Sure, he wasted an untold fortune of public money, but oh well, old Thrassy was probably sored. The Story Of Emperor Caligula, Ancient Rome's Most Infamous Leader Drusilla, Caligulas sister, is seated to the right of Felix, who is center. Skip to main content Live TV Shows. Lazzaro Baldi (1624-1703). One story claims that he once called his Consuls to his room in the middle of the night and forced them to watch him sing and dance while barely dressed. Strangely enough, the final moments of Caligula (real name Gaius Julius Caesar) looked a whole lot like the final moments of his ancestor, Gaius Julius Caesar. Then, of course, all their estates and possessions were his for the taking. Writers describe him as skinny, pale, and sickly, with hollow eyes and thin hair. At first, Caligulas reign was well-received. Six or seven months into his reign, however, everything changed. He may have suffered from epilepsy. British MuseumLegend 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. Did a horse become pope? Cruel and tyrannical Emperor Caligula ruled Ancient Rome through fear and terror. Agrippina died of starvation in exile on a remote island, and Tiberius had the two brothers imprisoned. Caligula - Horse, Facts & Emperor One theory suggests epilepsy as the main cause of his headaches and that he was perhaps deathly afraid of impending seizures. Thin, pale, and covered in large amounts of fine hair, Caligula was not blessed with natural good looks. 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. 1. Updated: August 31, 2018 | Original: October 9, 2012. Simple: they drained the lake! Remembered as a cruel and erratic tyrant, his deranged tendencies threw Rome into chaosand eventually caused his violent end. One story claims that he once called his Consuls to his room in the middle of the night and forced them to watch him sing and dance while barely dressed. 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. Both Gaius great-grandfather Augustus and father Germanicus were largely heralded and respected in their times, but his legacy would be a sadistic one. Tiberius was responsible for wiping out most of Caligulas family, but when the emperor offered to make Caligula his heir, the boy wasnt about to say no! Growing up, Agrippina the Elder had a close relationship with her grandfather, the Emperor Augustus, who personally oversaw her education. 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. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Caligula was fond of spending money, but not so good at making it. He began having his family members killed, beginning with his cousin (and heir) Gemellus. He galloped back and forth across the bridge on his horse for two days straight, wearing a dazzling golden cape. WATCH: Full episodes of Colosseum online now. All of this sounds like totally normal behavior for the most powerful person on Earth. He particularly enjoyed silks and ornately decorated items, but he also had some unusual tastes. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. 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. 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. Yet, the emperor still named Caligula his successorwhy? Both his wife and one-year old daughter were also murdered at the imperial palace. Cassius Chaerea, one of Caligulas own guardsmen, knew this better than any, so he hatched a dark plan to put an end to Caligulas madness once and for all. Caligula treasured the steed so much that he gave it its own house with an ivory manger and a marble stall. Maybe he felt like he couldnt live up to his name, or maybe he just hated attention being drawn away from him, but Caligula deeply resented his famous ancestors. 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. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. When Germanicus died under suspicious circumstances, Agrippina boldly accused one of his rivals of poisoning him. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. But it was the other members of the Roman senate who appeared to suffer the most. 7. During his short reign, Caligula emerged as one of the most dominant leaders of Rome's early emperors. So when Caligula took the throne, the Romans rejoiced. 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. After learning about Emperor Caligula, read about Hypatia of Alexandria, an ancient Greek intellectual killed for her beliefs. From 39 to 40. But after only a few months he turned cruel and tyrannical, gradually changing into the most brutal leader the empire had ever seen. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Historical accounts of Caligula may vary, but nearly all historians agreed on one dark fact: this deranged emperor placed very little value on human life. He was nonetheless named sole emperor of Rome. The Roman Senate strongly concurred with that notion. The Egyptian Queen apparently melted a pearl earring in vinegar and drank it. As befitting a gilded emperor, Caligula absolutely loved gold. Even today, historians cant quite agree on his reason for building them. Adopting his fathers distinguished name, he became Gaius Caesar Germanicus. . 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. He may have fooled around with his favorite sister Drusilla as a teenager, but even that is debatable., Caligula was far from a fair ruler, Dondo-Collins maintained. Mussolini personally ordered the Lake Nemi excavation project, but he wasnt the first person to get his hands on the wreck. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Perhaps desperate to shut the narrative down, Tiberius banished Agrippina to prison on a remote island. The senators set about restoring the Roman Republic, but there was one glaring problem. 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. Remember Macro, the Praetorian Guard who helped make Caligula emperor?
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