Editing Caligula (section)

{{Short description|Roman emperor from AD 37 to 41}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox royalty
| image        = File:Caligula.Carlsberg Glyptotek.(cropped).jpg
| caption      = [[Roman portraiture|Marble bust]], AD 37–41 
| succession   = [[Roman emperor]]
| reign        = 16 March 37 – 24 January 41
| predecessor  = [[Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus|Tiberius]]
| successor    = [[Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus|Claudius]]
| birth_date   = 31 August [[Anno Domini|AD]] 12
| birth_place  = [[Antium]], [[Roman Italy|Italy]]
| death_date   = 24 January AD 41 (aged 28)
| death_place  = [[Palatine Hill]], Rome, Italy
| spouses      = {{ubl|[[Junia Claudilla]]|[[Livia Orestilla]]|[[Lollia Paulina]]|[[Milonia Caesonia]]}}
| issue        = {{ubl|[[Julia Drusilla (daughter of Caligula)|Julia Drusilla]]|[[Tiberius Gemellus]] (adoptive)}}
| full name    = {{ubl|Gaius Julius Caesar|Gaius Caesar Germanicus}}
| regnal name  = Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus<!--Not a repository; full name as Roman emperor, no dates.--><ref>{{Cite book|last=Cooley|first=Alison E.|url={{googlebooks|VlghAwAAQBAJ|plainurl=y}}|title=The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2012|isbn=978-0-521-84026-2|page=489|author-link=Alison E. Cooley}}</ref>
| dynasty      = [[Julio-Claudian dynasty|Julio-Claudian]]
| father       = [[Germanicus]]
| mother       = [[Agrippina the Elder|Agrippina]]
}}

'''Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus''' (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called '''Gaius''' and '''Caligula''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|l|ɪ|g|j|ʊ|l|ə}}), was [[Roman emperor]] from AD&nbsp;37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general [[Germanicus]] and [[Augustus]]' granddaughter [[Agrippina the Elder]], members of the [[Julio-Claudian dynasty|first ruling family]] of the [[Roman Empire]]. He was born two years before [[Tiberius]] became emperor. Gaius accompanied his father, mother and siblings on campaign in [[Germania]], at little more than four or five years old. He had been named after [[Gaius Julius Caesar]], but his father's soldiers affectionately nicknamed him "Caligula" ('little boot').{{efn|"Caligula" is the diminutive form of ''[[caliga]]'', a military boot.{{sfn|Winterling|2011|p=19}}}}

Germanicus died in [[Antioch]] in 19, and Agrippina returned with her six children to Rome, where she became entangled in a bitter feud with Emperor Tiberius, who was Germanicus' biological uncle and adoptive father. The conflict eventually led to the destruction of her family, with Caligula as the sole male survivor. In 26, Tiberius withdrew from public life to the island of [[Capri]], and in 31, Caligula joined him there. Tiberius died in 37, and Caligula succeeded him as emperor, at the age of 24.

Of the few surviving sources about Caligula and his four-year reign, most were written by members of the nobility and senate, long after the events they purport to describe. For the early part of his reign, he is said to have been "good, generous, fair and community-spirited"<ref>{{harvnb|Barrett|2015|pp=311–313}}, also citing Philo. See {{harvnb|Philo|loc=''On the Embassy'' [[s:On the Embassy to Gaius#II|II.10]]}}.</ref> but increasingly self-indulgent, cruel, sadistic, extravagant and sexually perverted thereafter, an insane, murderous [[tyrant]] who demanded and received worship as a living god, humiliated the Senate, and planned to make his horse a consul. Most modern commentaries instead seek to explain Caligula's position, personality and historical context. Some historians dismiss many of the allegations against him as misunderstandings, exaggeration, mockery or malicious fantasy.

During his brief reign, Caligula worked to increase the unconstrained personal power of the emperor, as opposed to countervailing powers within the [[principate]]. He directed much of his attention to ambitious construction projects and public works to benefit Rome's ordinary citizens, including racetracks, theatres, amphitheatres, and improvements to roads and ports. He began the construction of two [[Roman aqueduct|aqueducts]] in Rome: the [[Aqua Claudia]] and the [[Anio Novus]]. During his reign, the empire annexed the [[Client state|client kingdom]] of [[Mauretania]] as a [[Roman Mauretania|province]]. He had to abandon an attempted invasion of Britain, and the installation of his statue in the [[Temple in Jerusalem]]. In early 41, Caligula was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy by officers of the [[Praetorian Guard]], [[Roman Senate|senators]], and courtiers. At least some of the conspirators might have planned this as an opportunity to restore the [[Roman Republic]] and aristocratic privileges. If so, their plan was thwarted by the Praetorians, who seem to have spontaneously chosen Caligula's uncle [[Claudius]] as the next emperor. Caligula's death marked the official end of the [[Julii Caesares]] in the male line, though the [[Julio-Claudian dynasty]] continued to rule until the demise of Caligula's nephew, the Emperor [[Nero]].