On This Day In History: Roman Emperor Caligula Was Born – On August 31, 12 AD

AncientPages.com - On 31 August 12 AD, Caligula (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) was born.

Caligula was the Roman Emperor (37–41 AD). Still, there are few surviving sources about the reign of Emperor Caligula, although he is described as a noble and moderate ruler during the first six months of his power.

Emperor Caligula, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Image credit: Louis le Grand  -  CC BY-SA 3.0

After this, the sources focus on his cruelty, sadism, extravagance, and sexual perversity, presenting him as an insane tyrant.

The reliability of these sources is questionable, but it is known that during his brief reign, Caligula worked to increase the unconstrained personal power of the Emperor.

When Germanicus (Caligula's biological father and a prominent general of the early Roman Empire) died at Antioch in 19 AD, his wife Agrippina the Elder returned with her six children to Rome. She became involved in a conflict that contributed to the destruction of her family.

Caligula - the sole male survivor - accepted the invitation to join the Emperor in 31 AD on the island of Capri, where Tiberius had withdrawn five years earlier.

With the death of Tiberius in 37 AD, Caligula succeeded his grand uncle and adoptive grandfather as Emperor.

During his reign, the empire annexed the Kingdom of Mauretania as a province. He directed much of his attention to ambitious construction projects and luxurious dwellings for himself. He began constructing two aqueducts in Rome: the Aqua Claudia and the Anio Novus.

In early AD 41, Caligula was assassinated due to a conspiracy by officers of the Praetorian Guard, senators, and courtiers. The conspirators' attempt to use the opportunity to restore the Roman Republic was thwarted: on the day of the assassination of Caligula, the Praetorian Guard declared Caligula's uncle, Claudius, the next Roman emperor.

AncientPages.com