Caligula
Roman Emperors: The Good, the Bad…and the Weird
“Let them hate us, so long as they fear us”
Slideshow Presentation by: Korin Gallardo, Lexi Sinclair, and
Abonti Ferdous
The Mad Emperor

The Third Emperor of the
Roman Empire

He was a member of the JulioClaudian Dynasty (great-great
grandson of Julius Caesar)

Caligula is infamous for his four
year reign of lunacy and
reputation as a cruel, perverse
emperor.
Caligula: Strengths
As a youth, Caligula was fairly
involved in the militaristic life-style.
 His father, Germanicus, was a
beloved Roman general.
 For the better half of his
childhood, Caligula and his family
lived at his father’s military posting.
 As a young boy, Caligula observed
and interacted with his father’s
soldiers on a daily basis.
Caligula: Strengths
Caligula’s ancestry and parentage was a pivotal advantage
 His sire was a figure of grave admiration and respect; the
Roman military pledged their support to Caligula, due to
Germanicus’ reputation.
 As the descendant of the beloved Julius and Augustus
Caesar, Caligula was readily accepted by the Roman public.
Caligula: Weaknesses
Caligula was a man of numerous weaknesses.
• He was a megalomaniac = unhealthily obsessed with power and
wealth.
• His sanity and mental state of mind quickly deteriorated
A) He began to mercilessly slew and kill his subjects,
confidants and even his own family.
B) He repeatedly ordered his militia into outrageous
expeditions, and then changed his mind at the last possible
minute.
Caligula: Weaknesses
Caligula was incompetent and mediocre.
A) Had little to no background in politics,
leadership and government
B) Lacked the formal training mandated to
properly control an empire as vast as Rome.
 Caligula developed a God-Complex
A) 40 CE = announced his self-deification
B) Attempted to force foreigners to worship
him.
- This offended many cultures and increased
the list of enemies against the "Mad
Emperor.”

Caligula’s Contributions
Contributions: Culture
To better the lives of Roman citizens, Caligula spent lavishly on:
 Public shows
 Games
 Displays (occasionally participated in them himself)
Roman Dice Games
Contributions
• In the beginning of Caligula’s reign, he constructed a series of reforms.
Political
I.
II.
III.
abolished Treason Trials (later
revived them when he noticed
Rome’s economy was
crumbling)
abolished ill-favorable sales
tax
restored practice of
democratic elections
Public
I.
II.
III.
IV.
freed citizens that were unjustly
imprisoned under Tiberius’ reign
allowed exiled individuals to
repatriate (return)
helped individuals who lost
property in fires
auctioned off props leftover from
shows, to relieve Rome’s
economical crisis
Contributions: Sustainability

Caligula, though deranged, was able to contribute to the sustainability of the
Roman Empire.
A) He maintained borders along the German frontier and the east.
-This protected and secured the Roman Empire
Was Caligula a good emperor for the Roman Civilization?
Caligula was a terrible emperor.

His few accomplishments and contributions does not
diminish the cruelty and abuse he inflicted on the
Romans. He decimated, raped, and impoverished his
people. Under his reign, Rome entered a state of chaos
and corruption.

Caligula will live on in history as a warning against the
deadly combination of absolute power and a blatant lack
of responsibility and humane characteristics.
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