Caligula was infamous back in ancient Rome, and nothing much has changed. He is known for being a sadistic, cruel and malevolent ruler. Caligula, who took over the throne after the exhausting rule of his great uncle, Tiberius, who also murdered his father and imprisoned his mother, as well as his two brothers after his mother threatened Tiberius because of her husband's wrongful death. The three died while imprisoned but, due to Caligula's young age, he did not join them in prison. He struggled to hide his hatred for his adopted father. After Tiberius' death, Caligula and his cousin, Gemellus, were made equal heirs to the throne. But, thanks to a friend that Caligula would later kill, some strings were pulled and he became emperor.
He was
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Nevertheless, the changes in behavior that occurred could not be described as normal in the least. He became the violent, sadistic and twisted Caligula that we all paint him as. He came back believing he was a god and could, therefore, do whatever he wished. His immense power didn't help and he began to execute anybody that judged him even slightly. Anybody who opposed him was tortured in very... twisted ways, to say the least. The first thing he did was murder the friend who'd helped him rise to the throne, along with his cousin. His grandmother died, though it is debated upon whether or not Caligula had anything to do with her fate. He went on a murdering spree, killing those closest to him with …show more content…
Theft was frowned upon and there are records of a slave stealing bracelet, and in retaliation, Caligula sliced off both his hands and forced him to walk around town with the bloody batches of skin around his neck. He cut off people's tongues, forced people to undergo hard labor, and some were even caged like animals for people to gawk at. He even forced a mother to watch her son being executed, then forced her to go to a party to make fun of the execution and person involved. He forced family members to commit suicide, and threatened to make his horse consul (but, thankfully, never did). When prices were high from Caligula's extravagant spending, criminals were fed to the animals that participated in gladiator fights. Sometimes, he even got mobs to tear people he disliked limb from limb of burned his enemies alive. And finally, the worst of all, was when he ordered the raping of a young girl in order to execute her. Caligula was the one who made it customary for a suspect to be sliced in half in agonizing, slow
During the Republic, the people of Rome had a major disinclination towards any sort of Royalty, which is why when Caesar attempted to lead undemocratically indefinitely, he disrupted one of the core stances that romans shared communally. Caesar over indulged in power when he retitled himself as ‘dictator in perpetuo’. “And as Caesar was coming down from Alba into the city they ventured to hail him as king. But at this the people were confounded, and Caesar, disturbed in mind, said that his name was not King, but Caesar, and seeing that his words produced an universal silence, he passed on with no very cheerful or contented looks…..But the most open and deadly hatred towards him was produced by his passion for the royal power.” Caesars egotism and self-importance made him uncherished by members of the senate. “Everybody knew that Caesar's ego would never allow him to play second fiddle to another senator, and it was equally well-known that another famous military leader, Pompey the Great, had similar ambitions. In January 49, more or less at...
...icus and was therefore suspect. Tacitus was writing about Tiberius after the emperor had died and probably believed that since he was most likely killed by his nephew Caligula that Tiberius was probably justified in suspecting his relatives.
He suffered from a permanent limp, speech impediments and abdominal pains. Because of his poor health he was not considered a political threat, but rather, his ill health became an advantage on the January 24th, AD 41, the night Caligula was assassinated. He strived to create a military image for himself and this was achieved through his conquest of Britain. He personally led his Roman armies to land in Britain, despite his physical disabilities.
Other more cruel punishment was carried out--not only in the North, but throughout the other colonies as well. The idea was that the criminal should be marked and humiliated. Whipping posts were used, flesh was branded with hot irons, and ears and hands were cut off.
Julius Caesar Julius Caesar was born on July 13th in 100B.C. His full name is Gaius Julius Caesar, which was the same as his father’s name. Julius Caesar was the most famous Roman general and was one of the most influential political and military leaders in history. He helped establish the vast Roman Empire. Caesar gained all his power in four different areas. Those areas are politics, government, religion, and in the military. Using these amazing powers he controlled many aspects of Roman life. In 84B.C. Caesar married Cornelia, the daughter of Lucis Cornelius Cinna, a noble who was Marious’ associate in revolution. Lucis Cornelius Sulla demanded they divorce in 83, but Caesar refused, risking his job and his life. Caesar went to Rhodes to study oratory. Pirates captured him on his way. His relatives paid a ransom and he was released. Once he was out he recruited private troops and captures the Pirates. Then he executed them. Caesar had won victories in Spain and had attracted many men in Rome. In 60B.C, Caesar and Pompey formed an alliance with Marcus Lucius ...
Tiberius was a man of just reasoning and great honor. To have been a son of Tiberius Gracchus the elder, virtue was one of the traits that would pass along with his name. Tiberius married the daughter of the great Scipio who defeated Hannibal. This not only added to his fame, but also provided support. “We are told, moreover, that he once caught a pair of serpents on his bed, and that the soothsayers, after considering the prodigy, forbade him ...
Julius Caesar, a man born in around 12 to 13, 100 BC, was considered the start of a new legacy in the history of Rome. Participating in several wars, becoming dictator after forming multiple military alliances, to being assassinated on the Ides of March, Julius Caesar was a politically-flexible, popular leader of the Roman Empire. (Julius Caesar Biography, April 23, 2014) Although Caesar’s birth was never confirmed on the exact date, he was born and raised by his mother, Aurelia, and by his father, Gaius Julius Caesar. (Julius Caesar: Historical Background, April 23, 2014)
entertainment was cruel and brutal it satisfied the Roman's need for excitment and relaxation. In
Julius Caesar (100 B.C. – 44 B.C.) was a Roman general and politician, also reminisced as one of the strongest of the and was accountable for altering the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He was born to a patrician family and was the nephew of Gaius Marius. After the death of Marius, Caesar’s life was in a time of crisis, however, in the early 60’s B.C., he
Nero last of the Julio-Claudian emperors has lived on for almost two thousand years in infamy. Three different sources seemed to have the same opinion of him, that he committed heinous crimes against the senate, the people of Rome, and his own family and therefore is deserving of his reputation. Dio Cassius, Suetonius, and Tacitus are all ancient sources who wrote of the emperor’s reign. Tacitus is the only of the three to have been alive during his reign. All three were wealthy upper class citizens holding titles writing after Nero’s death. And all had the same opinion of Nero that he was a disgraceful emperor deserving of his fate. But their accounts vary greatly and details as simple as names are not constant throughout the accounts. Two events stand out as the most controversial and varied in their recounting, Nero’s murder of his mother Agrippina, and the great fire of Rome. Both of the events have been told differently by the aforementioned sources so I will examine each account and compare them. Although Nero was notoriously cruel his part in the horrors that befell Rome during his reign have been exaggerated by biased sources.
He forced parents to attend their sons executions and then would invite them over to dinner after. Setuonius argued that Caligula’s savage crimes matched his brutal language. He was not compassionate towards anyone and was comfortable doing whatever he wanted to anyone. His motto was “let them hate me, so long as they fear me.” When someone was executed, he wanted it to be a slow, painful death. He preferred that small wounds be inflicted so that they could feel that they were dying. He often watched the trails of torture while he was eating or enjoying himself, which suggests that Caligula was a sociopath. Whenever he kissed the neck of his wife or mistress, he would mentioning cutting her throat. Although Setunious has only mentioned the negative things about Caligula, there are some positive things about Caligula as well. Caligula was extremely talented and practiced multiple arts. He made appearances as a Thracian gladiator & charioteer, singer, and dancer. He often supported tragic actors at public performances. Despite his cruel behavior and arrogant attitude, Caligula was extremely
After Augustus's death, his successors had varying degrees of effectiveness and popularity. Caligula – bloodthirsty and mentally unstable Claudius – conqueror of Britannia, and Nero – uninhibited spender and disinterested ruler, all were in Augustus's dynasty. After Nero's suicide in the face of assassination in 68 c.e., the principate was held by four different Emperors in the span of 18 months.
Gaius Julius Caesar, born 100 B.C.E. in Rome to the impoverished patrician Julian Clan, knew controversy at an early age. Nephew to Populare Gaius Marius, he was earmarked by the Optimate dictator Sulla for prosciption after his refusal to divorce his Populare wife, Cinna. Fleeing Rome, and not returning until after Sulla’s resignation in 78 B.C.E, upon his return he gained a position as a pontificate, an important Roman priesthood. Slowly but surely throughout his lifetime he worked his way up the political ladder, eventually becoming Consul, and finally Dictator Perpeteus – Dictator for life. One of the most influential political and military leaders of all time, Caesar was also a highly intelligent man and an exceptional orator. However, acquiring this absolute power was no mean feat, and Caesar had well equipped himself through previous expeditions with all the resources necessary to gain power in Ancient Rome.
Julius Caesar was born on the 13th day of the month Quintilis (now July) in the year of 100 B.C. His full name was Gaius Julius Caesar, the same as his father's name. Gaius was his given name and Julius was his surname. Caesar was the name of one branch of the Julian family. Its original meaning was "hairy.” Caesar's family was not prominent, but they claimed to be descended from Venus as well as the kings of Alba Langa. In spite of that fiction, Caesar was well connected through his relatives and received some important government assignments during his youth. Julius Caesar was the dictator of Rome from 61-44 BC. At the time of his birth, Rome was still a republic and the empire was only beginning. Caesar made his way to be considered a head of Rome by 62 BC, but many of the senate felt him a dangerous, ambitious man. The senate did their best to keep him out of consulship. He finally became consul in 59 BC. In Caesar, they saw only the threat of a king, a word that was linked with the word “tyrant” that is cruel or unjust rule.
Domitian inherited the empire when his brother suddenly died after ruling for only two years. He became Roman Emperor in 81AD which fulfilled his lifelong dream. He was now able to follow in his father and brother’s footsteps as emperor. When he was emperor he traveled outside of Rome many times. He was said to be a hostile ruler.