Caligula was only 25 years old when he became the emperor of Rome, the son of the general and politician Germanicus and Agrippina, the granddaughter of Augustus Caesar. Conflict with Tiberius, Germanicus’ uncle, resulted in Caligula being the only male survivor of the family. After Tiberius’ death, Caligula ascended the throne.
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The annals of history record Caligula as being a madman, and his four-year reign filled with scandalous affairs. However, one perspective suggests that these rumors were mere smear campaigns to discredit the young emperor. Seeing how Caligula was not on good terms with the Senate and the historians who had been part of it, it lends credence to that point of view.
Some of the rumors about Caligula involved an incestuous relationship with one of his sisters, hinted at by the historian Suetonius. However, this rumor had been refuted by other historians like Tacitus and Philo of Alexandria, who shrugged it off as a baseless rumor. Another tall tale was how Caligula supposedly made his horse Incitatus the consul of Rome. But this story may have simply been a prank that the emperor pulled on the Senate to rouse them.
It’s possible that the Senate’s hatred for Caligula and their authority over writing history made it such that the records showed that Caligula’s reign was one of insanity. Furthermore, the rumors about his sexual perversity along with the stories of his madness were a means to show poor government, giving people a reason to depose him.
In the end, Caligula’s strained relationship with the Senate became his undoing as they plotted to assassinate him, and succeeded. Afterwards, his uncle, Claudius, was elected by the Praetorian Guard. For more infamous tales about Caligula, check it out on The Collector.
(Image credit: British Museum)
Source: neatorama