Caligula

Caligula

original name Gaius Caesar, son of Germanicus. 12--41 ad, Roman emperor (37--41), noted for his cruelty and tyranny; assassinated

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

Caligula

(12–41) Roman emperor known for terror and cruel autocracy. [Rom. Hist.: NCE, 425]

See: Ruthlessness

Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Caligula

 

(Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus). Born A.D. 12 in Antium; died A.D. 41 in Rome. Roman emperor (from 37 a.d.) of the dynasty of Julius Claudius; son of Germanicus and successor to Tiberius.

Caligula received his sobriquet (Latin for “little boot”) because of the little boots of the soldier type he wore in childhood. He strove to make his power unlimited and demanded that godly honors be shown him. Caligula’s squandering of the state’s resources on triumphal ceremonies, games, and spectacles and on awards to the praetorian guard led to an exorbitant increase in taxes and to the confiscation of wealth, especially that of the senators. Caligula’s morbid suspiciousness, cruelty, and wild behavior aroused dissatisfaction in the Senate and in the praetorian command. He was murdered in the palace by the praetorian command. He was murdered in the palace by the prae-torian tribune Cassius Chaerea.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.