![]() ![]() ![]() No traces of the stunt have ever materialized, so most historians dismiss it as myth. He may not have built his famous floating bridge, but he did launch pleasure barges in Lake Nemi.Īccording to Suetonius, Caligula in his infinite profligacy once constructed a temporary floating bridge across the Bay of Baiae just so he could ride triumphantly from one end to the other. And Tacitus, during a lengthy diatribe in which he accuses Caligula’s sister Agrippina-wife of the Emperor Claudius-of incest with her son, never implicates her brother. Earlier chroniclers who actually lived under Caligula, namely Seneca and Philo, make no mention of this type of behavior despite their harsh criticism of the emperor. (The Roman historian added that these trysts even occurred during banquets, as guests and Caligula’s wife gathered around.) But Suetonius wrote “The Lives of the Caesars” in 121 A.D., 80 years after Caligula was assassinated at age 28 by members of the Praetorian Guard. It was Suetonius who first published claims that Caligula committed incest with his three sisters. ![]() Reports of his incest were greatly exaggerated. She then starved herself to death while in prison, four years before her son Caligula came into power. All this rabble-rousing didn’t sit well with the emperor, who had Agrippina flogged-supposedly until she lost an eye. A prominent figure in political circles, she also spoke out against Augustus’ successor Tiberius, whom she hated. When Germanicus died under suspicious circumstances, Agrippina boldly accused one of his rivals of poisoning him. After marrying Germanicus, she defied tradition by accompanying him on his military campaigns in Germania, reportedly acting as an adviser and diplomat. Growing up, Agrippina the Elder had a close relationship with her grandfather, the Emperor Augustus, who personally oversaw her education. WATCH: Full episodes of Colosseum online now. (Some scholars think his wife Agrippina, granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus, chose the getup to emphasize her family’s imperial pedigree.) Either affectionately or mockingly, Germanicus’ troops called the boy “Caligula,” meaning “Little Boots” or “Booties.” The nickname stuck, but Gaius reportedly hated it. And so, when the respected general Germanicus brought his son Gaius on campaign, the tyke sported soldier’s footwear, or caligae, scaled down to his size. Think of it as the ancient equivalent of miniature Nikes and tuxedo-imprinted onesies: Even in Roman times, parents liked to proudly dress their progeny in tiny versions of grownup gear. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |