Transcript Caligula
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. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION! <3