Caligula

Third Roman emperor (37–41)

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Lived 12–41, aged 29Italy

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Wikipedia
115 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in Italy
#144
Politicians
Era
12–41
Aged 29

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

Roman emperor from AD 37 to 41, known primarily through accounts written by hostile senators long after his death — accounts that painted him as a deranged tyrant who worshipped himself as a god and tried to make his horse a consul. Modern historians argue much of it was exaggeration or malicious fantasy.

Biography

About

Born in AD 12 as Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, he earned the nickname "Caligula" from his father's soldiers in Germania when he was barely five. His father Germanicus died in AD 19, and his mother Agrippina's feud with Emperor Tiberius destroyed the family, leaving Caligula the sole male survivor. He joined Tiberius on Capri in 31 and inherited the throne in 37 at twenty-four. Early sources claim he began well — generous and fair — then descended into cruelty, extravagance, and sadism, demanding worship and humiliating the Senate. He built aqueducts, expanded infrastructure, annexed…

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