Roman emperor from 37 to 41 AD, infamous for his debauchery.
The third son of Germanicus (a famous general-politician and grandson of Augustus), Gaius gained an affection as a child among his father's legions who gave him the nickname Caligula, "little boot." He lost his father when he was six and grew up under the protection of his great-grandmother and grandmother, who were able to protect him from the political persecution—many of his family members were annihilated or exiled—of the ambitious general Sejanus. He ingratiated himself to Tiberius, with whom he lived from 32 AD, was adopted and groomed—together with Tiberius' grandson, Tiberius Gemellus—to be the successsors. When Tiberius died in 35, Caligula—who had long prepared for the event—managed to get Gemellus' part in the succession invalidated by the Senate, making himself the sole sovereign.
After Tiberius' dour and bureaucratic reign, Caligula's administration was received like a breath of fresh air. It quickly turned sour, and debauchery, indulgence, farce (including, so it was reported, making his horse, Incitatus, a member of the Senate), and bloodbath became the mark of his reign. He bankrupted the treasury, forcing him to raise taxes on anything that he thought could be taxed. While Augustus and Tiberius were deified after their deaths, Caligula demanded to be worshipped as a god while he was alive.
By 41 AD, everyone had had enough. On Jan 24, an embittered tribune of the Praetorian Guard, with help from his officers, assassinated Galigula, together with his wife and infant daughter. He was succeeded by his uncle, Claudius.
©ALBERITH
231116lch