When the Emperor Gaius, better known as Caligula, was first elevated to the role of Princeps things seemed promising. He sought to repair the relationship with the Senate damaged by his predecessor, Tiberius. He ended the former emperor’s much abused treason trials. He invested in building projects, public infrastructure, and large entertaining spectacles. It seemed like he was trying to follow the model set by the first emperor Augustus. But, then at some point in his reign things changed. Before long Caligula would find himself at war with the men of the Senate. What caused this sudden shift in Caligula’s temperament? This is a question hotly debated by the experts. Tune-in and find out how island orgies, political magic shows, and a dinner with a horse all play a role in the story.

Works Cited

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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.