took over the Kingdom ofMauretaniaand made it into aprovince.

In early 41, Caligula was assassinated. There was a conspiracy involving officers of thePraetorian Guard,members of theRoman Senateand members of the imperial court. After Caligula's death, the conspirators' tried to bring back theRoman Republic,but they were unsuccessful. The Praetorian Guard declared Caligula's uncleClaudiusemperor in his place.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Caligula

16.Drusus Claudius Nero

8.Tiberius Claudius Nero

17. Claudia

4.Nero Claudius Drusus

18.Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus

9.Livia Drusilla

19.Aufidia

2.Germanicus

20.Marcus Antonius Creticus

10.Mark Antony

21.Julia Antonia

5.Antonia Minor

22.Gaius Octavius(=28)

11.Octavia Minor

23.Atia Balba Caesonia(=29)

1.Caligula

12.Lucius Vipsanius Agrippa

6.Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa

3.Agrippina the Elder

28.Gaius Octavius(=22)

14.Augustus

29.Atia Balba Caesonia(=23)

7.Julia the Elder

30.Lucius Scribonius Libo

15.Scribonia

31. Sentia

Insanity?

There are stories about Caligula that show cruelty andinsanity.He was accused of killing just for amusement.He was accused of committingincestwith his sisters and prostituting them with other men.He was accused of turning the palace into abrothel.

Caligula appeared in public dressed as various gods. He demanded to be worshipped as a god.There was a legend that he appointeda horseto the priesthood.

It is difficult to know anything for certain about Caligula. Only two sources from his time still exist. Those are the works ofPhiloandSeneca.They give mostlyanecdotes.At one time, there were detailed histories on Caligula. Now they are lost. Caligula's sister, Agrippina the Younger, wrote anautobiographywhich certainly had a lot of information about Caligula's reign. It is also lost. No surviving source paints Caligula in a favorable light. It is not known whether Caligula was insane.

Relics

In 2017 a mosaic from one of Caligula's Lake Nemi pleasure ships was discovered in New York City

Other websites

• Caligula with Mary BeardatBBC Programmes

Caligula Julio-Claudian dynasty Born:31 August AD 12Died:24 January AD 41
Royal titles
Preceded by Tiberius	Roman Emperor 37–41	Succeeded by Claudius
Political offices
Preceded by Gnaeus Acerronius Proculus,and Gaius Petronius Pontius Nigrinus as Ordinary consuls	Suffect consulof theRoman Empire 37 withClaudius	Succeeded by Aulus Caecina Paetus,and Gaius Caninius Rebilus as Suffect consuls
Preceded by Servius Asinius Celer, andSextus Nonius Quinctilianus as Suffect consuls	Consulof theRoman Empire 39 withLucius Apronius Caesianus	Succeeded by Quintus Sanquinius Maximus as Suffect consul
Preceded by Aulus Didius Gallus, andGnaeus Domitius Afer as Suffect consuls	Consulof theRoman Empire 40 sine collega	Succeeded by Gaius Laecanius Bassus, andQuintus Terentius Culleo as Suffect consuls
Preceded by Gaius Laecanius Bassus, andQuintus Terentius Culleo as Suffect consuls	Consulof theRoman Empire 41 withGnaeus Sentius Saturninus	Succeeded by Quintus Pomponius Secundus as Suffect consul