FREE ESSAY ON CALIGULA

CALIGULA

As most of the emperors of ancient Rome were given different names then the names they had
at birth Caligula was no different. Caligula's real name was Gaius Caesar Augustus
Germanicus and he was born at Antium, 25 miles from Rome, in 12 AD Gaius was a turning
point in the history of the Principate, but he also was the one emperor from the
Julio-Claudian dynasty who was very poorly documented. (Bibliography # 2).
Gaius was born on August 31, 12 AD to Germanicus; Augustus' adopted grandson, and
Agrippina Senior, Augustus' granddaughter. Gaius was the third of six children, the
youngest son, and accompanied his parents on many military campaigns. As a baby his
parents would dress him up in a miniature soldier costume and show him to the armies on
their campaigns. Gaius received his nickname Caligula from the half boots or sandals that
went with the costume called caligilas. The armies affectionately called him little boots
or Caligula. (Bibliography # 1,6).
When Gaius as youth he developed an unhealthy relationship with his sisters Agrippina Jr,
Drusilla and Julia Livilla. Gaius's two brothers and his mother were killed after they
were accused of plotting against Tiberius. Gaius's father, Germanicus, died under what is
recorded as suspicious circumstances on October 10, 19 AD After which, while Tiberius
reigned, he was sent to live first with his great grandmother, Livia and then, when Livia
died, with his grandmother, Antonia. (Bibliography # 2,4-6).
In 31 AD Gaius was summoned to join Tiberius at his villa on Capri. Gaius stayed there
with Tiberius until he became emperor, in 37 AD, after Tiberius' death. (Bibliography #
2,5).
Before Gaius became emperor the only political related job Gaius held was an honorary
quaestorship in 33 AD. After Tiberius' death on March 6, 37 AD Gaius was in the perfect
position to assume the emperor's throne, despite Tiberius' will that named his Gaius and
his cousin Tiberius Gemellus joint heirs. Because of this slight obstacle in his way he
had Gemellus killed within a matter of months. After the death of Gemellus, Gaius had
Tiberius's will declared null and void. Gaius said that the will was void because of
insanity. (Bibliography # 2,4).
Although Gaius started his political career on the right track he went down, and down
fast. Within four years the very guards that were assigned to protect him murdered him.
Ancient sources agree that insanity was the cause of Gaius' downfall. The best reason
that researches came up with for Gaius' madness was that he, being a young man, was
thrown into the job and he saw through the disguise that Augustus had set up and acted
accordingly. Because of this, and his troubled upbringing, and the complete lack of tact
led to his wild behavior that his contemporaries as way too extreme and even insane.
(Bibliography # 1-3).
During Gaius' reign he had Mauretania annexed and reorganized into two provinces, Herod
Agrippa appointed to a kingdom in Palestine and many severe riots between Jews and Greeks
took place. He Gauls dress up as Germans at his triumph and had his Roman troops collect
seashells as spoils for the sea. (Bibliography # 2).
After uncovering a nascent conspiracy under Cn. Lentulus Gaetulicus, Gaius had his
brother-in-law M. Aemilius Lepodus and Cn. Lentulus executed and his two surviving
sisters, who were a part of the conspiracy exiled. Gaius had great enthusiasm for divine
honors for himself and his favorite sister, Drusilla. After her sudden death in 38 AD he
had her deified. He even tried to have a statue of himself erected in the Temple at
Jerusalem, But through delaying techniques of P. Petronius and the intervention of Herod
Agrippa prevented riots and uprisings in Palestine. (Bibliography # 1-3).
The conspiracy that ended Gaius's life was hatched between the officers of the Praetorian
Guard, apparently for personal reasons. Even though the guards thought it up it appeared
to have the support of some senators and an imperial freedman. (Bibliography # 2).
Just as other conspiracies there were suspicions that the plot was broader than sources
had said in the beginning. The conspiracy might have even had the support of the next
emperor Claudius, but there isn't evidence that proves these theories. (Bibliography #
2).
On January 24, 41 AD Cassius Chaerea, of the praetorian tribune and other guardsmen got
Gaius alone in a corridor of the palace and murdered him by stabbing to death...and then
some. Gaius died at the age of 28 and had only ruled for three years and ten months.
(Bibliography # 2,4).
Gaius multiplied one houndred-fold whatever damage Tiberius's later years did to the
carefully crafted political structure created by Augustus. By the time that Gaius came to
power in 37 AD he had no administrative experience besides his honorary quaestorship. He
also spent his very unhappy childhood out of the public eye. Once he came to power he
appeared to have realized the endless bounds of his authority and acted correspondingly.
For his elite companions his situation proved unendurable and ensured the blackening of
Caligula's name in the historical records that they would formulate. (Bibliography # 2).
Even though Caligula was recorded as insane he was very important. Caligula's reign
highlighted the inherent weakness in the Augustan Principate. It was now, because of
Caligula, openly revealed for was it was, a crude monarchy in which only the
self-discipline of the official acted as a restraint on their behavior. And that the only
way of retiring the unruly princeps was murder marked yet another important revelation:
Roman emperors could not relinquish their powers without relinquishing their
lives-Balsdon. (Bibliography # 2).
Through this report I learned more than just an emperor and his alleged insanity, I
learned about the lifestyles of people back then. The thoughts, behaviors, and acts of
people back then were supposedly more in the public's eye. But in reality, the truth that
the common peoples thought they knew was actually anything but. The senate and their
efforts to keep emperors from becoming the sole ruler really wasn't what it seemed
either, and like I said the only thing holding the emperors back were their
self-discipline.
After learning about the wondrous Caligula and life back in Rome I know that, in politics
anyway, ancient Rome and the U.S today are different. Back then guys could be crazy with
little to no political experience and still make it into the emperor's chair but in the
U.S today if a guy is crazy, or has never held a political office they wouldn't even make
the cut to be a parties representative. 
Bibliography
? (1) http://peicommerce.com/history/roman/caligula/caligula.htm
? (2) Fagan, Garrett G. http://www.salve.edu/~romanemp/indexxx.htm, 2October1997
? (3) Armstrong, Martin A., Monetary History of the World, Princeton Economic Institue,
11/01/96
? (4) Balsdon, J.P.V.D. The Emperor Gaius. Oxford, 1934
? (5) Barrett, A.A. Caligula: The Corruption of power. New Haven,1989
? (6) Ferrill, A. Caligula, Emperor of Rome. London, 1991
? (7) Wood, S. Diva Drusilla Panthea and the sisters of Caligula. AJA 99(1995): 457-82