CALIGULA - 'LITTLE BOOTS' - THE CRAZY, ECCENTRIC ROMAN EMPEROR

 

 

CALIGULA  -  'LITTLE BOOTS'  - THE CRAZY, ECCENTRIC ROMAN EMPEROR 

Caligula (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) is known as Rome's infamous third emperor for his short, tyrannical reign (37-41 CE) marked by extreme cruelty, extravagance, sadism, and alleged insanity, famously demanding worship as a living god and planning to make his horse, Incitatus, a consul. Despite a promising start, his rule descended into despotism, characterised by political purges, lavish spending, and bizarre acts, solidifying his image as a depraved monster in history.

 

 

 

Emperor Caligula is best known for his cruelty and eccentricities—the Roman emperor who allegedly promoted his horse to consul and murdered on a whim.

 

 

 

Caligula (12-41 CE) is one of the most notorious Roman emperors. What is Caligula known for? Mostly his incestuous relationship with his sisters, his cruelty, the madness that culminated in him naming his horse Roman consul, and megalomania in declaring himself a god. 

 

 

 

 

Caligula (12-41 CE) is one of the most notorious Roman emperors. 

 

 

 

 

His father's soldiers affectionately nicknamed him "Caligula" ('little boots').

Caligula became known for his wild caprices and uncontrolled passions, which issued in manifest insanity. He had an incestuous relationship with his sisters.



Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, also called Gaius and Caligula, was a Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in AD 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder, Augustus' granddaughter, members of the first ruling family of the Roman Empire.

  

 

Caligula was sworn in as emperor amidst much fanfare and hope. When Caligula became emperor, Rome celebrated, crowds cheered, and prisoners were freed. After years of fear, people believed the golden age had finally begun. But they didn't know it was short-lived. After a thunderous start of good governance for a couple of years, he soon turned to spend extravagantly, emptying the national exchequer. He soon became a cruel ruler notorious for wine, women and pleasure. Caligula was the most insane Roman emperor.

 

Caligula was infamous for sadism, executed for amusement and declared himself god. His senate became restless, and also his guards, and they hatched a plot to assassinate him. His rule lasted only four years. He became an emperor at the age of twenty-four and was murdered when he turned twenty-nine.

                                          Caligula the Roman Emperor assassination



The Roman Emperor when Jesus was crucified was Tiberius, who reigned from 14 AD to 37 AD; his representative in Judea, Pontius Pilate, ordered the crucifixion, with events generally placed around 30-33 AD during Tiberius's rule.



Tiberius was the second Roman Emperor, the adopted son of Augustus, and ruled during the period of Jesus's public ministry and crucifixion.

 

The longest-reigning Roman Emperor was Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, who ruled for approximately 40 years, transforming the Roman Republic into an Empire and bringing relative peace after civil wars. While some count his effective rule from his rise to power after defeating Mark Antony (around 30 BCE), his official reign began in 27 BCE, establishing the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) and lasting until his death in 14 CE.

 

 

Augustus, originally known as Octavian, implemented various reforms that increased stability and prosperity in the Roman Empire. His establishment of the Pax Romana led to an extended period of peace and economic prosperity. Additionally, Augustus was known for significant cultural achievements and infrastructure projects, which laid the foundation for future emperors.
 

 

 

The Roman emperor Constantine, a Christian, banned crucifixion in the 4th Century AD.

 

 

Ministry of John the Baptist - 26-30 CE.

Innumerable authors have written about 'Caligula'.

 

Caligula is a fascinating and controversial figure in Roman history, which has led to numerous films and television shows that depict his life and reign. The most infamous portrayal is the 1979 film "Caligula," produced by Bob Guccione, which combines historical drama with explicit content. Other works, like the TV series "Rome," also feature characters inspired by Caligula, exploring themes of power and excess in ancient Rome.

These portrayals often focus on his notorious reputation for cruelty, decadence, and madness.

Caligula, by French author Albert Camus, is a play in which Caligula returns after deserting the palace for three days and three nights following the death of his beloved sister and lover, Drusilla. The young emperor then uses his unfettered power to bring the impossible into the realm of the likely.   Albert Camus's 'Caligula' is a four-act play about absurdism and existentialism. Allegations of incest between Caligula and his sisters, or just him and his favourite, Drusilla, go back no further than Suetonius, who admits that in his own time, they were hearsay. Seneca and Philo, moralising contemporaries of Caligula, do not mention these stories even after Caligula's death, when it would have been safe to do so. Caligula's devotion to his youngest sister was evident, but then as now, allegations of incest fit the amoral, "mad Emperor" stereotype, promiscuous with money, sex and the lives of his subjects. Dio repeats, as fact, the rumour that Caligula also had "improper relations" with his two older sisters, Agrippina and Livilla. Existential Despair: After Drusilla's death, Caligula confronts the "finiteness of life" and the lack of inherent meaning, plunging him into solitude and despair.   The Absurd: Caligula's actions embody the absurd: a human confronting a meaningless universe, seeking freedom but finding only destruction, rejecting love, friendship, and morality. Superior Suicide": Camus describes the play as the story of a "superior suicide," where Caligula's destructive path leads to his own inevitable downfall, a logical conclusion to his nihilistic pursuit. Innumerable authors have written about 'Caligula'.   Caligula is a fascinating and controversial figure in Roman history, which has led to numerous films and television shows that depict his life and reign. The most infamous portrayal is the 1979 film "Caligula," produced by Bob Guccione, which combines historical drama with explicit content. Other works, like the TV series "Rome," also feature characters inspired by Caligula, exploring themes of power and excess in ancient Rome. ***********************