Who is Caligula?
Caligula is the nickname of the third Roman Emperor, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, who ruled from 37 CE until his death by assassination in 41. Though popular at the beginning of his reign, Caligula allegedly underwent a change in personality after a serious illness just a few months after gaining the throne, becoming a dangerous and possibly insane despot. Caligula and the Senate were in the middle of a prolonged political dispute of unclear origin by the year 39, and the Emperor became extremely unpopular. Outlandish stories of his excesses, including incest, bestiality, and appointing his horse as Consul, abounded, and it is difficult to separate fact from fiction in early accounts of his reign. Caligula was the great grandson of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. His father, Germanicus, was the commander of the Roman forces in Germania, modern-day Germany, and the army adopted the young Caligula as a mascot. His nickname means “little boots” and refers to the miniature a
