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Caligula: 18 Facts on the “Mad” Roman Emperor

Caligula (12 BCE– 24 CE) is one of the most notorious Roman emperors. Everyone “knows” Caligula’s incestuous relationship with his sisters, or for his cruelty and madness, which culminated in Caligula naming his horse Roman consul or declaring himself a god. Yet, all those salacious stories come from a few ancient sources, written by prominent senators who despised Caligula’s autocratic style of rule. Upon closer examination, Caligula’s brief reign and life turn into a complex and fascinating story of a boy-emperor thoroughly unprepared for the throne, who, in the early years of the Roman Empire, tried to make Rome an absolute monarchy but failed. A spoiled and reckless ruler who, for his transgressions against the traditional order, was tarnished by his enemies, becoming a madman, a tyrant, a pervert – one of worst Roman emperors.

In the following 18 facts, we shall address most of those myths and show that “mad” Caligula was not so mad after all.

1. Emperor Caligula Was a Member of the Revered Imperial Dynasty

Born as

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Caligula (AD 12 - 41)

'Caligula', more properly Gaius (Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus), was the third Roman emperor, in succession to Tiberius. He has gone down in history, perhaps unfairly, as Rome's most tyrannical emperor, but since we lack Tacitus' account of his short reign, it is impossible to know the truth behind the wilder stories.

Gaius was the son of the popular Germanicus and the great-grandson of Augustus - with the blood of Augustus from both sides of his family. From age two to four he lived on the Rhine with his father's legions, and the soldiers gave him the affectionate nickname 'Caligula', or 'Bootikins'.

After the death of his brother in 33 AD he was, with Gemellus (grandson of Tiberius), next in succession, and lived with Tiberius on Capreae. When Tiberius died in 37 AD, the Praetorian Prefect Macro ensured that Gaius, not Gemellus, became emperor. It was also rumoured that Gaius and the Praetorian Prefect Macro had hastened the death of Tiberius by smothering him with a pillow. Gemellus and Macro were both put to death at the beginning of the new reign.

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Caligula’s Early Life

Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus was born in A.D. 12, the third son of the renowned Roman general Germanicus and his wife, Agrippina the Elder. During his childhood, his family lived at his father’s posting on the Rhine, where the general’s troops gave the future emperor his nickname “Caligula,” meaning “little boot,” in reference to the miniature uniform in which his parents dressed him.

Did you know? Though known for his harsh treatment of others, the infamous Roman emperor Caligula lavished attention upon his horse Incitatus, giving the animal his own house with a marble stall and ivory manger. As an expression of his absolute power, Caligula planned to appoint the horse to the high office of consul, but he was assassinated before he could do so.

After Germanicus died in A.D. 17, Caligula’s family fell from favor in the eyes of the emperor Tiberius and the powerful Praetorian guardsman Sejanus, who saw the elder sons of the popular general as political rivals. Caligula’s mother and brothers were accused of treason, and all died in prison or exile. Ca