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Emperor Caligula Research Paper

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Caligula was the popular nickname of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August AD 12 – 24 January AD 41), Roman Emperor (AD 37–41). Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula 's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome 's most beloved public figures. The young Gaius earned the nickname "Caligula" (meaning "little soldier 's boot", the diminutive form of caliga, hob-nailed military boot) from his father 's soldiers while accompanying him during his campaigns in Germania.
When Germanicus died at Antioch in AD 19, his wife Agrippina the Elder returned to Rome with her six children where she became …show more content…

There are few surviving sources about the reign of Emperor Caligula, although he is described as a noble and moderate ruler during the first six months of his reign. After this, the sources focus upon his cruelty, sadism, extravagance, and sexual perversity, presenting him as an insane tyrant. 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. He directed much of his attention to ambitious construction projects and luxurious dwellings for himself, and initiated the construction of two aqueducts in Rome: the Aqua Claudia and the Anio Novus. During his reign, the empire annexed the Kingdom of Mauretania as a …show more content…

A sacred precinct was set apart for his worship at Miletus in the province of Asia and two temples were erected for worship of him in Rome. The Temple of Castor and Pollux on the forum was linked directly to the imperial residence on the Palatine and dedicated to Caligula. He would appear here on occasion and present himself as a god to the public. Caligula had the heads removed from various statues of gods and replaced with his own in some temples. It is said that he wished to be worshipped as "Neos Helios," the "New Sun." Indeed, he was represented as a sun god on Egyptian coins.
Caligula 's religious policy was a departure from that of his predecessors. According to Cassius Dio, living emperors could be worshipped as divine in the east and dead emperors could be worshipped as divine in Rome. Augustus had the public worship his spirit on occasion, but Dio describes this as an extreme act that emperors generally shied away from. Caligula took things a step further and had those in Rome, including senators, worship him as a tangible,

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Agrippina the Younger’s role during the Claudius’ principate was quite simple, she was to establish a familial connection between Claudius and both the Julian and Claudian linage. The commonalities between Claudius and Agrippina resulted in a beneficial relationship that allowed her influence to increase. By being the great granddaughter of Augustus, Agrippina held a powerful position which helped legitimise the reign of Claudius, hence she was given the title Augusta with her official name on coins and inscriptions as Iulia Augusta, which conveyed the notion of being an empress. Consequently, this enforced his position as princeps, especially persuading the senate which doubted his ascension to emperor. Because of her power and influence, Agrippina had a positive relationship with the senate which brought stability between them and Claudius, thus she was given the right to use the carpentum at festivals, as well as to sit in the senate itself and discuss various matters--

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Rodgers recalls the moments when Caligula ascended to the status of emperor: “When Augustus’ great-grandson Gaius Cligula succeeded Tiberius in March AD37, Rome was jubilant” (source D). Unfortunately, Caligula is became most associated with his inexplicable acts of lunacy. It is widely suggested by modern historians that a rapid alteration in his mental health took place as a result of some form of mental disorder, namely schizophrenia. Regardless of this, he was still recognised as having moments of good-naturedness and open-heartedness. The nickname he earned as a child, ‘little boots’ since stuck with him his whole life, and it became the name Rome knew him by, further adding to the credibility of his

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Caesar Augustus: Caesar Augustus, or earlier known as Octavian, was a military commander who later became the emperor of the Roman Empire. His reign lasted from 27 B.C.E. to 14 C.E. His title, Caesar Augustus, implied that he was a ruler with godlike qualities. This marked the end of republics in Rome and the rise of the empire. Augustus was a humble ruler, and seeked to preserve republic values, by refraining from calling himself an emperor, or king. His rule began the Pax Romana, or the era of great peace in the Roman Empire.

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30/29 BCE) permitted worship of Dea Roma and Julius Caesar by Romans living in Ephesus and Nicomedia instead of directing worship towards himself, however, Octavian did allow non-Roman provincials to set aside precincts that would be consecrated to himself. Burton states that Octavian did this for political reasons as he had expressly ordered that he himself should not be worshipped. I agree that this move appeased the non-Roman provincials’ style of hero-worship without incurring the wrath of the Roman provincials who would have seen the deification of a living man as sacrilegious. Alston agrees with Dio regarding the idea that provincials would send a decree asking if the emperor wanted to be worshipped with the choice left to the emperor to accept or decline the offer. Here, the example of Octavian sets out the idea that a ruler needed to be careful when dealing with their worship, lest people should think them to be encouraging their own deification.

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He implemented measures such as strengthening the praetorian guard, suppressing opposition, and fostering a personality cult centered around the emperor. These decisions facilitated the further concentration of power and laid the groundwork for future emperors, including Caligula, to expand their authority (Suetonius, "Tiberius," sections on his reforms and policies). While Caligula's reign undoubtedly introduced elements of change and challenged traditional Roman norms, it is essential to contextualize his actions within the broader historical developments initiated by Augustus and Tiberius. Caligula continued the trend of consolidating power within the imperial office, which had been established by Augustus and further developed by Tiberius.

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