The Julio-Claudian dynasty was the first family to rule the powerful political entity known as the Roman Empire. Capricious, unusual, and sometimes even cruel, this family has gone down in history as one of the most fascinating and corrupt political dynasties in history. Caligula, the third ruler of the Roman Empire, was without a doubt one of the most unusual and capricious of the Roman emperors and has gone down in history as one of the most infamous emperors in history.
Family
According to the Encyclopedia of World Biography, Caligula was the son of the renowned general Germanicus (son of Drusus and grandson of Livia Drusilla, Augustus’s wife) and Agrippina, the daughter of Augustus’s daughter Julia. He often traveled with his parents throughout the Roman world and was well-loved by the soldiers, who gave him the nickname that would stick with him (“Caligula” means “little boots”). Despite Tiberius’s persecution of his mother and brothers, he and his sisters managed to survive, and he even became close to the bitter old emperor before his death. As a result, he was declared Tiberius’s heir, along with his cousin Gemellus. He was married several times, and his last wife produced a daughter (it appears that he was quite attached to his wife).
Reign
According to Biography Base, shortly after he ascended the throne, Caligula had Gemellus murdered. Despite this act of cruelty, his accession was greeted with joy from the populace of Rome, since he appeared to be an improvement from the tyranny of his predecessor. For the first part of his reign, Caligula appeared to be a competent and generous leader. However, he fell into a deep sickness and almost died, and it appears that his mind became unhinged.
After he recovered from his illness, Caligula began to behave erratically. He declared himself a god and demanded that he be worshiped accordingly, and he also made his horse (named Incitatus) into a political figure, thus demonstrating either a remarkably wicked sense of humor or a mind dangerous deranged. He also began to persecute members of the Senate and to confiscate their wealth in order to pay for his extravagant expenses.
Assassination and Aftermath
The Praetorians eventually grew tired of Caligula’s antics and plotted his assassination. They murdered him while he was walking away from the theater, and after his death they also killed his wife and their young daughter. Having dispatched the corrupt and dangerous emperor, they then sought out a successor. Popular history states that they found their replacement huddling behind some curtains, terrified that he would also meet his fate at the hands of the disgruntled guards. This was Caligula’s uncle (and cousin) Claudius, who was raised by the Praetorians to the position of emperor, an announcement that the Senate quickly approved.
Caligula has been portrayed various times in popular culture. Novelist Allan Massie wrote a fictional biography of the emperor, attempting to paint him in a more sympathetic light than ancient biographers. Caligula was also a character in Robert Graves’s classic novel I, Claudius, as well as the BBC presentation, where he was portrayed by the talented actor John Hurt.
Sources
“Caligula.” Biography Base.
“Caligula.” Encyclopedia of World Biography.
