There were a number of freedmen in his close circle who attained considerable influence: Helicon, his chamberlain; Apelles, a tragic actor; and most wealthy and powerful of all, Callistus, a kind of imperial secretary. [38] He had his cousin and adopted son Tiberius Gemellus executed an act that outraged Caligula's and Gemellus' mutual grandmother Antonia Minor. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Historians believe that he probably went insane. Welcome to r/AskHistorians. AutoModerator 3 yr. ago Welcome to r/AskHistorians. Alexander Thomson. It's easy to see how this description might have come about. However, it's unclear if all "brain fevers" had their roots in contagion. (Some scholars think his wife Agrippina, granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus, chose the getup to emphasize her familys imperial pedigree.) Caligula: a neuropsychiatric explanation of his madness. CALIGULA (Latin: Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus; [1] 31 August 12 AD - 24 January 41 AD), also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. [7], Germanicus died at Antioch, Syria province, in AD19, aged only 33. Caligula : I have existed from the morning of the world and I shall exist until the last star falls from the night. If the illness caused his madness, then it is easy to see how dangerous it can be to concentrate power in one man. to the death of the eponymous character, Claudius, through whose eyes all of the action in the series is seen.The series opens with an elderly Claudius penning his memoirs, which tell of the . en.wikipedia.org 615 25 r/ancientrome Join 4 mo. [80] The conquest of Britannia was later achieved during the reign of his successor, Claudius. Caligula was born on August 31, 12 CE. [8] After the death of his father, Caligula lived with his mother, Agripinna the Elder, until her relations with Tiberius deteriorated. Philo's works, On the Embassy to Gaius and Flaccus, give some details on Caligula's early reign, but mostly focus on events surrounding the Jewish population in Judea and Egypt with whom he sympathizes. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. [126] Suetonius records that Caligula's death resembled that of Julius Caesar. Palmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (1996). [50] The current and past highway commissioners were accused of incompetence and embezzlement and forced to repay money. Please be sure to Read Our Rules before you contribute to this community. [141] The question of whether Caligula was insane (especially after his illness early in his reign) remains unanswered. Caligula's Early Years. [101] Agrippa finally convinced Caligula to reverse the order. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies Before made in China was a shorthand for crappy How musty and stinky were 1800s ballroom parties? [114], Caligula's actions as emperor were described as being especially harsh to the Senate, to the nobility and to the equestrian order. [45] Caligula's political payments for support, generosity and extravagance had exhausted the state's treasury. Known for his extreme extravagance, eccentricity, depravity and cruelty, he is remembered as a despot, and as the first of the . Ancient sources, like Roman biographers Suetonius and Cassius Dio, describe Caligula having a "brain fever." Philo of Alexandria reports it was nothing more than a nervous breakdown, as Caligula was not used to the pressures of constant attention after being out of the public eye for most of his life. [139], Caligula's sister, Agrippina the Younger, wrote an autobiography that certainly included a detailed explanation of Caligula's reign, but it too is lost. I know in precise detail what Caligula did to, and . [109][110] They state he sent troops on illogical military exercises,[75][111] turned the palace into a brothel,[47] and, most famously, planned or promised to make his horse, Incitatus, a consul,[112][113] Ancient historians state that Caligula began falsely accusing, fining and even killing individuals for the purpose of seizing their estates. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. [62][63] It was said that the bridge was to rival the Persian king Xerxes' pontoon bridge crossing of the Hellespont. Answers must be in-depth and comprehensive, or they will be removed. EPILEPSY Most historians agree that epilepsy is the most likely candidate for Caligula's illness. He was born in the year 12 AD, shortly before the death of Augustus. Brain fever is a medical infection or an infection caused by bacteria or viruses, which results in inflammation of the brain. His uncle Claudius was spared only because Caligula preferred to keep him as a laughing stock. The Senate had become accustomed to ruling without an emperor between the departure of Tiberius for Capri in 26 and Caligula's accession. [57] He had new roads built and pushed to keep roads in good condition. One of the four conditions described as brain fever is Encephalitis (most common). Long Day's Journey into Night, Dundee Rep," The Herald, 20 April 1994. [146][147] Modern historians have theorized that Caligula lived with a daily fear of seizures. [156] The claim has been met with scepticism by Cambridge historian Mary Beard.[157]. Known for his extreme extravagance, eccentricity, depravity and cruelty, he is remembered as a despot. [19] Meanwhile, both Caligula's mother and his brother Drusus died in prison. While the reliability of these sources is questionable, it is known that during his brief reign, Caligula worked to increase the unconstrained personal power of the emperor, as opposed to countervailing powers within the principate. His younger sisters were Julia Drusilla, Agrippina the Younger, and Julia Livilla. [141] Philo of Alexandria, Josephus and Seneca state that Caligula was insane, but describe this madness as a personality trait that came through experience. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the His full name was Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. of course the popular view that he was crazy is in itself rather disputed, since 27 bc when augustus establish the princeps and became rome first emperor he held the real power however officialy the republic was "restored". [35][36] Caligula collected and brought back the bones of his mother and of his brothers and deposited their remains in the tomb of Augustus. This renowned 1976 mini-series (based on the books I, Claudius and Claudius the God by Robert Graves) follows the history of The Roman Empire, from the latter reign of Augustus (starting around 24/23 B.C.) Answer: We don't know the nature of Caligula's illness. And why not? Two Truths and a Lie: Ancient Rome . [58] Later, he began the construction of aqueducts Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus, which Pliny the Elder considered to be engineering marvels. Caligula did not trust the prefect of Egypt, Aulus Avilius Flaccus. Our sources just say he was seriously ill for a month. The .gov means its official. One of the wrecks included a lead pipe bearing the inscription Property of Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. It is uncertain whether it was Allied or German troopswho cause the fire thatlargely destroyed the ships in 1944. I just watched Roman Empire, excuse any misinformation I interpreted from the show if it's not entirely accurate (I enjoyed it though). [122] On 24 January 41,[124] Cassius Chaerea and other guardsmen accosted Caligula as he addressed an acting troupe of young men beneath the palace, during a series of games and dramatics being held for the Divine Augustus. The boy was the sixth son in the family, and then Agrippina gave birth to three more daughters. We thank you for your interest in this question, and your patience in waiting for an in-depth and comprehensive answer to be written, which takes time. But in 19AD, while campaigning in Syria, Germanicus took ill and died, rumored to have been poisoned. and appointed a priest to serve him. Ohio Wesleyan University. Epub 2016 Feb 6. Thus, his acts should be seen from other angles, and the search for "mad Caligula" abandoned. Caligula fell ill from fever at the same time as his wife's pregnancy with a daughter, and he would recover; however, Julia Drusilla collapsed from fever as his daughter Drusilla the Younger was born in a public ceremony. Or, faced with absolute power, did he allow himself to be corrupted absolutely? He staged a number of chariot races, beast hunts, entertainments, and spectacles in order to amuse the inhabitants of the city. However, it is not known whether they are speaking figuratively or literally. Suetonius: The Lives of the Twelve Caesars; An English Translation, Augmented with the Biographies of Contemporary Statesmen, Orators, Poets, and Other Associates. He had his father-in-law Marcus Junius Silanus and his brother-in-law Marcus Lepidus executed as well. But if his leadership skills were so abysmal, some scholars. [15] Roman historians describe Caligula as an excellent natural actor who recognised the danger he was in, and hid his resentment towards Tiberius. The Oregon Meteorite Mystery: Was the Port Orford Incident a Hoax? [5] He wore a miniature soldier's outfit, including army boots (caligae) and armour. But, after his recovery, there was a striking change in his behavior. [46][49] Wills that left items to Tiberius were reinterpreted to leave the items instead to Caligula. On the day of the assassination of Caligula, the Praetorians declared Caligula's uncle, Claudius, as the next emperor. In books like sherlock holmes and dracula it is merely a nervous breakdown. With this in mind Chaerea persuaded his fellow conspirators, who included Marcus Vinicius and Lucius Annius Vinicianus, to put their plot into action quickly. [17] Seneca the Elder and Philo, who both wrote during Tiberius' reign, as well as Josephus, record Tiberius as dying a natural death. Caligula began appearing in public dressed as various gods and demigods such as Hercules, Mercury, Venus and Apollo. There are a number of speculations about what the illness exactly was. [43] During the same year, though, Caligula was criticized for executing people without full trials and for forcing the Praetorian prefect, Macro, to commit suicide. The internet is awash with articles and blogs chewing over whether it is really true. [57] He also expanded the imperial palace. In the meantime our Twitter, Facebook, and Sunday Digest feature excellent content that has already been written! The site of the ships' discovery, Lake Nemi, lies 19 miles south of Rome in the region of Lazio. Dictys of Crete: Was There a War Reporter Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Battle of Culloden. Suetonius. There are records of Herod Agrippa detailing his relationship with a young Caligula. Additionally, given Caligula's unpopularity among the surviving sources, it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. They accuse Caligula of incest with his sisters, Agrippina the Younger, Drusilla, and Livilla, and say he prostituted them to other men. Therefore speculations about madness are fruitless, as they can't be proven. [70] A conspiracy involving his brother-in-law was foiled in late 39. [68] Additionally, Tiberius' treason trials had eliminated a number of pro-Julian senators such as Asinius Gallus. [Emperor, comet and catastrophy - the <> plague and the end of antiquity]. Caligula even considered himself to be a god and wanted people to worship him. We have records from Herod Agrippa and others who knew him before and after and it seemed like he suffered some sort of brain damage from the fever. A number of factors, though, aggravated this feud. There are many reasons for fever. However, according to Josephus, when the ship carrying the statue was still underway, news of Caligula's death reached Petronius. There is some evidence that his assassination had political motives, and that some of the assassins sought advancement for themselves in the removal of Caligula. J.H. Flaccus had been loyal to Tiberius, had conspired against Caligula's mother and had connections with Egyptian separatists. Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever Abbreviation: AHFV A tick-borne hemorrhagic fever caused by a flavivirus, first identified on the Arabian peninsula. At the other end of the spectrum is Emperor Caligula who the historian Suetonius (c. 69 - c. 130/140 CE) simply calls a monster. (Before Caligula). [74], Details on the Mauretanian events of 3944 are unclear. For one thing, his fellow lawmakers would likely have whisked him out of power for such conduct. Known for his extreme extravagance, eccentricity, depravity and cruelty, he is remembered as a despot. [34] He helped those who had been harmed by the imperial tax system, banished certain sexual deviants, and put on lavish spectacles for the public, including gladiatorial games. Available at:https://www.museumcenter.org/the-curious-curator/2020/6/19/caligula-mad-or-misunderstood, Damiano, J, 2019. So it was hoped would be the case with Caligula. Josephus describes Caligula's improvements to the harbours at Rhegium and Sicily, allowing increased grain imports from Egypt, as his greatest contributions. Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, better known by his nickname Caligula, was the third Roman Emperor who reigned for a short period of 4 years from 37 AD to 41 AD.Though his early reign is considered brilliant, Caligula is mostly remembered for his despotic rule, insanity, perversion and acts of extreme cruelty; making him among the iconic 'bad guys' in the annals of history. Caligula is often remembered as a selfish and capricious ruler whose ineptitude weakened the Roman empire during his four-year reign. Consideration of the personality and physical attributes of Caligula demonstrates that J. Eugene Reed. [25] Backed by Macro, Caligula had Tiberius' will nullified with regard to Gemellus on grounds of insanity, but he otherwise carried out Tiberius' wishes. Caligulas edicts became more and more arbitrary and capricious in nature, and baffled his Senate. Caligula's illness might have been a nervous breakdown, poi. However, evidence of the emperors extravagant lifestyle has surfaced at Lake Nemi, where workers salvaged two massive pleasure bargescomplete with marble dcor, mosaic floors and statuesin the late 1920s and early 1930s. Some charge him with madness and attribute it to his illness in A.D. 37, whereas others believe it occurred later, or else had nothing to do with his sickness.We have no real evidence to reconstruct his mental state. 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