WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM HISTORY: CALIGULA, Emperor of the Roman Empire

We at BootheGlobalPerspectives have found some interesting historical facts. We hope you enjoy and find these enlightening.

 

Caligula - Roman Emperor 37-41 AD  

1. Only slept three hours a night.

2. Made spontaneous pronouncements constantly.  

3. Proclaimed his enormous wealth.  

4. Told his mother that he could do anything and was above the law.  

5. Lived in such luxury that the Roman Empire had to increase the budget to pay for his luxuries. Eventually he bankrupted the Roman Treasury.  

6. His chariots, chairs and living areas had precious stones and gold inlaid within them.  

7. Known for sexual excesses and corruption.  

8. Spent a fortune on luxurious living areas.  Built several extravagant buildings at great expense to Rome.  

9. Granted bonuses to the military and favored military leaders in his government.  

10. Killed or exiled those who were close advisers to him.  

11. Abolished certain taxes.  

12. Allowed the common people to vote, empowering many of the lower uneducated classes. These became his political base.  "Perhaps most significantly, he restored the practice of democratic elections.^[42] Cassius Dio said that this act "though delighting the rabble, grieved the sensible, who stopped to reflect, that if the offices should fall once more into the hands of the many ... many disasters would result."^[43]  

13. Had people executed without full trials.  

14. In the year 39, Rome faced financial ruin. Caligula began to seize the property and estates of wealthy Romans to pay bills.  

15. Levied taxes widely and auctioned off the lives of men in the coliseum.  

16. Arrested, fined and seized assets of the men in charge of building the roads of Rome.  

17. Was known for cruelty, murder and forced suicides of people he opposed.  

 18. Seized public carriages. Caused an agricultural crisis and recession when he seized grain boats and scrapped them for use to build a pontoon bridge.  

 19. Built a huge ship as a water palace with marble decks and luxury finishes.  This ship was discovered years later and has been studied by historians since. 

20. Ridiculed senators who he opposed, making them run along beside his chariot or humiliating them if they didn't do his will. He had many senators tried for treason or other legal reasons.  

21. Became angry and mean when Rome ran out of money for his expenses, so he opened a brothel to make money to pay his bills. 

22. The people of Rome became disillusioned when his laws and actions became so absurd and radical.   

23. Eventually the people, business leaders and the senate of Rome learned to ignore Caligula.  

24. He was a novice and inept at politics and could not get any major laws passed.  

25. He became so obsessed with building new temples and construction projects that senators and other leaders of Rome believed he would financially destroy Rome. Caligula didn't seem to care if his projects "broke" the Roman Empire.     

Now go over each point and determine what, if anything, we can learn from historical accounts of Caligula, Emperor of Rome.