caligulas

Caligulas is a term most often used to refer to Caligula, the Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus (12–41 CE). The nickname Caligula, meaning “little boot” in Latin, was given by his father’s soldiers because he wore miniature military boots as a child during campaigns in Germania. While the name can be applied to others who bore the nickname, it is most commonly associated with the emperor.

Caligula’s rise to power occurred after the death of Tiberius, and he ruled as emperor from 37 to 41 CE. His early months were greeted with optimism by some segments of the population and the Senate, as he released political prisoners and reversed a few of Tiberius’s policies. Over time, however, contemporary sources portray him as exercising autocratic authority, displaying extravagant spending on public works and entertainments, and taking punitive actions against perceived enemies. Many of the more sensational anecdotes—such as allegations that he planned to appoint his horse Incitatus to a political office—are disputed by modern scholars or regarded as propagandistic fabrications by later writers. The reliability of various episodes varies, and some accounts likely reflect later imperial propaganda as much as contemporary fact.

Caligula was assassinated in 41 CE by members of the Praetorian Guard, after a short and tumultuous reign. His death precipitated the succession of his uncle Claudius. In later periods his reputation fluctuated, being demonized in some sources and reinterpreted by others.

Modern historians view Caligula as a complex figure shaped by the pressures of imperial rule and the biases of ancient authors. Much of what is known derives from a small number of late sources, whose perspectives influence the portrayal of his character and actions.