Caesar Caligula

by Steve Hale

Caligula followed Tiberius to the throne, and reigned from A.D. 37-41. Unlike Tiberius, Caligula had positively no positive qualities. Many historians conclude he must have been insane.
Caligula is the first of three Roman emperors that claimed to be a (in the supreme sense) god in the first century. The others were Nero (A.D. 54-68) and Domitian (A.D. 81-96).
Tiberius was on his deathbed, and trying to choose a successor. He finally decided to summon Gemellus and Caligula the next morning, and the one who got there first would be the next emperor.
Gemellus overslept and ate his breakfast slowly that morning. So, even though he distrusted him, Tiberius chose Caligula as the next emperor.
Tiberius soon closed his eyes, and the servants and Caligula thought he was dead. But, just as well- wishers were congratulating Caligula, Tiberius sat-up and asked for something to eat.
They were all terrified, including Caligula. Just one word could send any or all of them to their deaths. Many of the servants slipped outside and down the corridors to their rooms.
Caligula was determined to have the throne. He tried to remove the signet ring, but Tiberius would not let him have it. What happened afterward, no one really knows. Most historians deduce that Caligula suffocated Tiberius.
At any rate, his first action as emperor was to order the death of the servant who had witnessed Tiberius's murder! A fitting way for a tyrant to take the throne!
During his first seven months as emperor, all went well. Caligula was restrained, and promised the Senate that he would listen to them and be their servant. He was generous to those in opposition to him. He gave great public banquets.
During late fall, Caligula became very ill. When he recovered, his behavior was much different. He was now self-serving and evil.
He forced his own sister, Drusilla, to leave her husband and marry him. The Romans were shocked, but Caligula said the Egyptians did the same thing, and therefore everything would be alright. Most were unconvinced.
Among these was Caligula's grandmother, Antonia. She refused to keep quiet about her opposition. Therefore, Caligula ordered her to poison herself. When she did, he ordered her cremated in front of his dining room window. As smoke curled up before him, he merely shrugged.
Then, Gemellus entered the room. Having taken cough medicine, Caligula accused him of taking an antidote to poison. He ordered Gemellus to kill himse
which he did. Gemellus was only 18 at the time. More next week.

The above article appeared in the Mt. Juliet Messenger, February 14, 1993

Part 2

by Steve Hale

Caligula commonly ordered people to kill themselves. To him, it became a game and an expression of his 'sense of humor.' Further, this sense of power strengthened Caligula's sense of deity.
One of his cruel tactics had to do with women with whom he became interested. During embrace, he was known to say: 'Off comes this beautiful head whenever I give the word."
Rather than being a servant, Caligula began to flaunt his contempt for the masses. He announced he was appointing his favorite horse, Incitatus, as a Consul. He assigned a beautiful home for his horse, and even threw parties with the horse acting as host!
Caligula would attend weddings. If the bride suited his fancy, he would interrupt, and marry the girl while the groom watched. He divorced her when he tired of her!
He loved auctions, and thought himself to be a master auctioneer. He enjoyed selling slaves and gladiators more than anything else. The rich were often forced to come to his sales. One rich aristocrat fell asleep during Caligula's auction. When he woke up, he found that he had bought 13 gladiators for 9,000,000 sesterces!
Caligula's cruelty was vividly chronicled by Suetonius. Suetonius said that, on one occasion, the zoo had a meat shortage. He reported that Caligula ordered that all 'bald-headed prisoners" be fed to the beasts to keep them in good health!
Caligula announced to the Romans that he was a god, equal to Jupiter. All the heads on statues were to be replaced with replicas of his own head. Most countries were unaffected by adding yet another deity. However, the Jews protested.
Because of the intervention of Herod Agrippa, Caligula did not persecute the Jews. He did order his statue placed in the Holy of Holies. Though this was never carried out, Caligula thought it was amusing.
At the age of 29, Caligula was already wom out from a life of sin. He had literally no vitality. His excesses had drained the ample treasury left to him by Tiberius. The people were cruelly taxed. He was hated by almost the whole empire.
Then, on January 24, A.D. 41, he made a fatal mistake. He insulted an officer of his bodyguard, Cassius Chaerea, once too often. Angrily, Cassius took out his sword, and slashed Caligula's shoulder.
Cassius looked at the emperor in stunned amazement at what he had done. How could he do such a thing?
However, as he looked at Caligula in shock, the other members of the guard came down upon the emperor, and thrust him through with their swords.
Caligula lived by the sword, and he died by sword. Most historians believe he was insane.

• Hadrian's Renaming of Jerusalem - Jun 27, 1993
• The Correspondence of Pliny and Caesar Trajan - Jun 13, 1993
• Caesar Domitian - Jun 03, 1993
• Caesar Vespasian and His Son, Caesar Titus - May 23, 1993
• Galba, Otho, and Vitellius - May 16, 1993