3 – He Wasn’t Always a Terrible Ruler
Caligula wasn’t some clueless child when he became emperor at the age of 24. He was the son of Germanicus and the future emperor spent his early years on military campaigns with his father. He gained the nickname ‘Caligula’ which means ‘Little Boots’ because of the military regalia he wore as a child. The emperor was born Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus and reportedly hated his nickname.
When he became ruler of Rome, there was rejoicing among the people who were fed up with the rule of Tiberius. The first few months of his reign went relatively well. He wisely used the large treasury left by the previous emperor to curry favor with soldiers and the public. Caligula gave the Praetorian Guard a big bonus and distributed money to the common people. The emperor even issued a general amnesty for people imprisoned due to Tiberius’ growing paranoia.
During the honeymoon period, celebrations were constantly held as thousands of animals were sacrificed. The people cheered their new ruler who they saw as a star that offered hope for the future. With all the gossip and legends that surround Caligula, it is easy to forget that he was a master of presenting the right public image until the last few years of his life. He was politically astute and tried to come across as the ideal ruler in a bid to gain the support of the Senate.
Other examples of good rule include giving money to people who had been taxed into poverty by the previous regime, reviving free elections to give the public more say in elections, holding gladiatorial games to entertain the masses and expelling sexual criminals. It would be a mistake to suggest he didn’t possess a vindictive side before his madness, however. One of Tiberius’ fortune tellers once said Caligula had as much chance of taking the throne as he did of riding his horse across the Bay of Baiae. When he became emperor, he had a large pontoon bridge built across the bay and rode his horse Incitatus across it!
The bright start came to a shuddering end one day in October 37 AD, just a few months into his reign. Caligula was already living a lavish and debauched lifestyle and perhaps this is what caused him to become gravely ill. At the time, his condition was described as a ‘brain fever, ‘ and it is a testament to his early popularity that all of Rome was concerned for his health. There was joy within the empire when he recovered, but he was an entirely different person after that. Suetonius wrote that Caligula suffered epilepsy in childhood and was prone to bouts of irrational behavior. Whatever happened to Caligula, it permanently changed his mental state.