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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] Caligula Biography CALIGULA, Gaius Cęsar Augustus Germanicus (1241 a.d.). Emperor of Rome from 37 to 41. He was the youngest son of Germanicus (nephew of Tiberius) by Agrippina, and was born Aug. 31, 12, at Antium, and was educated in the camp, in Germany, where the soldiers gave him the nickname Caligula, from the military shoes (calig) which he wore. On the death of his brother Drusus he was made augur in his stead. On the death of Tiberius (37), who, it was suspected, had received foul play at his hands, it was found that he had been appointed coheir along with the grandson of Tiberius, called Tiberius Gemellus, but the Senate and the people allowed Caligula supreme and sole authority. In the beginning of his reign he appeared hardly likely to fulfill the threat of Tiberius, who had talked of educating Caligula "for the destruction of the Roman people." He seemed lavishly generous and merciful, pardoning even those who had been the instruments of cruelty against his own family. But this ostentatious magnanimity was itself a disease, an unwholesome affectation, founded on no principle, or even humanity of heart, and coexisted with the most savage voluptuousness and lust. Consequently, when, after he had ruled eight months, illness, the result of his vicious life, had weakened his faculties, the lower qualities of his nature obtained the complete mastery. In addition to the senseless prodigality with which he commenced his career he expended in one year the enormous wealth left by Tiberius, 720,000,000 sesterceshe began to manifest the most barbarous propensities. He banished or murdered his relatives, except his uncle Claudius and his sister Drusilla; filled Rome with executions, confiscating the estates of his victims; amused himself, while dining, by having victims tortured and slain in his presence; and uttered the wish "that all the Roman people had but one neck, that he might decapitate Rome at a blow!" To vie with Xerxes, he made a bridge of ships over the bay between Baię and Puteoli (a distance of 3 Roman miles and 600 paces), and celebrated the exploit by a costly banquet on the middle of the bridge, and by collecting on it great numbers of people and causing them to be drowned. His favorite horse was stabled in a palace, fed at a marble manger, was made a member of the college of priests, and afterward raised to the consulship. As a climax to all his absurdities, he declared himself a god, and had temples erected and sacrifices offered to himself. At length a conspiracy was formed by the officers of his guards, and he was assassinated, 41 a.d. His life is told by Suetonius. Consult also Baring-Gould, The Tragedy of the Csars (London, 1892). The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. IV (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 346-347. |