Mad, monster or misunderstood? Emperors of Rome: Part 1: Caligula

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 Mad, monster or misunderstood? Emperors of Rome

Part 1: Caligula
When you think of the Emperors of Rome, and someone mentions madness, does your mind not go straight to the name of Caligula? You have probably heard that he 'loaned' out his sisters… or worse. He turned the imperial palace into a 'house of ill repute' (Facebook blocks me when I use more pointed terms), had was so mad about chariot racing that his favourite horse had a marble stable with gold troughs and he made his horse a senator. Am I far wrong?
Today you often hear talk of ‘children of trauma’ and the damage done by the abuse or suffering in childhood. Caligula himself is a classic case. But let’s go back a little and even give him back his real name.
Gaius Julius Caesar was raised as a small child in the army camps of Germania, where he must have witnessed the aftermath of battle, at least one rebellion against his family that threatened his own life and was dressed by his affectionate (or manipulative) mother is a soldier in miniature, including tiny military sandals called caligae - hence the name Caligula, little boots.
Fast forward a few years and his father, Germanicus, much-anticipated heir to the Empire is sent by his adopted father/uncle to the far east in the company of the man who was later accused and convicted of his murder, by witchcraft and poison. A death Gaius undoubtedly witnessed, as was the custom of the day. His mother, unhinged by the death carries his father’s remains in an urn all the way back to Rome (slight exaggeration- ships were involved) and all of Rome mourns, all but Emperor Tiberius and his mother Livia (see Violent Fems Part 2 on my Facebook page) who ancient sources suggest were heavily involved.
Fast forward again… Gaius is removed from his immediate family to live with Great-Grandma Livia, both his mother and eldest brother are exiled and starved to death (or slain) his next eldest brother also starved to death in a cell in Rome. He is refused the toga virilis (clothing to indicate manhood) and eventually dragged to Capri to wait in the wings while the ‘Grandfather’ responsible for his family's death alternately ignores and threatens him.
Despite this, he outlives and is ‘crowned’ Emperor. Now I’ll not deny he did some very strange and diabolical things during his short reign as Emperor and to learn more you will need to do some research OR read the second novel in my Aquila series when released but I will tell you this (and I have studied the ancient and modern sources): He did not make his horse a senator, he did not turn the palace into a brothel… the rest? Well… Every good villain has a story.





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