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All hail Caligula Caesar!...

So, I got the idea for this thread after watching yet another history special on Caligula.

So, what are your thoughts on him?

Do you believe the stories about his wacky antics were true or were they mostly exaggerated and maybe even made up by the same people who despised him or didn't agree with his form of politics?

And if they were in fact true what do you think made him do such crazy things? Mental disease? Drunk with power? etc..etc

I actually hesitate to believe a lot of things regarding Caligula. He was young, true, and crazy, thats true too, but certain things I fail to believe actually happened.

Him making a horse as a senator, I believe is greatly over exaggerated. He might have said it in a sarcastic kind of way, which was later established as something he actually did.

As far as the story of his sister and what happened with the baby (shudder) I SERIOUSLY doubt it.

I think we all know what gossip can do these days. In the Rome it was the MAIN source of entertainment.
Besides, whoever was a successor, always wrote terrible things regarding his predecessor.
This was standard.

Im not dismissing he was crazy super party animal, but I also doubt he was as nuts and mentally retarded as he is often portrayed.

The problems with discussin g Caligula are numerous. Most educated Romans who wrote on the Emperors were senators...and naturally the Imperial throne and the senate were in conflict throughout most of the Roman Empire.

Its hardly ironic that emperors that were unfriendly to the Senate are more criticised by Roman historians. Caligula was one of these emperors. Also , sotries become more eggaturated with time. Nero is another great example. Histories written during and shortly after hsi emperorship don't reflect upon him as nearly as bad as later histories do.

In many ways, the Senate finds its tounge after the political threat is gone.

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
Him making a horse as a senator, I believe is greatly over exaggerated. He might have said it in a sarcastic kind of way, which was later established as something he actually did.

It' s a story that stems from Caligula' s continual stream of jokes. The remark that he felt Incitatus was as well qualified as any of the incumbents, was a way to ridicule and anger the senate.

History has not been kind to Caligula. He, by no means, was a productive ruler for the entirety of his reign, however, his first year showed signs of more than just obvious politics of the time

Originally posted by Storm
It' s a story that stems from Caligula' s continual stream of jokes. The remark that he felt Incitatus was as well qualified as any of the incumbents, was a way to ridicule and anger the senate.

History has not been kind to Caligula. He, by no means, was a productive ruler for the entirety of his reign, however, his first year showed signs of more than just obvious politics of the time

Didn't he burn down Rome for an addition to the Palace?

No.

Originally posted by Darth Kreiger
Didn't he burn down Rome for an addition to the Palace?
The great fire of Rome erupted under Nero' s government, and he was held responsible for it.

Originally posted by Storm
The great fire of Rome erupted under Nero' s government, and he was held responsible for it.

Note: Nero was not really blamed until after his death. Dead scapegoats are very nice, and since the Empire was falling back into disarray, the Senate hoped to take control.

Originally posted by lil bitchiness

Im not dismissing he was crazy super party animal, but I also doubt he was as nuts and mentally retarded as he is often portrayed.

Yeah but at the sametime power will make you even more crazier.

Originally posted by Alliance
Note: Nero was not really blamed until after his death. Dead scapegoats are very nice, and since the Empire was falling back into disarray, the Senate hoped to take control.
I wonder where you got that. Because to counter the rumours, Nero passed the blame on the, at that time, unpopular Christians who got horribly persecuted.

Originally posted by Storm
I wonder where you got that. Because to counter the rumours, Nero passed the blame on the, at that time, unpopular Christians who got horribly persecuted.

I got it from reading, most of the accounts get more and more scathing as you get farther and farther from his death.

There was some blame during his reign, and of course he deferred it. Despite what is likely blatant propoganda, he was a sh*tty emperor.

Originally posted by Alfheim
Yeah but at the sametime power will make you even more crazier.

Exactly, just look at George Bush!

No. He's just crazy.

Originally posted by Alliance
Note: Nero was not really blamed until after his death. Dead scapegoats are very nice, and since the Empire was falling back into disarray, the Senate hoped to take control.

Yeah, I wonder where you got that from too? Link us please, or quote the source.

As far as history goes - after the fire, the population of Rome quickly searched for a scapegoat, and they all pointed at Nero.
Nero, then (to take the blame off himself) blamed Christians, ordering all known christians to be thrown to the lions, while others were crusified in large numbers.

The reason Nero blamed the Christians to begin with, is because HE got blamed for the fire (which historians tend to disagree if it was his fault or not).

Nero was blamed BEFORE his death - hence his the blame on the Christians.

Originally posted by Alliance
Most of the accounts get more and more scathing as you get farther and farther from his death.

There was some blame during his reign, and of course he deferred it. Despite what is likely blatant propoganda, he was a sh*tty emperor.

I read that Caligula was one of many emperors who build a temple to worship the Egyptian goddess (Aset) Isis. Despite the banishment of the Isis cult in Rome it was said that it was destroyed by Tiberius.