Caligula

Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus (August 31, 12 – January 24, 41), most commonly known as Caligula, was the third Roman Emperor and third member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from AD 37 to 41. Caligula represents a turning point in the early history of the Principate. Known for his extremely extravagant, eccentric and sometimes cruel despotism, he was assassinated in AD 41 by several of his own guards.

Caligula?s Madness

The ancient sources are practically unanimous as to the cause of Caligula's downfall: he was insane. The writers differ as to how this condition came about, but all agree that after his good start Caligula began to behave in an openly autocratic manner, even a crazed one. Outlandish stories cluster about the raving emperor, illustrating his excessive cruelty, immoral sexual escapades, or disrespect toward tradition and the Senate. The sources describe his incestuous relations with his sisters, laughable military campaigns in the north, the plan to make his horse a consul, and his habit of roaming the halls of his palace at night ordering the sun to rise. He comes across as aloof, arrogant, egotistical, and cuttingly witty, and is generally portrayed as insane. He is said to have wept because he could not cut the neck of every Roman citizen with his sword in a single blow.

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