Caligula's Rule Before And After Illness
Caligula was welcomed to the throne with cheers of joy at the son of beloved Germanicus taking control, and hope as their hated Emperor Tiberius was dead, within a few years though he was to become as hated as the emperor before him. The Caligula from the start of his reign, was described by philosopher Philo of Alexandria as being the first emperor loved by everyone ‘in all the world, from the rising to the setting sun’. (Philo, 30 A.D., pg. 66) This view of the new emperor did not last long though and according to scholar and historian Josephus, Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus made a speech about Caligula saying, ‘this Gaius … hath brought more terrible calamities upon us than did all the rest (of the emperors), not only by exercising his ungoverned rage upon his fellow citizens, by also upon his kindred and friends, and alike upon all others, and by inflicting still greater miseries upon them, as punishments, which they never deserved, he being equally furious against men and against gods.’ Whether this was speechified or not is unclear but it is likely to be slightly inaccurate at least as Josephus was born in the year Caligula became emperor.
The beginning of Caligula’s reign was one of prosperity and hope. He made payments to citizens with money left over by Livia and Tiberius and twice out his own pocket. He sponsored public games such a gladiatorial combat and festivals, he even dressed up as a gladiator himself once. He was also loved greatly after abolishing the treason trials made infamous under Tiberius’ reign. He also abolished unpopular taxes and recalled exiles as well as publicly destroying secret documents kept by his predecessor about people thought to be planning treason. He was not only good to the people of Rome but also to his own family, he elevated their status by giving them proper burials and title. He had images of his three sisters who he was extremely close to on new coins which were issued at the beginning of his reign and his favourite sister, Drusilla, was the first woman of the royal house to be publically be regarded and worshipped as a god. Despite Josephus’ view that ‘For any great or royal work that he did, which might be for the present and for future ages, nobody can name any such.’ He did in fact accomplish some things which included annexing Mauretania in northern Africa and reorganising it into two provinces, multiple riots between Jews and Greeks in Alexandria were subdued. He improved harbours and increased grain imports from Egypt along with building temples, repairing walls and completing public works. Free elections for the populace were brought back as well, and while not a beneficial accomplishment, Caligula made a temporary bridge across the Gulf of Baiae, and rode across in defiance of soothsayer Thrasyllus’ prediction that Caligula had ‘no more chance of becoming Emperor than of riding a horse across the Gulf of Baiae’.
Caligula was welcomed to the throne with cheers of joy at the son of beloved Germanicus taking control, and hope as their hated Emperor Tiberius was dead, within a few years though he was to become as hated as the emperor before him. The Caligula from the start of his reign, was described by philosopher Philo of Alexandria as being the first emperor loved by everyone ‘in all the world, from the rising to the setting sun’. (Philo, 30 A.D., pg. 66) This view of the new emperor did not last long though and according to scholar and historian Josephus, Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus made a speech about Caligula saying, ‘this Gaius … hath brought more terrible calamities upon us than did all the rest (of the emperors), not only by exercising his ungoverned rage upon his fellow citizens, by also upon his kindred and friends, and alike upon all others, and by inflicting still greater miseries upon them, as punishments, which they never deserved, he being equally furious against men and against gods.’ Whether this was speechified or not is unclear but it is likely to be slightly inaccurate at least as Josephus was born in the year Caligula became emperor.
The beginning of Caligula’s reign was one of prosperity and hope. He made payments to citizens with money left over by Livia and Tiberius and twice out his own pocket. He sponsored public games such a gladiatorial combat and festivals, he even dressed up as a gladiator himself once. He was also loved greatly after abolishing the treason trials made infamous under Tiberius’ reign. He also abolished unpopular taxes and recalled exiles as well as publicly destroying secret documents kept by his predecessor about people thought to be planning treason. He was not only good to the people of Rome but also to his own family, he elevated their status by giving them proper burials and title. He had images of his three sisters who he was extremely close to on new coins which were issued at the beginning of his reign and his favourite sister, Drusilla, was the first woman of the royal house to be publically be regarded and worshipped as a god. Despite Josephus’ view that ‘For any great or royal work that he did, which might be for the present and for future ages, nobody can name any such.’ He did in fact accomplish some things which included annexing Mauretania in northern Africa and reorganising it into two provinces, multiple riots between Jews and Greeks in Alexandria were subdued. He improved harbours and increased grain imports from Egypt along with building temples, repairing walls and completing public works. Free elections for the populace were brought back as well, and while not a beneficial accomplishment, Caligula made a temporary bridge across the Gulf of Baiae, and rode across in defiance of soothsayer Thrasyllus’ prediction that Caligula had ‘no more chance of becoming Emperor than of riding a horse across the Gulf of Baiae’.
‘That he was unbalanced for some years seems certain. It also seem reasonable to assume that his early popularity and loyalty of the people on his accession must be regarded as evidence of his normality at the time.’.
These good deeds and performances did not last long though when he became seriously ill within his first or second year of being emperor, which was contributed to many things including excessive eating and drinking, the use of emetics to induce vomiting followed by further eating and indecent behaviour with boys and women. After recovering though, Gaius appeared a changed man. Where he had first abolished harsh taxes, he now implemented new ones, cut off free grain supplies. Though this could be argued as being fiscally aware, there is no excuse for the alleged locking of spectators in the Colosseum, on an extremely hot day and withdrawing the sheltering awnings. He was also accused of poisoning his grandmother Antonia also, thus causing her to suicide. The apparent love he had had for his sisters seemed to disappear after his illness and he exiled them on suspicion of conspiracy and then killed Drusilla’s widower, Lepidus. Caligula developed an obsession with himself, and claimed himself a god, a life size golden statue was erected and sacrifices were made to it. He opened a brothel within the palace, a heinous crime, supposedly because money was running out due to his fickle ways. His biggest supporter, Praetorian Guard Prefect Macro, was put to death due to his incessant reminders of the responsibility the role of emperor held. One of the most infamous claims about Caligula, was that he insisted on having intercourse with the wives of senators who he invited to dinner, and then spoke about the womens’ performance in bed. Many accusations which support the claim that Caligula changed for the worst after his illness, were his imaginary ‘raids’, in which his soldiers were dressed as the enemy and then captured. An even bigger military failure was his plan to capture England. Upon reaching the coast, he lined his men up as if to charge and then ordered them to collect sea-shells which he paraded around in his Triumph. This change in character and ruling strategy were a large shock to the Roman population. Where there had once been a man abolishing taxes and recalling exiles, here now stood a man who was willing to take literally a promise from a commoner to exchange his life for the emperor’s if only he would recover. A post-revisionist view is put forward by A.T. Sandison who says, ‘That he was unbalanced for some years seems certain. It also seem reasonable to assume that his early popularity and loyalty of the people on his accession must be regarded as evidence of his normality at the time.’. He acknowledges indirectly that Caligula was not loved, and accepts that there is a large possibility that at the start of his reign, Caligula was not the man he became.
Many historians including Suetonius and Titus, attribute this change in attitude to a mental illness which was aggravated or brought to life by the serious illness he contracted, revisionist historians now though, believe he may not have been as mentally ill as was claimed.
Many historians including Suetonius and Titus, attribute this change in attitude to a mental illness which was aggravated or brought to life by the serious illness he contracted, revisionist historians now though, believe he may not have been as mentally ill as was claimed.