Emperor Caligula Biography Essay -- essays research papers

Emperor Caligula On August 31st, 12 AD Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder gave birth to the third Roman emperor during the Julio-Claudian Dynasty. During the beginning of his reign, it seemed to be, as most would call it â€Å"a dream come true†. But after a few favorable accomplishments, Caligula became the deranged tyrant he is known for today. Born Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, he acquired the name Caligula at the age of two. After being separated from his parents for eighteen months, Augustus prepared traveling arrangements that would re-unite him with his mother. His parents gave him an oversized soldier’s uniform with military boots and he became the mascot for the troops. Thus, he received the Latin nickname for â€Å"Little Boot†. Three months after he acquired this nickname, Augustus died and the troops rebelled. For the sake of her family, Agrippina prepared to leave with her son. Quickly realizing how savage their behavior was, the troops stopped rebelling and begged Agrippina to stay. They said, â€Å"the mere sight of little Gaius unquestionably calmed them down.† Germanicus let Caligula stay, but made Agrippina leave because she was about to give birth. After Germanicus (Caligula’s father) and the Roman army had defeated the Germans, a victory parade began in Rome. Caligula was placed in a chariot alongside his father as they rode throughout Rome. Not long after, Germanicus was sent to the Middle East with his family where he received new military duties. The five-year-old Caligula also accompanied him. Even though Germanicus had all authority in the East, Piso of Syria challenged him. After a long fought battle, Germanicus became ill and died. This event remained strong in Caligula’s memory and could have le... ...tus, was treated with more honor than the most honorable citizens in Rome. He intended to appoint the horse as a consul, but the little sanity he had left led him to abandon this idea. Not long after his many tyrannical actions, the Praetorian guards planned his murder. According to history books, the guards mainly killed Caligula for personal reasons but many believe that Caligula’s successor Claudius was involved. January 24, 41 AD, Emperor Caligula was assassinated by the Praetorian guards. Many Roman people believed that Tiberius’ later years damaged the carefully crafted political edifice put together by Augustus. They then realized that Tiberius was a glorious emperor compared to Caligula. As the people called him â€Å"our baby† and â€Å"our star†, it is ironic that his name later became synonymous with words such as hedonism, cruelty, tyranny, and insanity.