ANIC l" S ( P2-41 ) . Emperor of Rome from A.D. 37 to 41. Ile was the youngest son of Germani ens (nephew of Tiberius) by Agrippina, and was born August 31, A.D. 12, at Antium. and was educated in the camp. where the soldiers gave him the nickname Caligula, from the military boots (regigu•) which he wore. (In the death of his brother 1)rusus. he was made augur in his stead; and on the death of Tiberius (An. 37), who, it was suspected, had received foul play at his hands, it was found that he had heel] appointed eo-heir along with the grandson of Tiberius, but the Senate and the people allowed Caligula supreme and sole In the beginning of his reign he appeared hardly likely to fulfill the threat of Tiberius, who had talked of educating Caligula ''for the destruction of the Roman peo ple." lie was, to appearance, lavishly generous and mereiful, pardoning even those who had been the instruments of cruelty against his own fam ily. But this ostentatious magnanimity was itself a disease, an unwholesome affectation, founded on no principle. or even humanity of heart, and co-existed with the most savage volup tuousness and lust. Consequently, when illness, the result of his vicious life, had weakened his faculties, the lower qualities of his nature ob tained the complete mastery. In addition to the senseless prodigality with which he commenced his career—expending in one year the enormous wealth left by Tiberius, 720,000,000 sesterees he began to manifest the most barbarous propen sities. He banished or murdered his relatives,
excepting his uncle Claudius and sister Drusilla (with whom he carried on incestuous inter course) ; filled Rome with exeeutions, confiscat ing the estates of his victims; amused himself. while dining, by having victims tortured and slain in his presence; and uttered the wish "that all the Roman people had but one neck, so that he might decapitate Rome at a blow!" To vie with Xerxes. he made a bridge of ships over the bay between Haim and Puteoli (a distance of three Roman miles and 600 paces). and cele brated the exploit by a costly banquet on the middle of the bridge, and by collecting on it great numbers of people, and causing them to be drowned. His favorite horse was stabled in a palace, fed at a marble manger with gilded oats, was made a member of the college of priests. and afterwards raised to the consulship. As a climax to all his absurdities. he declared himself a god, and had temples erected. and sacrifices offered to himself. At length a conspiracy was formed by the officers of his guards, and lie was assassi nated A.D. 41. His life is told by Sm-tonins. See also Baring-Gould. The Tragedy of the Ca'sars (London. 1892).