Caligula

Lore & Background

Caligula was born in Antium, the third of six surviving children of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder. At age two or three, he accompanied his father on campaigns in Germania, wearing a miniature soldier's outfit that led soldiers to nickname him 'Caligula' ('little boot'). After Germanicus died in Antioch in AD 19, his mother Agrippina returned to Rome with her children and became entangled in a bitter feud with Emperor Tiberius, leading to the destruction of her family, with Caligula as the sole male survivor. In 31, Caligula joined Tiberius on Capri, where he was befriended by Praetorian prefect Naevius Sutorius Macro and described as a first-rate orator, well-informed, and cultured, hiding his resentment behind an obsequious manner.

Reader's Guide

Caligula's reign, though only four years, marked a shift toward unconstrained imperial power. He directed attention to ambitious construction projects benefiting ordinary citizens, including racetracks, theatres, amphitheatres, and improvements to roads and ports, and began the Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus aqueducts. The empire annexed Mauretania as a province, but he abandoned an attempted invasion of Britain and the installation of his statue in the Temple in Jerusalem. Most surviving sources, written long after by nobility and senators, describe him as increasingly self-indulgent, cruel, and tyrannical, but modern historians often dismiss these as misunderstandings, exaggeration, or malicious fantasy. His assassination in early 41 by officers of the Praetorian Guard, senators, and courtiers marked the official end of the Julii Caesares in the male line, though the Julio-Claudian dynasty continued until Nero's death.

Did You Know?

• Caligula was nicknamed 'little boot' by his father's soldiers because he wore a miniature soldier's outfit including army boots.
• He was the sole male survivor of his family after a feud with Emperor Tiberius destroyed his mother and brothers.
• During his reign, the empire annexed the client kingdom of Mauretania as a province.
• He was assassinated in early AD 41 by a conspiracy of Praetorian Guard officers, senators, and courtiers.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Utinam populus Romanus unam cervicem haberet!" — Caligula "Would that the Roman people had but one neck!" — Caligula "I wish the Roman people had but one neck." — Caligula "I am nursing a viper for the Roman people, and a Phaëthon for the whole world." — Caligula