The Roman Emperor Gaius, better known by his childhood nickname Caligula, is often counted among the worst rulers in the history of the world. According to some ancient sources his tumultuous four year reign was defined by wonton cruelty, sadistic sexual excess, and unchecked bloodlust. However, the ancient writers that tell us these tales are among the most untrustworthy sources from the Roman period. Was Caligula truly a monster, or has an unsuccessful emperor been transformed into an historically evil character by scandal obsessed historians? Tune-in and find out how Roger Ebert, George Constanza, and Grandpa’s custom muscle car all play a role in the story.

Works Cited

Fagan, Garrett. Emperors of Rome. Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company, 2013. Audible.com

Holland, Tom. Dynasty : The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar. First United States edition., Doubleday, 2015.

Hurley, Donna W. An Historical and Historiographical Commentary on Suetonius’ Life of C. Caligula. Scholars Press, 1993.

Mellor, Ronald. Tacitus’ Annals. Oxford University Press, 2011.

Tranquillus, C. Suetonius. The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Dancing Unicorn Books, 2017.

Winterling, Aloys. Caligula: A Biography. University of California Press, 2011. 

Wiseman, T.P. The Death of Caligula: Flavius Josephus. Liverpool University Press, 2013.

Woods, David. “Caligula’s Seashells.” Greece & Rome, vol. 47, no. 1, 2000, pp. 80–87. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/826949.