A little self-conscious maybe? Cruel and tyrannicalEmperor Caligula ruled Ancient Rome through fear and terror. Tiberiuss son died, perhaps murdered by a political rival. . WATCH: Full episodes of Colosseum online now. Young Gaius accompanied his father on campaigns in north of Germania. Unsurprisingly, insulting the most powerful person on earth had dark consequences. He introduced new taxes, and doctored legal documents so that he could lay claim to assets that were left to Tiberius. Caligula - Wikipedia And, believe it or not, he lived up to their greatest hopesat first. According to historians, around 39 AD, he removed and replaced all of the Consuls without asking the Senates approval. Read on for 42 facts about the man who thought himself a god. Who was Caligula's lover? Because Caligula was so young, he was sent to live with Tiberius mother, Livia Drusilla. . And while he complained about the rulings of the Senate, he never overturned those rulings, even though he had the power to do so.. There are no real parallels between Richard Nixon and Caligula other than the fact that both were corrupted by power. The Roman populace had by now grown weary of this mad and unpredictable tyrant, and several conspiracies were formed against him. This cognitive dissonance and confusing treatment perhaps left Caligula traumatized, according to several historians. The Story Of Emperor Caligula, Ancient Rome's Most Infamous Leader Tiberius acted first and accused her and Caligulas two older brothers of treason. Were always looking for your input! Instead, the reputation of the mad emperor could have been one fabricated by political rivals. He was nonetheless named sole emperor of Rome. He dissolved pearls in vinegar for sustenance, gave his horse a jewel-encrusted collar, and declared war on the ocean the legends are endless. Summoned to live with Tiberius in Capri as a teenager, Caligula became a pampered prisoner to his great uncle and adoptive grandfather, although he secretly despised him. Caligula gave his horse his own multiple-room house, complete with furniture and a crew of slaves who were ordered to follow the horse's every command. Countless people died or were ruined as a result of his whims or paranoia. 10 Facts That Show Why Caligula Was Rome's Craziest Emperor According to Suetonius, Caligula was extremely interested in the Egyptian practice of using incest to protect the royal bloodline. Icas94/De Agostini Picture Library via Getty ImagesCaligula give his horse Incitatus a drink during a banquet. But their attempt was unsuccessful; he remains today one of the most studied and written about Emperors of all time. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). But something shifted in the next few months, which some have attributed to a serious illness, leading Caligula to become increasingly erratic and deranged. As far as Caligula was concerned, fashion was fashion. Lazzaro Baldi (1624-1703). Whereas Nero was sane and malignantly evil. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. He galloped back and forth across the bridge on his horse for two days straight, wearing a dazzling golden cape.