Caligula

Caligula, CAIUS CÆSAR AUGUSTUS GERMANICUS, Roman emperor (37-41 A.D.), the youngest son of Germanicus and Agrippina, was born August 31, 12 A.D., at Antium, and was educated in the camp, where the soldiers gave him the nickname Caligula, from the soldier's boots (caligæ) which he wore. He ingratiated himself with Tiberius, and on the death of the latter (37 A.D.)—an event which there can be little doubt was either caused or accelerated by him—it was found that he had been appointed co-heir along with the emperor's grandson; but the senate conferred imperial power on Caligula alone. In the beginning of his reign he appeared little likely to fulfil the threat of Tiberius, who had talked of educating him 'for the destruction of the Roman people.' He was to appearance 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 affection, and co-existed with the most savage voluptuousness and lust. Consequently, when 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, expending in one year the enormous wealth left by Tiberius (£5,625,000), he began to manifest the most barbarous propensities. He banished or murdered his relatives, excepting his uncle Claudius and sister Drusilla (with whom he carried on incestuous intercourse); 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 hideous wish that all the Roman people had but one neck, that he might strike it off at a blow! To vie with Xerxes, he constructed a bridge of ships between Baïæ and Puteoli (three miles across), upon which he built houses, and celebrated the exploit by a costly banquet on the middle of the bridge, concluding the entertainment by throwing a great number of his guests into the sea. His favourite horse he made a member of the college of priests, and afterwards raised to the consulship. Finally, he declared himself a god, and had temples erected and sacrifices offered to himself. To gratify his insane desires he shrank from no infamy; he robbed, plundered, and taxed his subjects to a degree which seems almost incredible; and when even these means proved insufficient, he established a brothel in his own palace, and sent out his slaves to solicit the public patronage for it. At length a conspiracy was formed against him, and four months after his return from a plundering expedition into Gaul, he was assassinated, January 24, 41 A.D.