Whose father was killed by order of Caligula. Caligula - biography, information, personal life. The most famous film about the life of Caligula is still banned in Canada and Iceland
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Gaius Julius Caesar (Caligula)
"Gaius Julius Caesar (Caligula)"
Roman emperor (from 37) from the Julio-Claudian dynasty, the youngest son of Germanicus and Agrippina. He was distinguished by his extravagance (in the first year of his reign he squandered the entire treasury). The desire for unlimited power and the demand for honor for oneself as a god displeased the Senate and the Praetorians. Killed by Praetorians.
Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the son of the popular consul Germanicus, who died at thirty-four, believed to be from poison. Germanicus had nine children with his wife Agrippina, and due to his popularity among the people, Tiberius, his paternal uncle, adopted him and made him his heir. When Tiberius died, the people demanded that Germanicus be elected head of Rome, but he himself abandoned power.
Tiberius came from an ancient and noble Claudian family and inherited the strong character and aristocracy inherent in the family. It is not surprising that his death was greeted with jubilation, and the Senate entrusted the powers of princeps to the grandson of Tiberius and the son of the popularly beloved Germanicus, Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, nicknamed Caligula (“Boot”).
He owes the nickname Caligula to the soldiers, because he grew up among soldiers, in the clothes of an ordinary soldier. After the death of his father, and then after the exile of his mother, Caligula lived with his great-grandmother Livia Augusta, and after her death - with his grandmother Antonia. When he was nineteen, Tiberius summoned him to Capri, where Caligula patiently endured ridicule and bullying and did not express dissatisfaction, without succumbing to provocations. However, the insightful old man understood the essence of Caligula very early, and said that he was feeding the echidna for the Roman people. Tiberius was not mistaken, because indeed Gaius Caesar Germanicus - Caligula - was by nature cruel and vicious, so vicious that one must agree that he was sick from birth. In Capri, Caligula gladly attended tortures and executions, and at night he wandered through taverns and brothels, indulging in all kinds of debauchery.
He married Junia Claudilla, the daughter of a noble Roman. But he got married after he deflowered his own sister Drusilla, after he had known hundreds of priestesses of love, and after he indulged in debauchery with Ennia Naevia. Therefore, he needed marriage only for some observance of external decency and even more in order to get closer to power. Innocent and inexperienced Junia made no impression on him. With difficulty, Caligula endured this stupid, as it seemed to him, wedding ceremony, but, left alone with the bride, he felt nothing but irritation.
His wife died during childbirth, and he did not regret her and very quickly forgot as if she had never existed.
"Gaius Julius Caesar (Caligula)"
Now the widower could well enjoy the sophisticated caresses of Ennia Naevia, who was the wife of Macron, who stood at the head of the praetorian cohorts. Yes, they both were worth each other, because Naevia had guessed, before she gave herself to him, to demand a receipt that he would take her as his wife when he achieved the highest power in Rome. Caligula gave her an oath and a written receipt, and she managed to make him friends with her husband. They indulged in love under the noses of Macron and the sick emperor. With the help of Ennia's husband, Caligula poisoned Tiberius, who was seriously ill, but still did not die and was in no hurry to give his grandson the place of head of the empire. The poison did not act for a long time, then Caligula covered Tiberius’ head with a pillow and leaned on him with his whole body. One young man saw this and screamed in horror, and Caligula immediately sent him to the cross.
However, the people could not know about the depravity of the heir, and greeted the new ruler of Rome with delight, remembering their love for his father. When Caligula entered Rome, he was immediately given supreme and complete power by the Senate. He did everything possible to arouse love for himself in people. In Rome, people's favorite circus performances, gladiator fights, and animal baiting have been resumed on an unprecedented scale. He pardoned those convicted and exiled. He honored his relatives who died and died from the machinations of Tiberius, but forgave those who wrote denunciations against his brothers. He organized nationwide distributions of money and gave luxurious feasts for senators and their wives. The people loved him and revered him endlessly, and therefore the Roman nobility was forced to endure all the wild antics of Emperor Caligula.
At feasts, this tyrant, who imagined himself to be a deity, each time chose one of his wives and took her to his chambers. Having enjoyed his guest, he returned her to her husband, immediately telling him in detail how he made love to her, what he liked about her and what he didn’t. He did not leave a single eminent woman alone, not to mention the libertine Pirallis. The respectable townspeople endured everything, otherwise they were threatened with death from wild animals, prison and torture. Macron, who was close to the emperor like no one else, endured everything.
What about Ennia Naevia, whom he promised to marry when he came to power? She did not want to let him go and was still his mistress, and often her husband Macron was waiting for them to finish at the door of his own house. But when Drusilla appeared in the palace again, Caligula lost interest in Ennia, and the memory that she helped to come to power was unpleasant for the emperor.
"Gaius Julius Caesar (Caligula)"
Now Caligula kept with him all the time the best executioner in Rome, who beheaded anyone at any moment - at the first sign of the emperor. And then one day he entered Ennia's bedroom with her husband and forced them to make love. At that moment, the executioner entered and struck with his sword, but he did not manage to kill both at once - only Macron died. Ennia was strangled by Caligula, and the executioner was killed by soldiers who burst into the bedroom, deciding that he had attacked the emperor.
The historian Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus in his book “The Lives of the Twelve Caesars” (c. 120 AD) wrote: “It is difficult to say about his marriages what was more obscene in them: conclusion, dissolution or stay in marriage. Livia Orestilla, who married Gaius Piso, he himself came to congratulate him, immediately ordered to be taken away from her husband and a few days later he released him, and two years later he sent him into exile, suspecting that during this time she had gotten back together with her husband. Others say that at the wedding feast itself, he, lying opposite Piso, sent him a note: “Don’t meddle with my wife!”, and immediately after the feast he took her to his place and the next day announced by edict that he had found himself a wife, following the example of Romulus and Augustus: Lollia Paulina, the wife of Gaius Memmius, consular and he summoned the military commander from the province, having heard that her grandmother was once a beauty, immediately divorced her husband and took her as his wife, and after a short time he released her, forbidding her from henceforth to get close to anyone.Caesonia, who was not distinguished by her beauty , neither in her youth and who had already given birth to three daughters from another husband, he loved most passionately and for the longest time for her voluptuousness and extravagance: he often took her to the troops next to him, on horseback, with a light shield, in a cloak and helmet, and even showed her to his friends her naked. He honored her with the name of his wife no sooner than she gave birth to him, and on the same day declared himself her husband and the father of her child. He carried this child, Julia Drusilla, through the temples of all the goddesses and finally laid him on the womb of Minerva, instructing the deity to raise and feed her. He considered her fierce temper to be the best proof that she was the daughter of his flesh: even then she was so furious that she would scratch the faces and eyes of the children playing with her with her nails.”
As already mentioned, one of his favorite women was his sister Drusilla. It is generally accepted that Guy seduced her as a teenager. Then he gave her away in marriage, and when he became emperor, he took her away from her husband and placed her in his palace, where Drusilla lived as his wife. He also seduced other sisters, but his passion for them was not as unbridled as for Drusilla, and he often simply gave them to his favorites for amusement, and in the end he condemned them for debauchery and exiled them.
"Gaius Julius Caesar (Caligula)"
Drusilla had enormous power over his body.
His grandmother, Antonia, was terribly worried about the abominations committed by her grandson, and more than once tried to get to him to talk. But he did not accept the old woman, not wanting to listen to her moral teachings. He humiliated her for a long time and finally accepted her when Macron was still alive, in his presence. An elderly relative, famous for her virtuous life, did not say anything to the emperor, realizing that Caligula needed a witness to condemn her for disrespect for authority. According to some evidence, Caligula humiliated Antonia in a way that is impossible to even imagine - he ordered Macron to rape her in front of his eyes, which was carried out by a faithful and devoted warrior. Antonia was then poisoned on the orders of her grandson. His grandmother's body was burned, and he watched the funeral pyre from the palace window.
Undoubtedly, all - or almost all - of Caligula's wild antics were driven by a diseased brain obsessed with sexual perversion and violence. The permissiveness of tyrannical power encouraged and intensified the disease. Endless spectacles of torture and executions aggravated the already extreme sensuality.
Having declared himself a god, and even the only one, Caligula lived according to the principle of permissiveness, but really no one could object or interfere with him. And so, on his orders, they hastily cut off the heads of the statues of Jupiter and replaced them with the heads of him, Caligula. Sometimes he himself stood in the temple in the pose of a statue of God and accepted the honors of the people intended for God. He no longer behaved like an emperor, but like a jester, performing publicly in the circus, singing and dancing, which befitted only a slave. Slave and... God, of course. But all his sophisticated entertainment did not save him from monstrous boredom.
His dependence on Drusilla was also beginning to irritate him. He was attached to her, he missed her. Obviously, she, his sister, was just as vicious and depraved as he was, which is why they had such a good time. She was shameless, she tried to be the best lover in the world for him, because his cooling towards her was certain death for her. Finally, having learned that one of the commanders of the cohorts was plotting a conspiracy against the emperor, Caligula came up with a most sophisticated plan, which, according to his plan, could prevent the coup planned by his enemies from being carried out. He announced to Tullius Sabon, tribune of the Praetorians, that he wished to become related to him and the commanders of the cohorts through his sister. And he gave his beloved Drusilla to the soldiers, and she, of course, could not withstand the violence and monstrous humiliation and died out in a few months.
Caligula declared national mourning and grieved for his beloved sister so much that he retired into the desert. However, he soon returned, but from now on he sealed all oaths in the name of Drusilla.
Having marked the beginning of his rise to power by distributing money, Caligula spent the entire treasury a year later and began to rob the people and provinces, introducing new unprecedented taxes, and simply robbing everyone.
Several plots against the mad ruler failed. But everyone understood that sooner or later this would happen. Having lived twenty-nine years, having been in power for three years, ten months and eight days, Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, or simply Caligula, was killed by conspirators in an underground passage on January 24, 41 AD.
The main role in this conspiracy was played by Cassius Chaerea, a tribune of the praetorian cohort, whom, despite his old age, Guy mocked in every possible way. It was decided to attack Caligula at the Palatine Games. Suetonius described this assassination attempt as follows: “...Some say that when he was talking with the boys, Chaerea, approaching him from behind, cut the back of his head deeply with a blow of his sword, shouting: “Do your job!” - and then the tribune Cornelius Sabinus, the second conspirator pierced his chest from the front. Others report that when the centurions, initiated into the conspiracy, pushed back the crowd of companions, Sabinus, as always, asked the emperor for the password; he said: “Jupiter”; then Chaerea shouted: “Get yours!” - and when Guy turned around, he cut his chin. He fell, screaming in convulsions: “I am alive!” - and then the others finished him off with thirty blows - everyone had one cry: “Strike again!” Some even hit him with a blade in the groin. At the first noise, porters with poles came running to the rescue, then the German bodyguards; some of the conspirators were killed, and with them several innocent senators."
The house where Caligula was killed soon burned down in a fire. His wife Caesonia, hacked to death by a centurion, and his daughter, who was smashed against a wall, also died...
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Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (lat. Gaius Iulius Caesar Augustus Germanicus), better known by his agnomen (nickname) Caligula (lat. Caligula). Born on August 31, 12 in Anzia - died on January 24, 41 in Rome. Roman Emperor since March 18, 37, the third of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, who went down in history as Caligula, was born on August 31, 12 in the city of Antium.
He was the third of six children of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder.
When he was a child, his father took him with him on his famous German campaigns, where Guy wore children's boots like army caligas. Because of this, the nickname “Caligula” was subsequently assigned to him, i.e. “boot” (Latin caligula - diminutive of caliga), which he did not like.
Due to the deteriorating relationship between his mother and his great-uncle Tiberius after the mysterious death of Germanicus, Guy was sent to live first with his great-grandmother Livia, and after her death with his grandmother Antonia. After the praetorian prefect Sejanus left the political scene, Guy, at the direction of Tiberius, began to live with him in his villa on Capri until the beginning of his reign.
In 33, Caligula married Junia Claudilla, the wedding took place in Antium. However, both the child and Junia herself died during childbirth. It was said that the new praetorian prefect Macro offered Gaius his wife, Ennia Thrasilla, in return. Philo of Alexandria agrees with this version, saying that Guy seduced her.
On Capri, Caligula met Julius Agrippa.
Caligula's rise to power
Before his death, Tiberius declared Caligula and the son of Drusus the Younger, Tiberius Gemellus, equal heirs, but indicated that Caligula should replace him, although, according to Philo, he knew that he was unreliable. Despite the fact that Caligula did not understand administration, rumors soon appeared that he either strangled, drowned, or poisoned Tiberius, although he died of natural causes. According to other sources, Tiberius was strangled by Macron.
Caligula arrived in Rome on March 28 and received from the Senate the title of Augustus, which had been revoked by Tiberius. Using the support of Macron, he achieved the title of princeps.
At the beginning of his reign, Guy demonstrated piety. Quite unexpectedly, he sailed to Pandataria and Poncia, to the places of exile of his mother Agrippina and brother. He transported their ashes to Rome and buried them with full honors in the mausoleum of Augustus.
Apparently, in order to dispel gossip, Guy paid tribute to the deceased Tiberius, paid the praetorians 2 thousand sesterces and, having compensated for the damage caused by the imperial tax system, reduced the taxes themselves and paid off the debts of previous emperors. This was followed by the abolition of the lese majeste law (lex de maiestate) and a political amnesty. However, after 8 months, Caligula suddenly fell ill with something (presumably encephalitis, according to Suetonius - epilepsy, which caused organic brain damage; according to another version, mental experiences of childhood affected him). After recovery, Guy’s behavior changed dramatically, although there is an opinion that some primary sources (mainly Suetonius and others, who were not critical enough of gossip and palace intrigue) exaggerated the situation.
The dynastic element began to be demonstrated openly - the princeps’ sisters appeared on the coins: Drusilla, Livilla and Agrippina with a cornucopia, a cup and a steering oar, that is, with the attributes of the goddesses of fertility, harmony and Fortune. Caligula's grandmother, Antonia, received not only the title of Augusta, but she, like the three sisters of the princeps, was given the honorary rights of Vestals, their names were included in the vows and the imperial oath.
In 38, Caligula forced first Macron to commit suicide, then the father of his first wife, Marcus Junius Silanus, and later executed Gemellus for an allegedly suspicious attitude towards Caesar (at one of the feasts, Caligula claimed that Gemellus smelled of an antidote).
Reign of Caligula
According to Suetonius, he constantly repeated and was guided by the expression “Let them hate, as long as they fear” (Latin: Oderint, dum metuant).
In Rome, Caligula began building the Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus aqueducts. To improve the supply of grain, which had caused revolts under Tiberius, the harbor at Rhegium was improved.
Due to the bias of the main sources, the main content of Caligula's domestic policy is usually considered to be the confrontation with the Senate. However, at the beginning of his reign, the new emperor treated the Senate very moderately, emphasizing in every possible way his respect for the senators and his desire to cooperate with them. The lack of authority of the new emperor affected the softness of the beginning of his reign: he, a newcomer to public life, had to pursue a liberal policy aimed at gaining popularity in the Senate and the people.
Unlike his predecessors, Caligula was consul almost every year - in 37, 39, 40 and 41. Although this was a departure from the unwritten traditions of dual power (coexistence and co-government of the emperor and the Senate) established by Octavian Augustus, Caligula had reasons to do so. Before taking the imperial throne, he was a private person and held only minor government positions, so his authority (Latin auctoritas) in politics was negligible. Regular posting of the post of consul could help him increase his authority and make the Senate forget about his youth and inexperience.
At the beginning of his reign, Caligula repealed the law on lese majeste introduced by Octavian Augustus (Latin: lex de maiestate; lex maiestatis), which Tiberius used to fight real and imaginary opponents. The new emperor had personal reasons for repealing this extremely unpopular law, since its selective application by Tiberius led to the exile and, subsequently, the death of Caligula's mother and brothers.
A complete amnesty and rehabilitation was declared in all cases of lese majeste, and he allowed everyone who had been convicted and exiled from Rome to return to the capital. Caligula did not pursue informers and prosecution witnesses in these cases, for which purpose he publicly burned in the Forum all documents related to these trials (they were kept by Tiberius), and also swore that he had not read them. However, Cassius Dio writes that Caligula kept the originals and burned copies, and modern researchers share the skepticism of the ancient historian.
In 38, Caligula returned to the people the right to elect certain magistrates, which Tiberius transferred to the Senate (the people's assembly retained the purely ceremonial function of formally approving the appointments made). Various reasons are cited that could have prompted Caligula to return to the republican electoral system. The competition between candidates for high positions could have been intended by the emperor as an incentive for candidates to hold various entertainment events, which could shift part of the burden from the treasury onto the shoulders of private individuals.
However, the practical significance of this measure was small, since the emperor retained the right to nominate candidates and vouch for applicants for positions. As a result, the practice of distributing seats, in which all candidates for magistrates in the required number were approved in advance, was retained. A return to the traditional electoral procedure did not enjoy the support of senators, who were accustomed to controlling the confirmation of magistrates and therefore sabotaged the reform. The popular vote did not take root in the new conditions, and already in 40 Caligula returned to the system of approving magistrates in the Senate.
In addition to the lack of real competition, Cassius Dio sees the reason for the failure of this reform as the changed psychology of the Romans, who were unaccustomed to real elections or never participated in them, and therefore did not take them seriously: “But since the latter [citizens] became rather indifferent to the performance of their duties, since for a long time they did not participate in public affairs, as befits free people, and since, as a rule, no more applicants sought public office than needed to be elected (and if In some cases there were more than this number, then they settled the matter among themselves), so only the appearance of democracy was preserved, but in reality it did not exist at all.”.
The final abolition of the elections of magistrates showed the political flexibility of the emperor, who was not afraid to cancel the failed reform.
Caligula took several more measures concerning the Senate. The emperor consolidated the traditional order of speech when voting in the Senate, modified by Tiberius. The reasons for this reform are unclear. The point of view of Dio Cassius, who believes that Caligula wanted to take away the right of first vote from Marcus Junius Silanus, is not supported.
After this reform, Caligula himself began to speak last in discussions, and senators could no longer limit themselves to simply supporting the opinion of the emperor. Among the last to speak out was Claudius, and Suetonius considers this situation to be a consequence of the emperor’s personal hostility. Caligula also forced senators to take an annual oath. The purpose of this measure is unclear, and it is assumed that in this way Caligula reminded the senators of his primacy. A private measure designed to show the new emperor’s concern for senators was allowing them to take cushions with them to circus performances so as not to sit on bare benches.
The liberalization of domestic policy at the beginning of Caligula's reign also affected other areas of public life - as a rule, he abolished the repressive measures taken by Tiberius. The works of Titus Labienus, Cremutius Cordus and Cassius Severus, prohibited by Tiberius, were not only allowed, but also received the support of the emperor in distributing the few surviving copies.
Caligula is credited with the idea of prohibiting the works of Virgil and Titus Livy, but this message from Suetonius may be incorrect, since it directly contradicts the permission of the works of Labienus, Cremutius Cordus and Cassius Severus.
Caligula allowed the activities of guilds (non-political associations of Roman citizens), which had been prohibited by his predecessor. The guilds were subsequently closed again by Claudius.
Finally, the new emperor restored another feature of public life that had been abolished by Tiberius, again beginning to publish reports on the state of the empire and the progress of state affairs. In this case, Claudius also returned to the practice adopted under Tiberius.
Caligula's reforms
With the light hand of Suetonius, the opinion was established about the extraordinary wastefulness of Caligula, which allegedly led to a catastrophic deterioration in the financial situation of the empire. However, in the 20th century, many researchers revised this point of view. First of all, the sources do not write anything about an acute shortage of money at the beginning of the reign of the next emperor, Claudius. Moreover, the latter arranged very generous payments to the Praetorians, many times higher than similar handouts to Caligula.
Back in January 41, coins were minted from precious metals, which would have been impossible if the treasury was empty, as Suetonius claims. Finally, Caligula voluntarily resumed the publication of reports on the state of the empire, from which contemporaries could clearly trace the deterioration of the financial situation of the empire.
The traditionally wasteful Caligula is contrasted with the stingy Tiberius, but it was the new emperor who had the responsibility to fulfill a number of unpaid debt obligations and continue the mothballed construction projects of his thrifty predecessor.
Caligula abolished the sales tax (centesima rerum venalium) introduced by Octavian Augustus, which Tiberius reduced from 1% to 0.5%, but then returned to the full rate. Apparently, the tax abolition was welcomed by wealthy Italians. This measure was widely advertised on the new coins. It is assumed that in order to replenish the treasury, Caligula executed Ptolemy, the ruler of Mauretania, which led to the annexation of his puppet state to the Roman Empire.
Some confusion surrounds Caligula's introduction of new taxes in 40, since it contradicts the slightly earlier abolition of the sales tax.
“He collected new and unprecedented taxes - first through tax farmers, and then, since it was more profitable, through praetorian centurions and tribunes. Not a single thing, not a single person was left without tax. A flat duty was levied on everything edible that was sold in the city; from every court case, a fortieth part of the disputed amount was collected in advance, and those who retreated or agreed without trial were punished; porters paid an eighth of their daily wages; prostitutes - the price of one intercourse; and to this article of the law it was added that everyone who had previously engaged in fornication or pimping was also subject to such a tax, even if they had since entered into a legal marriage. Taxes of this kind were announced orally, but not posted in writing, and due to ignorance of the exact words of the law, violations were often committed; Finally, at the request of the people, Guy posted the law, but he wrote it so small and hung it in such a cramped place that no one could copy it off.”, writes Suetonius.
For the Romans, these innovations were unprecedented, since full citizens did not pay direct taxes. The emperor’s actions seem illogical, and they are trying to explain them either through an awareness of his wastefulness, or by criticizing the sources: Suetonius allegedly seriously exaggerated the scope of the new taxes. The abolition of most of them by Claudius does not help clarify the content and size of the new measures. Caligula's successor retained only the tax on prostitutes.
Modern researchers note that the measures to increase the number of taxes mentioned by Suetonius were new for Rome, but similar taxes had long been established in Egypt.
Some of Caligula's activities led to a revival of the economy. Thus, large-scale construction work pumped money into the economy and created new jobs. Trimalchio from Petronius's Satyricon supposedly became rich during the reign of Caligula, when "wine was valued on a par with gold", which apparently has a real prototype in the growth of demand for luxury goods. Large-scale distributions of money at the beginning of the reign of the new emperor also contributed to the revival of the economy.
Coinage under Caligula underwent several changes. Apparently, it was on his initiative that small mints in Spain were closed. The main mint was moved from Lugdunum to Rome, which increased the influence of the emperor on coinage. The value of this decision is evidenced by its preservation by successors.
Apparently, coins were minted most actively at the very beginning of Caligula's reign to ensure mass distribution. In addition, for some unclear reasons, neither gold nor copper coins were minted in 38, and subsequently relatively few gold and silver coins were issued.
In general, the emperor's policy took into account the crisis of 33, when a cash shortage began in Rome, and the measures taken prevented a repetition of these events. Caligula tried to adjust the complex multi-metal system of monetary units by making the dupondium (2 asses coin) heavier so that it would be more different from the asses, but Claudius abandoned this experiment.
The late 1st century poet Statius once used the expression “about the size of Gaius [Caligula’s] asse” (plus minus asse Gaiano) meaning “very cheap”, “for a penny”, but the connection of this phrase with Caligula’s monetary policy is unclear.
Several innovations marked the appearance of the coins. In particular, for the first time a coin was minted with a scene of the emperor addressing the troops.
After Caligula's assassination, the new emperor Claudius ordered the bronze coins minted by Caligula to be melted down. Statius' testimony suggests that at least some of the coinage from Caligula's time remained in circulation. However, coins minted under Caligula are quite rare in most surviving hoards.
On small coins of Caligula, they were often stamped with the initials of Claudius (TICA - Tiberius Claudius Augustus), with which Caligula’s initials were stamped; on others, a portrait of Claudius was stamped over Caligula’s profile; on others, Caligula’s initials were knocked out, and on others, the portrait of this emperor was deliberately spoiled.
Caligula's military campaigns
Deciding to continue his father’s work, Caligula, despite learning about Getulik’s conspiracy, organized a German campaign. The day before, in 39, a new legion XV Primigenia was created for reinforcement, the allied Batavians were added to the cavalry, and already in the fall Caligula with his sisters Julia Agrippina and Julia Livilla, his personal guard and two legions crossed the Alps and reached the Middle Rhine, where, near the modern Military operations began in Wiesbaden.
In the winter of 39/40 a fort was built, called the Praetorium of Agrippina (now Valkenburg). A little later, Caligula, during his trip to Lugdunum, visited the military base of Fection (Vechten). His personal presence there was proven by the discovery of wine from the imperial cellars. Presumably Caligula used unofficial titles during this time Castorum Filius ("Son of the Camp") And Pater Exercituum ("Father of the Army").
A new fort was built on the Lower Rhine, Laurium, which Caligula used for a campaign against the Chauci, during which the military leader Publius Gabinius Secundus was able to recapture the standard of one of the legions defeated in the Teutoburg Forest. That same year, several Hutts were captured and a new military award was established - the corona exploratoria. Nevertheless, primary sources say that the short-lived campaign on the eastern bank of the Rhine led to a stalemate. In 40, the construction of a long chain of limes began in Lower Germany, which was continued in 47 by Corbulo.
In February-March 40, Caligula began to prepare for a campaign in Britain. According to various estimates, from 200 to 250 thousand soldiers were collected. However, the troops, having reached the coast of the English Channel, stood up, siege and throwing engines were installed along the coast - having ordered the battle signal, Caligula for some reason ordered the legionnaires to collect shells and shells in their helmets and tunics, as a “gift of the ocean.” However, this version is disputed, since the word concha, which Caligula used in the order to collect shells, also denoted small light ships, which suggests that the troops had to prepare for the crossing (which in turn implies that siege and throwing engines , placed along the shore, were actually ship's). It was necessary to fight with the ships of the Britons. The version is indirectly strengthened by the statement of Suetonius.
The campaign paused and was carried out by Claudius. However, Admin, the son of the Catuvellaunian leader Cunobelinus, expelled from Britain for his pro-Roman views, found refuge at the court of Caligula. Caligula, meanwhile, in his characteristic manner, executed Getulik and his brother-in-law Marcus Aemilius Lepidus for a failed plot, and sent his two surviving sisters into exile. However, he maintained the warmest relationship with Drusilla, demanded divine honors for her and allegedly even committed incest with her. The death of Drusilla on June 10, 1938 was a great tragedy for Guy. He composed an obituary, which Lepidus read, and retired to his villa in Alba, and then to Campania and Sicily, letting his hair and beard grow as a sign of mourning (Latin iustitium). At the end of the mourning, preparations began to celebrate the anniversary of Caligula's first consulate.
In the East, being bound by friendly ties with the kings of the client Hellenistic states, Caligula returned to a form of indirect rule. In the Balkans, Asia Minor, Syria and Palestine, ephemeral puppet states were created for his friends. Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, received the title of king and the two old Jewish tetrarchies.
In Thrace, Octavian Augustus divided power between the brothers Cotis and Rhescuporis, but after the latter attempted to seize sole power, he removed him and divided power between the sons of the two rulers. Cotys's three children - Remetalcus III, Polemon and Cotys II - were sent to Rome, and in their place southern Thrace was ruled by Tiberius' protege Titus Trebellienus Rufus. In the capital, the future emperor became friends with the children of Kotis.
In 38, he gave Remetalka Thrace, where the son of Rheskuporidas had recently died, Polemon - Pontus and Bosporus, and Cotis received Lesser Armenia. Commagene, which Tiberius made a province, Caligula handed over to Antiochus IV along with part of Cilicia. The appointments were not random, since the new rulers were relatives of the previous ones.
In addition to the rights to the throne themselves, the new rulers received generous financial support from Caligula - for example, Antiochus IV received 100 million sesterces. This amount is probably overestimated, but most likely it is based on the actual fact of paying the new ruler a one-time benefit.
Subsequently, Caligula's opponents accused his eastern friends of being responsible for the emperor's despotic actions, but this was certainly not the case. Caligula's appointments partly continued the policy of Augustus - to use dependent rulers where their presence was justified. At the same time, they came into conflict with the tendency to transform dependent territories into provinces (Commagene under Tiberius, Lycia and Rhodes under Claudius).
In early 37, the governor of Syria, Vitellius, headed south to help the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, Herod Antipas, invade the Nabataean kingdom. In Jerusalem, Vitellius learned of the death of Tiberius and stopped, awaiting instructions from the new emperor. Caligula took the opposite position in relation to the Nabateans and strongly supported their ruler Aretas IV. The reason for such a warm relationship was probably the help that Aretha provided to Caligula's father. The hostility towards Herod Antipas, caused by the emperor’s friendship with Herod Agrippa, who was laying claim to power in Judea, also played a role.
Around 40, Caligula executed the ruler of Mauretania, Ptolemy, who was invited to Lugdunum, and annexed his possessions to the Roman Empire (according to another version, the annexation was already formalized by Claudius). The reasons for the execution of Ptolemy, who was a distant relative of Caligula, are unclear, especially after the warm reception.
Cassius Dio calls the wealth of this ruler the reason for the murder, but there is no other evidence of his wealth, and Caligula, on the contrary, preferred to give money to other dependent rulers rather than take it away. However, this version is usually preferred.
Suetonius preserved another version: supposedly the emperor decided to execute Ptolemy because he appeared at gladiator fights in a very beautiful purple cloak. Trying to find a rational grain in this message, John Balsdon suggested that Caligula could have prohibited dependent rulers from wearing purple clothing, which emphasized royal dignity, in the presence of the Roman emperor. If this was indeed the case, then Caligula abandoned Tiberius' liberal attitude on this issue and returned to the hard line pursued by Octavian Augustus.
The third version is also associated with the “madness” of the emperor and lies in Caligula’s desire to take the place of the high priest of the cult of Isis. Finally, Caligula may have feared his distant relative Ptolemy as a dangerous rival. In support of this version, there is a connection between one of the leaders of the conspiracy against Emperor Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Getulik with the Mauretanian ruler - his father was the proconsul of Africa and made friends there with King Yuba II, the father of Ptolemy.
The reasons for the annexation of Mauretania, in contrast to the execution of Ptolemy, are exclusively rational. First of all, this is the need to protect Roman Africa from the west, which Ptolemy could not cope with. During the Roman era, Africa had many fertile lands and was an important supplier of grain for Rome. In addition, Octavian Augustus founded 12 Roman colonies in the western Mediterranean coast of Africa, which were not formally part of Mauretania, but were not organized into a separate province and were controlled from Spain (Betica).
Thus, the annexation of Mauretania is characterized as a completely sensible step. However, soon an anti-Roman uprising began in Mauretania, led by Edemon. Sam Wilkinson emphasizes that the causes of the uprising are not well known, and therefore its connection with the execution of Ptolemy, unpopular in some parts of his state, may be erroneous.
It is assumed that it was Caligula who came up with the idea of dividing Mauretania into two provinces - Mauretania Caesarea and Mauretania Tingitana, although Dio Cassius attributes this initiative to Claudius. The difficulties in organizing the provinces during the uprising force us to listen specifically to the testimony of Dio Cassius.
In the province of Africa Proconsular, neighboring Mauretania, at the beginning of Caligula’s reign, one legion was stationed, which was administered by the proconsul. The new emperor transferred command to his legate, thereby depriving the Senate of control over the last legion.
During the reign of Caligula, the first person from Africa appeared in the class of Roman horsemen. It was largely thanks to the actions of Caligula in Roman Africa that the preconditions were laid for the prosperity that came in the 2nd century.
Immediately after coming to power, Caligula reconsidered relations with Parthia, the only influential neighbor of the Roman Empire and a rival in the struggle for influence in the Middle East. The Parthian king Artaban III was hostile to Tiberius and was preparing an invasion of the Roman province of Syria, but through the efforts of its governor Vitellius, peace was achieved.
According to Suetonius, Artabanus showed respect for Caligula when he "gave honor to the Roman eagles, the badges of the legion, and the images of the Caesars." He gave his son Darius VIII as a hostage to Rome. Perhaps as a result of negotiations between Rome and Parthia, Caligula moved away from the policies pursued by Augustus and Tiberius and voluntarily weakened Roman influence in disputed Armenia. To do this, he recalled Mithridates, who ruled there, appointed by Tiberius, imprisoned him and did not send him a replacement. However, the warming of Roman-Parthian relations was not least caused by civil strife in Parthia.
Evidence from sources about Caligula's activities in leading the provinces and dependent states is represented by the negative reviews of Josephus, Seneca and Philo about the poor state of the provinces after the death of the emperor. Moreover, the data, John Balsdon believes, is extremely biased due to the author’s desire to please the new emperor Claudius, and the information of Josephus and Philo applies only to Judea and part of Egypt - Alexandria.
A critical attitude towards sources on this issue is not shared by all researchers. As a result, assessments of Caligula's provincial policies range from negative, focusing on the emperor's inconsistency and failures, to positive, recognizing his competence in leading the empire.
The assessments of individual episodes of his management of the provinces and dependent states also differ diametrically. Thus, Howard Scullard sees the complicating situation in Judea as a manifestation of the emperor’s recklessness, and Sam Wilkinson believes that against the general background of the turbulent history of Judea in the 1st century BC. e. The reign of Herod Agrippa can be considered a relatively calm period. Most researchers, however, agree on the recognition of miscalculations in relations with Mauretania, which led to the uprising. Caligula's personnel appointments in the East are usually considered successful.
A serious difference between Caligula and his predecessors was the opening of the equestrian class to provincials. Subsequently, the policy of involving provincial elites in Roman society continued.
In foreign policy, Caligula achieved lasting peace with Parthia and strengthened the position in remote regions by appointing loyal rulers. These actions gave the Roman Empire the opportunity to prepare for an offensive policy in the north. Confirmation of the reasonable nature of his foreign policy is its continuation by subsequent emperors. The appointments of friendly rulers, the annexation of Cilicia to Commagene and the possible reorganization of Mauretania were not canceled, and Claudius put into practice the invasion of Britain prepared by Caligula.
Assassination of Caligula
In addition to the failed conspiracy of Gaetulik and Lepidus, conspiracies were drawn up against Caligula by Macron and Gemellus, Sextus Papinius and Anicius Cerial and Betilienus Bassus and Betilienus Capito, but they were also exposed. The opposition to Caligula was also made by the philosophers Julius Kahn and Julius Graetsin.
It became absolutely clear to Caligula that the opposition of the Senate was principled, and he made no further attempts to reconcile with it. After the conspiracy was discovered, they say, he struck his sword in front of the Senate and exclaimed: “I will come, I will come, and he will come with me.” Because of all this, Caligula’s freedman Protogenes began to carry next to him two books called “Sword” and “Dagger”, where the executions were listed.
Despite this, Cassius Chaerea, Annius Vinician and senators Publius Nonius Asprenatus and Lucius Norbanus Balbus resorted to a new attempt. The date of the assassination was set for the Palatine Games, January 24, 41. The conspirators were most afraid of one of Caligula's bodyguards - a strong and brutal German, and also of the fact that during the games Caligula could go to Alexandria. However, Guy appeared at the ceremonies and in the morning entered a crowded theater where Catullus' plays were being performed.
Since Caligula had the custom of going to the bathhouse and second breakfast in the middle of the day, the conspirators planned to attack him in one of the narrow underground passages. However, Guy decided to stay that day. Vinician decided to warn Chaerea that the moment had passed, but Guy held him by the edge of his toga, asking in a friendly tone where he was going, and Vinician sat down. Asprenatus, unable to bear it, began to advise him to leave the theater. When Guy and his retinue finally began to leave, Caligula's uncle, Claudius, Marcus Vinicius and Valery Asiaticus got ready.
Caligula was walking with his friend Paul Arruntius and suddenly decided to take a shortcut to the baths. On the way, Guy stopped to talk with the youth, and during this time the conspirators managed to move. Chaerea asked him the traditional vulgar password with which Guy had teased him, and heard the usual sarcastic answer, which was a conditioned signal (according to another version, Guy said “Jupiter”, to which Chaerea threw “accipe ratum” - “get yours”).
Guy received a slight blow between the neck and shoulders and tried to escape, but one of the conspirators, Sabin, struck him with a second blow. The conspirators surrounded Guy, and Chaerea shouted to Sabin the formula traditionally used during sacrifice - “do this” (lat. hoc age), after which Sabin delivered another blow to the chest. After one of the daggers hit the jaw, Caligula received a series of blows.
According to Suetonius, Caligula's last words were "I'm still alive", the conspirators, finishing off the emperor, inflicted about thirty blows on him, encouraging each other with a cry: “Strike again!” Along with Caligula, his fourth wife Caesonia and his only eleven-month-old daughter Julia Drusilla (named after the emperor's deceased sister) were killed.
Agrippa later transferred Guy's body to the Lamian Gardens, an imperial property on the Esquiline, outside Rome, where the corpse was cremated and the ashes were placed in a temporary grave. It was said that the ghost of Caligula haunted the Lamian Gardens for some time until the body was properly buried.
In 2011, Italian police said illegal archaeologists had discovered and looted Caligula's tomb near Lake Nemi.
Caligula in culture and art
The image of Caligula is widely represented in literature, cinema, and music:
"Caligula" - play;
“Caligula, or After Us Even a Flood” - a novel by Josef Toman;
"Messalina" - novel;
"Caligula" - film by Tinto Brass;
Stills from the film "Caligula" (1979)
"I, Claudius" (mini-series), episode "Divine God! (Zeus, by Jove!)";
Rock band "Crematorium" - song "Caligula";
Cover band "Caligula";
Sodom - song "Caligula";
Ex Deo - album “Caligvla”;
“A Horse in the Senate” - Vaudeville in one act by Leonid Andreev;
Mad Roman Emperors (two-part documentary film, directed by Domagoj Buric, 2006. The first episode is dedicated to Caligula);
“Caligula: The Emperor’s Unhealthy Passion” (documentary film from the “In Search of Truth” series, Ukraine);
“Caligula. The Untold Story of Madness" (Caligula: 1400 Days of Terror, written and directed by Bruce Kennedy, 2012, shown on Fox History).
Every Roman emperor has a few crazy stories about him, but none of them compare to the stories about Caligula. Studying the life of Caligula, you come to the idea of his mental inadequacy.
He invited his horse to drink wine at the dinner table
According to several Roman sources, Caligula treated his beloved horse Incitatus better than most people. Incitatus had his own home - Caligula gave him his own multi-room palace with furniture and slaves who were supposed to look after him.
Caligula invited Incitatus to dinner; the horse and the emperor were served wine in golden glasses.
There is a known case when the emperor noticed that people on the street were making too much noise and did not allow the horse to rest, and ordered the soldiers to pacify everyone so that the horse could rest.
He tried to replace the head on the statue of Zeus with his own
It was not enough for Caligula that he was an emperor, he wanted to be a god and created his own cult, built temples in Rome where people could worship him. He did not stop there; it is known that Caligula planned to cut off the head of the statue of Zeus in Olympia and replace it with his own likeness.
His obsession with declaring himself a god almost caused a rebellion. At one point, frustrated that the Jews did not worship him enough, Caligula ordered Petronius, the ruler of Syria, to create a massive statue of himself inside the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Jews were prepared for unrest, which would likely have turned into a full revolt if Petronius had not convinced Caligula to rescind the order for the statue. In the end, Caligula ordered Petronius's head to be cut off because Caligula changed his mind.
He ordered his army to attack the English Channel
Legend has it that Caligula once declared war on Neptune, the god of the sea, and ordered his men to strike the English Channel.
There are reasons to think that the story is a bit exaggerated. But there is no doubt that Caligula sent an army to the English Channel, and does not show Caligula in the best light.
The version accepted by most historians is that Caligula waged an unsuccessful campaign against the British and his men were on the verge of revolt because he cut their salaries. He led his entire army, including artillery, to the English Channel and told them that they could fill their helmets with as many shells as they wanted and be happy.
He destroyed his enemies
When Caligula took the throne, he invited some of the political enemies of Tiberius, the last emperor, to return to Rome. Caligula even invited one to sit with him personally, and then asked how the man spent his time in exile. “I constantly prayed to the gods for what happened,” the man told him, “that Tiberius might die and you would become emperor.”
He tried to flatter Caligula, but nothing worked. Instead, the man had several thousand people killed.
The conclusion Caligula made was that if people prayed for the death of Tiberius, then those whom he himself expelled can pray for the death of Caligula. Therefore, he issued a decree to kill all his enemies so that they would not pray for his death. This has become a long-term policy.
He built massive floating palaces for orgies
Caligula may have been crazy, but he definitely knew how to throw a party. After he came to power, Caligula
spent a lot of money on orgies, he ordered two giant barges located on Lake Nemi to be rebuilt: to make floors lined with mosaics, to decorate the interior with precious stones and statues.
Even the sails were made of purple silk, a material so rare at the time that it was used exclusively for the emperor's clothing.
Caligula had crazy orgies on these barges, and his favorite guests were his own sisters. But he didn't stop at incest.
Caligula ordered his courtiers to bring their wives. He made them line up in front of him, examined them and chose his favorite to take to his room. Then he returned and forced the husband to listen to all the details about how he had fun with his wife.
He built a bridge across the Bay of Bahia
Caligula's greatest achievement was the construction of a 5-kilometer panton bridge across the Bay of Bahia. At that time, such a bridge was completely unheard of.
Before becoming emperor, an astrologer named Thrasillus predicted that Caligula had "no more chance of becoming emperor than riding a horse across the Bay of Baia." Caligula built a bridge to prove the astrologer was wrong.
Caligula collected all the ships he could find and placed them in two rows along the bay. Earth was poured onto two rows of interlocking vessels and then compacted. Caesar, dressed in the armor of Alexander the Great, rode along this road on horseback.
He executed people out of boredom
During intermission in the games of ancient Rome, criminals were executed for the entertainment of the crowd.
Caligula was a big fan of this spectacle; it is known about cases when there were no criminals, then Caligula ordered the execution of random people.
He threatened to kill God
There are many reasons to think that the emperor was truly mentally ill.
It is known that he rarely slept more than three hours at a time because he was haunted by hallucinations. He talked to the god Jupiter, argued with him and threatened to kill him, in the presence of many people.
1. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the third of six sons Germanika, Roman military leader and consul. Germanicus took his son on military campaigns, where he wore children's boots like army caligas - a special kind of soldier's footwear. It was then that the nickname “Caligula” appeared, which means “boot”. The emperor himself did not like it, but it haunted him all his life and remained with him forever in history.
2. Caligula's father, Germanicus, was so loved in Rome that when he died (presumably from poison), the Romans angrily burst into the temples and dropped the altars - because the gods allowed the death of the popularly adored consul. Having learned that the son of their beloved Germanicus would rule, the Romans enthusiastically welcomed Caligula, believing that if he inherited at least some of his father’s virtues, he would become an excellent ruler.
3. The emperor appointed Caligula as heir to the empire Tiberius- the “boot” was his great-nephew. It is still unknown how Tiberius died - some sources claim that Caligula personally strangled him, others “sin” on the praetorian prefect (that is, the head of the guard) Quinta Macron. Still others believe that Tiberius died of natural causes.
4. Caligula, the third emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, was 24 years old when he came to power. Despite the fact that he is now one of the most famous Roman emperors, his reign lasted less than four years.
5. One of the most famous stories about Caligula is the appointment of the emperor’s favorite horse named Incitat (“Swift-footed”) as a senator. This act is explained by Caligula's unlimited power, which he abused, and his madness. However, a number of historians believe that Caligula, who was in conflict with the Senate, took this step in order to demonstrate his attitude towards the senators, who were proud of their position, and to ridicule them.
Caligula's sister Julia Drusilla. Source: Public Domain
6. The perception of the emperor’s personality was influenced by the scandalous play “Caligula” Camus and the film of the same name directed by Tinto Brassa With Malcolm McDowell starring. There, the theme of the emperor's sexual adventures was brought to the fore. However, assessments of Caligula's behavior vary widely. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to establish for certain which of the rumors about his promiscuity is true and which is a lie. In particular, Caligula was accused of cohabiting with his three sisters. In any case, one of them Julia Drusilla, he really was incredibly loving. He printed her image on coins and even wanted to make her his heir. And when she died, he ordered her to be deified and for a long time could not come to his senses. Subsequently he named his only daughter Julia Drusilla.
7. A number of Caligula’s decisions do not at all fit with his image of a tyrant, thinking only about how to worsen the lives of his subjects. He repealed the “Lese Majesty Law,” on the basis of which his predecessor Tiberius repressed many of his opponents and simply rich people for the sake of their property. He rehabilitated those previously convicted under this law and returned their rights to property. He even tried to restore the already abolished direct elections of magistrates (government officials) by citizens, and also abolished censorship bans on the works of writers.
8. Many historians note the incredible cruelty of Caligula. It was reported that the emperor always had a servant with him, keeping two “notebooks” in which the names of people subject to persecution, torture or execution were written down. One notebook was called "Dagger", the other - "Sword". But at the same time, Caligula was very afraid of thunder and lightning; during a strong thunderstorm, he even crawled under his bed, not getting out of there until the heavens calmed down.
9. Caligula, despite the brevity of his reign, is remembered as an active builder. Under him, two new aqueducts were laid to improve the water supply of Rome. The emperor paid special attention to the road network - Caligula removed road supervisors from office if the areas entrusted to them were in poor condition. Those caught stealing funds allocated for road construction were severely punished.
10. Like Julius Caesar, Caligula died from the knives of the conspirators. The leader of the conspiracy is considered to be a praetorian (guards) officer Cassius Chaerea, whom the emperor reportedly mocked in every possible way. On January 24, 41, Caligula was ambushed on the way to the baths and stabbed more than thirty times. His wife was killed along with the emperor Caesonia and the only daughter, Julia Drusilla, who was not even a year old. It is believed that the last words Caligula spoke were “I’m still alive!”
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (12-41 AD) became famous as one of the most cruel rulers of the Roman Empire during the entire period of its existence. Better known as Caligula, he was proclaimed Princeps by the Roman Senate on March 18, 37. In the first few months of his reign, showing concern for his people and state, the new emperor reduced taxes and paid off the debts left by his predecessors. Caligula was distinguished by his special piety and very quickly won the love of the people. Eight months later, according to chroniclers, he became very ill and did not appear in public for a long time. There were rumors that Caligula would never return to state affairs and would soon die, but a miracle happened and everyone’s beloved emperor finally recovered. However, the joy from such news did not last long: soon the Romans dubbed Caligula the “black ruler,” and conspiracies began to be prepared one after another in the Senate. What influenced such a rapid development of hatred towards the once beloved ruler, and why did he pay with his life?
Crazy ruler
Modern researchers, based on historical documents and the works of ancient Roman writers, suggest that Caligula suffered from a disease that resulted in serious neurological abnormalities. In his book “The Lives of the Twelve Caesars,” dedicated to the biography of the first Roman emperors, the Roman encyclopedist and historian Suetonius, who lived at the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries, described Caligula’s illness as similar to epilepsy. Some modern scientists are inclined to believe that the emperor suffered a more serious illness - encephalitis, which affected the brain and, accordingly, affected his mental health.
Horses are people too, or how Caligula's favorite became a senator
One of the craziest acts of the Roman emperor was to appoint his horse named Inciatus to the post of senator and then consul. Caligula even sometimes spoke on his behalf in front of the people and organized magnificent celebrations in his honor! Intiate received from his patron as a gift a luxurious marble palace with a golden trough and a whole retinue of servants. The horse, in turn, regularly came to work and, together with the other senators, took part in all sorts of meetings.
Black Emperor Caligula
When Caligula fell ill, many Romans, who dearly loved their ruler, were so worried about his illness that they were ready to give their lives for the sake of the emperor’s recovery. When Caligula “recovered,” he ordered everyone who so wanted to sacrifice their lives to fulfill their promises. Because you need to keep your word.
His cruelty and tyranny manifested itself in literally everything. Most of all, the emperor enjoyed watching executions, in which, as the ancient Roman chroniclers testify, he often personally took part. Caligula treated death from a philosophical point of view and easily decided human destinies. He could sentence to death any person he did not like, regardless of whether the unfortunate person had committed any crime or not. Among those displeasing His Augustness were not only ordinary Romans, but also representatives of noble families, and even close relatives of the emperor.
Caligula: God Emperor
The narcissistic emperor proclaimed himself God and ordered his person to be worshiped. In honor of himself, he built a large temple, where he installed a golden statue, which the priests had to dress every day in the clothes in which Caligula went out to the plebs. In addition, the emperor attended the daily sacrifices performed in his divine honor, and executed those who worshiped other Gods.
One day, Caligula even decided to take possession of the sea and declared war on Neptune, the ancient Roman God of the seas and oceans. He gathered his army, led it to the shores of the sea and ordered them to throw spears and arrows into the water in order to defeat their sworn enemy.
Gold and easy money
Caligula never hid his passion for a luxurious life. Having almost completely emptied the state treasury to satisfy his own whims, he began to raise taxes and come up with new ones. In addition, the emperor forced rich citizens to include him in the inheritance, and when he received what he wanted, he ordered the testator to be poisoned if he turned out to be too alive. Caligula sold the high positions of consuls and priests for a lot of money, and for the position that the imperial horse received, all owners of these animals in Rome, without exception, had to be paid. If its owner could not fulfill the ruler’s next whim, this was regarded as an insult to the Intiate, and a rather sad fate awaited the careless horse along with its owner.
Caligula spent money with ease and wanted to receive it with the same ease. For large sums, he allowed everyone to share a dinner meal with him, but the buyer of such a precious service did not always return to his chambers. The emperor could poison his guest if he simply did not like him.
Pay
Caligula was at the head of the Roman Empire for only four years, but during this time he managed to become famous for his exceptional cruelty and was known as a madman. Conspiracies were prepared against him more than once, and the emperor knew about this, so he was always wary of everything that happened and did not trust anyone. However, one day, on the way to the baths, conspirators waylaid him and carried out their own sentence, taking the lives of not only Caligula, but also his wife and young daughter. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was killed on January 24, 41 at the age of 28. According to Suetonius, the last words of the cruel ruler were “I am still alive!” Apparently, until the last minutes of his life, Caligula could not believe that retribution would still overtake him.