Most of Caligula's family was murdered by his uncle, who then took him under his wing and forced upon him his own abhorrent depravities. It's hard not to come away from a childhood like that without being a bit scared.
It's a bit more complicated than that. Tiberius debauched behaviour is an inconsistent rumor whose veracity cannot be assessed. Aside from that, no ancient source suggests Gaius was part of it. The punishment of Gaius' family, as cruel it was, wasn't a mere act of villainy - it was the crude consequence of the social tension that sprouted in the last years of Augustus' reign. The way Gaius' rule turned out is probably mostly the result of the Eastern influence he received since his early childhood from his parents.
She is an amazing storyteller. I could listen to her all day! (Love how she used a dismantled broom handle as a pointer at around 32:00, LOL.) Roman history and culture is absolutely fascinating! One year of Latin and mythology in high school was enough for me to decide I'd major in the Classics in college (along with Secondary Education).
@@dzapico1980 I have a good job, thank you. It may not be related to Classics, but having that knowledge has served me well over the years. I was employed for 26 years at one employer who decided to outsource my department, so everyone in that department was laid off. I switched gears and have had a job in a different field since early 2020.
The Nemi ships were awesome for their time. I watched a special on it years ago and those ships had everything. Shipbuilding by that time was relatively advanced--the Greeks had a seagoing version of the Nemi ships over 250 feet long, which would have been their version of the QM2. It had dining hall, private cabins , chapel...you name it, they probably had it. The more I learn of the ancient world, the more awed I am at their achievements.
Yeah, but they had no stalls in their bathrooms! Barbaric, having to look at the dude next to you laying a fat duece. At least he's kind and hands you his brush once he's done with it. Amazing world!😉👍😊
He made his horse a consul to take a dig at the senate and people he had contempt for not out of insanity. Like saying Up yours I’ve no respect for the officers and tradition of Rome after what it’s done to my family. He was hurt damaged by his mother’s death and his brothers but not mad.
According to Robert Graves I Claudius that phrase was attibuted to Emperor Tiberius - but it is pretty likely that Caligula adopted it himself - as he emulated many of the worst depravities of his predecessor. They both certainly went for vice on a grand scale - those two!
It's been said by many people throughout history. The problem with that perspective is that you can only be feared for so long. Things change, alliances weaken, and everyone dies eventually. It's not a great formula if you intend to rule for any significant length of time.
The joys of being an emperor, childhood insecurities and dysfunctional family. People you can't trust all around and an insane mind seeking pleasures of all kinds where there are none... one big illusion of self power on the majority. LOL no way 😊 Great narration and brillant knowledge👌💕💖
History should always be examined with a critical eye. History that is written down is seen through the lens of someone's prespective and History that is inferred from other sources is also based previous assumptions and the perspective of those that are doing the inferring.
Marie Antoinette &,Nap didn't know how to breed till her bro told Nap how. She never left the palace & had no idea of her countrymen. She was a mere child when they were married, when King died, even Nap was too young. She really thought they could eat cake, if no bread. Ew no baths, yet the throne was invented for a king in France! Hence toilet being called the throne & French knowing perfumes!
Reminds me of W. Bush' tax rebate handout. Done just to show us how greedy and venal we are; selling our dignity and sovereignty for a few hundred dollars. 9/11 and the Patriot Act to follow..
@@harrietharlow9929 kinda reminds me of what child stars go through. Apparently Caligula was quite well known for being this character in his youth, kinda like he was playing the role of soldier. Everyone adored him for this. However, once grown, they had this good memory of him but didn't take him seriously as a capable adult. They didn't have faith in his abilities to do anything requiring effort and thoughtfulness. He was typecast in their minds as this military mascot kind of like a rodeo clown. So, even though they adored him as a child, as an adult they had a certain contempt for him. As long as he remained the clown it was fine. As Emperor running the show, they were not okay with. His psychological problems didn't help the situation, either.
Considering the time era he lived in theres no way of knowing what might have drove who he was.We compare his actions to our standards today..so we really cant make a diagnoses on anyones mental health at that time
I think much respect and regard for the professor not only has she dedicated much of her life researching and learning the complex language and lives of the Roman Empire she is also passionate and interesting to narrate stories in a way we can all find easy to understand I think she’s pretty dam good 😉
With everything he been through and saw during his early years, no wonder he had no social skills or empathy. He was a victim of his own upbringing and paid the ultimate price for it
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. If these emperors don't personify that adage, then no one does. The problem was that the Roman Emperors first arose as charismatic military commander-dictators and then devolved into tyrannical evil dictators. Consequently, there were no laws that hemmed in their more destructive tendencies and no established rules for peaceful dynastic succession. Hence, every gov't change was contested and often violent. So when a new emperor achieved power, he needed to hold on to it by increasing his dictatorial powers, if he could. And he needed to satisfy the army, or they would have him assassinated, as so often happened, so it caused the Empire to over-extend itself. Ultimately, I think Rome was foiled by its enormous initial success. Its expansionism gave the military too much power and it corrupted its better institutions. Rome worked better and made more sense politically (and culturally as a classical civilization) when it only controlled Italy and the western Mediterranean basin.
A lot of the histories on these emperors were written by people who hated them in real life, that or people who deposed them. These emperors would've been portrayed worse than they actually were. History is written by the victors, after all. I think their lack of succession laws was their biggest problem (that and the Empire's vast size). Anyone could be Emperor in practice, which meant everyone fought each other for it. Monarchies with hereditary succession laws are the most stable governments it seems.
As the video explains, we don't know the true story of Caligula because much of what we know about him was written after his death and/or by people who wanted to discredit him. He probably wasn't all that bad since we know that he seemed to be fairly popular with the common people, much like his name sake, Gaius Julius Caesar who was also said to be very popular with the common people. It's also telling that they were also both quite disliked by otther patricians and senators.
There is a looooot of archaeological evidence to back up him being preeeeetty psycho… not to mention the trauma his own father inflicted on him from an absurdly young age (young boys trained to swim under water in the pool and bite his… Dangly bits, and that was just a side story) there are so many other anecdotes like his mom being abused to suicide… so many things that would understandably make one a psychopath
Nonetheless It is astablished that Caligula was the first to use coins with his image made on them. Which phycholoigily imprinted in the minds that Caligula was a good emperor, completely overlooking Caligulas decadence and possibly corrupt ways. Which no doubt our government has used and still using the same psychological tactics 🤔
One thing I've always wonder is, we often hear about the "support of the army" but who was to decide which side the army was on? The senate? The army generals? The riches?
Normally whoever was paying them, either through direct subsidy (which got the stage with some Emperors that almost all tax went to huge cash bribes for the military) or who gave them the best chance of seizing plunder and booty. By and large they didn't care much about the Senate as a body, who were conservative and parochial - almost for the entire history of the Roman military they were at constant loggerheads with the Senate
@@cmbeadle2228 But yet no Roman could go to war without the Senate say so. Even now days the president can't declare war without The House of Representatives say so. If you do it's called treason, which is why I don't know why America didn't bring charges up on Trump after he got the General of Afghanistan killed without The House saying it's ok. That is a Act of War on another country without the permission of the government which is a form of treason. Obama couldn't get away with that, but he not white so.....
@@tbird7698 You are very confused. The war powers have been shifting for decades. Obama launched multiple military actions without Congress. The executive branch simply changes the names. Obama said they weren't wars they were kinetic military actions so no congressional approval is needed. Trump did not kill any General of Afghanistan so again your lack of knowledge is showing. He assassinated an Iranian intelligence chief. Please dear if you lack basic knowledge you should keep your comments to yourself
Have often wondered if he wasn't a victim of "Establishment" spin. Having watched the "commentators" deal with modern events, it's been a question for me on historical figures. The fact that he was the son of a notable "Republican", Germanicus in an age where Empire was the new zeitgeist, might be a clue. From this perspective, his witness of the Tiberian excesses; the trolling of the Senate by making his horse a Senator; etc could have caused the Establishment to kill him then destroy his reputation. This would end the last of any serious threat to return Rome to a Republic. Long live the Empire!
It is so much easier to be a good person, do good, help others, create a country and society that will flourish. I do not and cannot understand evil. I recommend Grave’s I Claudius. It puts everything in perspective. By the way, it is my favorite book of all times.
I can understand why he was so messed-up. Not to excuse him, but he really didn't have a good upbringing what with being stuck with Tiberius who was a major-league pervert. and losing much of his family. If he was unstable to begin with (and he more than likely was), all that would have pushed him over the edge.
I don't know if he was "unstable to begin with", as you say. However, his time with Tiberius, and the banishment and murder of some of his family members no doubt had a traumatic effect on the young man.
I read that he was chosen because he was promising, but he fell ill, and the fever messed up his mind. He was never the same afterward, and became frightening. People would dread being invited over for dinner, because you couldn't refuse, and depending on his whim, you might be asked to eat gold, or worse.
I think that much of the bad rep of Caligula that he was the first of Rome's mad emperor. Later came Nero, Domitian, Commodus, Caracalla, Heliogebalus...
If this doesnt address the early Caligula that people loved and his slow progression to madness thanks to unhinged power and lead poisoning, I'm skipping it entirely. Successful propaganda decades after his death to make people not remember or focus at all on what an emperor was capable of (early Caligula) and harp on what he was (negatively) capable of. The political context of the following decades makes me truly question even how much of the bad was true. If your adoptive father was a man out of control who promised you a bright future or otherwise a terrible life likely to end early, wouldnt you yearn to be beyond him so you can be allowed to be yourself? as it is human nature regardless of era? Likely Tiberius taught Gaius how to be him, Gaius saw Tiberius' death as the start of his own persona, and upon raising to power and dealing with what must have been a really toxic and dangerous social environment for people on his position, likely pivoted back to the toxicity he knew. Comments like Gaius sassily saying "I trust my horse more than you people" then turned by others who lived decades after his death into "oh he actually slept with his horse. Can we assume he fucked his horse? Yeah lets just roll with that"... i mean, look at the guy's face in 17:15 .... a snap of how gossip makes peoples dicks hard even to this day, are we truly to believe everything verbatim? Especially when it was written by political adversaries decades after the mans death? Then again, why would this media settle for less than 360º scandal, it's what gets and retains the views.
Thank you! Kills me when people become keyboard psychologists. Truth is life was different then. Families were different in ways we can’t even imagine. These modern day diagnosis mean nothing in history.
@@PBFoote-mo2zr Is that Fellini's "Satyricon"? Or "Centurions of Rome" which was set during Caligula's reign? The latter I've never seen, but my gay godson said it's definitely pornographic. Though "Satyricon" was pretty wild, especially for the time--however that was set during Claudius's reign.
Mary get your facts right, Tony Robinson did in the Timeline series, it was not 'Lamb' that Caligula said "It was Pork". If she can't get the well known stories correct, then it puts doubt on her knowledge overall.
When watching a show about historical events, I am not interested in watching the narrator drive down the road or mug for the camera. I would rather see artifacts or buildings.
Emperor Caligula (Emperor Germanius) ::: His claim to fame was that he ordered the killing of Governor Pontius Pilate, who stayed on as Governor for another 6 years after execution of Jesus Christ. Caligula himself was stabbed to death by a secret group of Roman citizens many years later, and well after governor Pilate was executed. Six years after death of Jusus, Caligula had summoned Governor Pilate from Judea to Rome. Caligula had Governor Pontius Pilate tried and executed in Rome for the Judea execution of Jesus Christ, which happened in far away Judea. Governor Pilate stayed on as Governor of Judea (present day Israel) for six more years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. As few more Roman soldiers converted to Christianity day by day, all wasn't well in distant lands such as Judea, for the six years since the execution of Jesus Christ:: . A sizable number of Roman soldiers had already converted to Christianity within 5 years after the death of Jesus Christ (Bless his name). The average Christian of today is peace loving, for the most part. However the early Christians of 37 AD who had converted to Christianity within five years after the death of Jesus, were largely fanatical. A sizable number of early Christians were ordinary Roman soldiers. few Roman legions were demanding in Rome that Governor Pontius Pilate be removed at the very least, from his position as Governor of Judea, which is a Rome appointed job. HE wielded behind the scenes while the king of Judea (king Herod) was a figure-head position or job at the time. Soon after coming to power, King Caligula of the Roman enmpire ordered Governor Pilate to meet with him to apparently discuss with Emperor Caligula the recent rebellion by the Samaritans, another ethnic group which lived at the time in Judea. After reaching Rome. Caligula's soldiers arrested Governor Pontius Pilate, and had him tried for doing nothing to prevent the death of Jesus Christ. Emperor Caligula did this (he had Governor tried for the urder of Jesus Christ) to quell desires of Roman rebellion within his own ranks and within his own armies, a small percentage of which had embraced Christianity within five years after death of Jesus.
Actually, this is highly debated. He gave slaves the right to sue their masters for mistreatment and instead of singing while Rome burnt, he orchestrated rescue efforts
Love Mary Beards brutally honest account of the classical Roman emperers like Caligula who was the son of Germanicus himself: his own name directly born of (admix of romano-anglo heritage), kind of somewhat truthful yet falsifying of true facts. It must always be remembered that so many Roman armies depended hugely upon neighbouring tribes from the Rhine-Gallica, not just freed slaves of mixed native heritage to steamroll their way to victory in the rest of Eurasia a little later in the time of Constantine the Great. Caligula was nothing exceptional as an emporer, just simply wanting to revolutionize an old republic whatever his sortcomings and responsibilities as a young sometimes misguided general.
This narration is very good in the most evil way, but no bueno. From the story of Tiberius taking Caligula out on his boat and the nibbling of "fishes" - THAT LOOK from the narrator for 1 brief second is decadence personified. It is disturbing. This story is quite chilling. Tiberius was smothered by Caligula as described by the chubby historian at 17:23 and smiles so... inappropriately. I do think there is context to the story - it's history - but it is a tragic story. I don't want to be overly politically correct, but we still should remember the horror and those were human lives and children's lives. People who are evil and child abusers may get the wrong message from this documentary, as engaging and informative as it is. As Voltaire wrote "History never repeats itself - man always does."
It sounds like Claudius killed Caligula. If Caligula was popular with the ordinary people Claudius must have really hated him or he would have done the obvious thing and treated him as a victim rather than a tyrant. -Even if he disliked him. The most obvious reason for the blackening of his reputation is that Claudius was afraid his part in his death would become known and needed to make sure no-one would be able to investigate his death further.
Where does Claudius come into it Caligula was the 3rd Emperor. after Tibireus, Claudius came after Caligula died.Claudius was a cripple, Caligula would say he would kill Claudius when
@@BigAl2-u7e Nero got married 4 times. 2 men and 2 women and he was the bride the last time. He burned Rome then blamed the Christians. Threw human beings in a cage with lions. All kinds of psychopathic atrocities and that's just one of them. Caligula sodomized his people's wives on their wedding day
I read years ago the the Jewish prohibition against pork is based on the understanding that of all the meat we eat, pigs were known to eat human flesh Works for me as a vegetarian😊
A sad story that curiously repeats itself after 2000, in a different geographic area, targeting political power and gold mines. Why not get inspired by the successful gossips of the past? But this time more convincing for we have the digital technology. I suppose Claudius' marble took sometime to be reshaped, the XXI century's victim only one hour or so. Thank you for the inside. One Romania poet said once ~all is new and old is all~ ; old ideas, new technologies.
I feel Gaius didn’t like the senate after they tried to replace him when he got sick… Also the population loved him and was disturbed at his assassination… He was almost wiped from the history books thanks to the Roman “damnatio memoriae “ and replaced with his uncle who was worse then him ( nice to the aristocracy thou… ) Was he mad? Yeah that the upper class and they killed him for it and shaming his name… Gaius germanicus is his name not lil boots
Well, splitting the Empire in half wasn't the smartest idea, though I think the Empire finally got too big and unweildy for the Romans to administer. Of course hiring various barbarians as mercenaries wasn't the greatest idea, either. Maybe by that time Romans weren't interested in spending 29 years of their lives in the military. Changes should have been made, like not hiring potential adversaries as those who are supposed to protect your empire.
It's a good show - except for the presenter always putting her bare hands all over the artefacts! Why doesnt she put gloves on - if she Must handle the ancient objects.
I think she gets a better sense of connection with the past by actually touching the artifacts. I do believe she should have worn gloves 🧤 while handling the coins. Acid etc on the skin Is the bane of numismatics
There is not much to be said in favour of this (or any emperor come to that) but what a pity that the colours which once decorated the busts have been lost. Without them it is impossible to properly see what they looked like. Incidentally, Germanicus was no angel either.
None of the emperors were. Like the rest of us they had faults and shortcomings. Vespasian and his son, Titus were two of the better ones. After the destruction of Pompeii, Titus donated large sums from his personal fortune to help survivors. Vespasian did spend on public works. The four worst, IMHO, were Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.
The question is nonsensical. We do not have accurate, detailed or much less reliable enough information from the time period to make any sort of a determination to this end.
@@DenethordeSade.90 Because the oils from your skin can potentially damange ancient artifacts. This is why you often see people wearing gloves when handling ancient artifacts. But in this case, given that they're out on full display with no glass over them says to me that what she's touching are replicas with the real deal being locked away in the museum's vaults.
@@Riceball01 Lol, visit the British museum. They let people lounge in 2000 year old sarcophagi. You can touch ancient Egyptian statues. You'd have a heart attack.
Most of Caligula's family was murdered by his uncle, who then took him under his wing and forced upon him his own abhorrent depravities. It's hard not to come away from a childhood like that without being a bit scared.
A "bit"??
Scarred
A bit?
It's a bit more complicated than that.
Tiberius debauched behaviour is an inconsistent rumor whose veracity cannot be assessed. Aside from that, no ancient source suggests Gaius was part of it. The punishment of Gaius' family, as cruel it was, wasn't a mere act of villainy - it was the crude consequence of the social tension that sprouted in the last years of Augustus' reign. The way Gaius' rule turned out is probably mostly the result of the Eastern influence he received since his early childhood from his parents.
@@tomc8617089
She is an amazing storyteller. I could listen to her all day! (Love how she used a dismantled broom handle as a pointer at around 32:00, LOL.) Roman history and culture is absolutely fascinating! One year of Latin and mythology in high school was enough for me to decide I'd major in the Classics in college (along with Secondary Education).
Good luck getting a job with that degree
@@dzapico1980 I have a good job, thank you. It may not be related to Classics, but having that knowledge has served me well over the years. I was employed for 26 years at one employer who decided to outsource my department, so everyone in that department was laid off. I switched gears and have had a job in a different field since early 2020.
@@kristinzeiber23 what did you do? What do you do now?
@@dzapico1980 investor reporting at a bank (mortgage servicing); insurance. How about you?
@@kristinzeiber23 day trader
I totally love the way Mary Beard narrates the story.
absolutely, but is she really allowed to touch all the antique artifacts?
@@bha9468 probably replicas
Me too! She’s awesome 😎
It’s a mix of intelligence and fan girling, I love it.
The Nemi ships were awesome for their time. I watched a special on it years ago and those ships had everything. Shipbuilding by that time was relatively advanced--the Greeks had a seagoing version of the Nemi ships over 250 feet long, which would have been their version of the QM2. It had dining hall, private cabins , chapel...you name it, they probably had it. The more I learn of the ancient world, the more awed I am at their achievements.
Yeah, but they had no stalls in their bathrooms!
Barbaric, having to look at the dude next to you laying a fat duece.
At least he's kind and hands you his brush once he's done with it.
Amazing world!😉👍😊
@@endokrin7897 you had to go there🤢
He made his horse a consul to take a dig at the senate and people he had contempt for not out of insanity. Like saying Up yours I’ve no respect for the officers and tradition of Rome after what it’s done to my family. He was hurt damaged by his mother’s death and his brothers but not mad.
I suppose that's one way of looking at it, but Caligula did seem to have been very cruel
The Roman Empire never existed.
Dr Anatoly Fomenko, "History: Fiction or Science?".
Caligula: "Let them HATE me...so long as they FEAR me."
Wow...and yikes! If that doesn't sound like a Supervillain creed...
...sounds rather stalin-ish to me...!
According to Robert Graves I Claudius that phrase was attibuted to Emperor Tiberius - but it is pretty likely that Caligula adopted it himself - as he emulated many of the worst depravities of his predecessor. They both certainly went for vice on a grand scale - those two!
Sounds like Trump
It's been said by many people throughout history. The problem with that perspective is that you can only be feared for so long. Things change, alliances weaken, and everyone dies eventually. It's not a great formula if you intend to rule for any significant length of time.
The joys of being an emperor, childhood insecurities and dysfunctional family. People you can't trust all around and an insane mind seeking pleasures of all kinds where there are none... one big illusion of self power on the majority. LOL no way 😊 Great narration and brillant knowledge👌💕💖
The Roman Empire never existed.
Dr Anatoly Fomenko, "History: Fiction or Science?".
Absolutely brilliant ....Thank you for posting
History should always be examined with a critical eye. History that is written down is seen through the lens of someone's prespective and History that is inferred from other sources is also based previous assumptions and the perspective of those that are doing the inferring.
Marie Antoinette &,Nap didn't know how to breed till her bro told Nap how. She never left the palace & had no idea of her countrymen. She was a mere child when they were married, when King died, even Nap was too young. She really thought they could eat cake, if no bread. Ew no baths, yet the throne was invented for a king in France! Hence toilet being called the throne & French knowing perfumes!
He's not generous. He just thought it would be fun to throw money
Reminds me of W. Bush' tax rebate handout. Done just to show us how greedy and venal we are; selling our dignity and sovereignty for a few hundred dollars. 9/11 and the Patriot Act to follow..
Amazing smart and articulate presentation, thank you so much!
Nah, he was a beautiful, wonderful human being, who, if he were alive today, would probably be the CEO of TH-cam or Facebook...
isn't that the truth!
He would be working for Killary/Obama/Biden!
Come on Jeffrey you can do it!
Pave the way!
Put your back into it!
He'd be Elon Musk today.
😂
I've worked with some people like Caligula during my very short stint in retail !
:))
LOLOLOL, LMAOF🤩😛 YES, Retail Is The Pits Of Hell.
The government has employees in retail then
FUNNYMAN!!!!
Gosh yes, I put them on the same scale as Hitler
@@Saucyakld : Ohhh , c'mon now ... don't insult Hitler like that .... :))
That wall painting is stunning😍
What's funny is we call him Caligula but he would be disgusted. He would insist on being called Gaius.
I heard that being called Caligula did NOT make his day.
Gaius?.With Caligulas bi-sexual appetite,He was probably known as Gayarse,(behind his back).
@@harrietharlow9929 kinda reminds me of what child stars go through. Apparently Caligula was quite well known for being this character in his youth, kinda like he was playing the role of soldier. Everyone adored him for this.
However, once grown, they had this good memory of him but didn't take him seriously as a capable adult. They didn't have faith in his abilities to do anything requiring effort and thoughtfulness. He was typecast in their minds as this military mascot kind of like a rodeo clown. So, even though they adored him as a child, as an adult they had a certain contempt for him.
As long as he remained the clown it was fine. As Emperor running the show, they were not okay with.
His psychological problems didn't help the situation, either.
@@mollyjones4165 Good memory!
@@mollyjones4165 don't think it's a comparison being a child actor compared to the emperor of a nation
Considering the time era he lived in theres no way of knowing what might have drove who he was.We compare his actions to our standards today..so we really cant make a diagnoses on anyones mental health at that time
38:31 "If we were making a porn movie Roman style, we'd be bound to cast Caligula in the lead."
Well, actually...
so which one did you see?
I think much respect and regard for the professor not only has she dedicated much of her life researching and learning the complex language and lives of the Roman Empire she is also passionate and interesting to narrate stories in a way we can all find easy to understand I think she’s pretty dam good 😉
Passionately narrated!
The Roman Empire never existed.
Dr Anatoly Fomenko, "History: Fiction or Science?".
Great historical research. Very much enjoyed and entertaining.
Great history...superb archaeoligical finds and analytical style, and inspiring story teller...one of the best classic documentary! Thank you...
Brilliant narration
I wonder if Emperor Bootikins were alive today then his favourite drink would be a Capri-Sun.
ARE THEY MADE FROM FORD CAPRI'S ?
Tang…
LMBO
waging war on the sea was a pretty big red flag.
With everything he been through and saw during his early years, no wonder he had no social skills or empathy. He was a victim of his own upbringing and paid the ultimate price for it
Like trump, no love just $ .
@@phyllisirwin5660 Joe and Hunter Biden. Hunter, especially, with all of his perverted sexual activities and bedding his dead brother's widow.
The Roman Empire never existed.
Dr Anatoly Fomenko, "History: Fiction or Science?".
Caligula was just damaged by Tiberius
Lead poisoning can result in mental instability. I mean, they did use that metal for the water pipes.
...good point...!
Great point
We still use lead pipes in our current times.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. If these emperors don't personify that adage, then no one does. The problem was that the Roman Emperors first arose as charismatic military commander-dictators and then devolved into tyrannical evil dictators. Consequently, there were no laws that hemmed in their more destructive tendencies and no established rules for peaceful dynastic succession. Hence, every gov't change was contested and often violent. So when a new emperor achieved power, he needed to hold on to it by increasing his dictatorial powers, if he could. And he needed to satisfy the army, or they would have him assassinated, as so often happened, so it caused the Empire to over-extend itself. Ultimately, I think Rome was foiled by its enormous initial success. Its expansionism gave the military too much power and it corrupted its better institutions. Rome worked better and made more sense politically (and culturally as a classical civilization) when it only controlled Italy and the western Mediterranean basin.
A lot of the histories on these emperors were written by people who hated them in real life, that or people who deposed them. These emperors would've been portrayed worse than they actually were. History is written by the victors, after all.
I think their lack of succession laws was their biggest problem (that and the Empire's vast size). Anyone could be Emperor in practice, which meant everyone fought each other for it. Monarchies with hereditary succession laws are the most stable governments it seems.
As the video explains, we don't know the true story of Caligula because much of what we know about him was written after his death and/or by people who wanted to discredit him. He probably wasn't all that bad since we know that he seemed to be fairly popular with the common people, much like his name sake, Gaius Julius Caesar who was also said to be very popular with the common people. It's also telling that they were also both quite disliked by otther patricians and senators.
Absolutely brilliant. So informative.
Was Emperor Caligula Really A Psychopath?
Naah, nicest guy in the world! A real sweetheart of a fella. Loved and got along great with everyone.
agreed
Probably not. We only hear his story from his enemies.
Actually he was "not right" as my mum liked to say. I don't know if he was as bad as Nerobut he certainly was messed-up.
There is a looooot of archaeological evidence to back up him being preeeeetty psycho… not to mention the trauma his own father inflicted on him from an absurdly young age (young boys trained to swim under water in the pool and bite his… Dangly bits, and that was just a side story) there are so many other anecdotes like his mom being abused to suicide… so many things that would understandably make one a psychopath
Nonetheless
It is astablished that Caligula was the first to use coins with his image made on them. Which phycholoigily imprinted in the minds that Caligula was a good emperor, completely overlooking Caligulas decadence and possibly corrupt ways. Which no doubt our government has used and still using the same psychological tactics 🤔
@@annarushlau9722 No that was his uncle. His father was also most likely poisoned by the Uncle (Emperor Tiberius).
Like Richard III of England. Murdering monster, so his enemies told us.
One thing I've always wonder is, we often hear about the "support of the army" but who was to decide which side the army was on? The senate? The army generals? The riches?
Normally whoever was paying them, either through direct subsidy (which got the stage with some Emperors that almost all tax went to huge cash bribes for the military) or who gave them the best chance of seizing plunder and booty. By and large they didn't care much about the Senate as a body, who were conservative and parochial - almost for the entire history of the Roman military they were at constant loggerheads with the Senate
@@cmbeadle2228 But yet no Roman could go to war without the Senate say so. Even now days the president can't declare war without The House of Representatives say so. If you do it's called treason, which is why I don't know why America didn't bring charges up on Trump after he got the General of Afghanistan killed without The House saying it's ok. That is a Act of War on another country without the permission of the government which is a form of treason. Obama couldn't get away with that, but he not white so.....
@@tbird7698 You are very confused. The war powers have been shifting for decades. Obama launched multiple military actions without Congress. The executive branch simply changes the names. Obama said they weren't wars they were kinetic military actions so no congressional approval is needed. Trump did not kill any General of Afghanistan so again your lack of knowledge is showing. He assassinated an Iranian intelligence chief. Please dear if you lack basic knowledge you should keep your comments to yourself
Replaced the head on a statue of the Emporer, cementing it on in fact. Is this where the phrase cementing power originated?
Have often wondered if he wasn't
a victim of "Establishment" spin.
Having watched the "commentators" deal with modern events, it's been a question for me on historical figures.
The fact that he was the son of a notable "Republican", Germanicus in an age where Empire was the new zeitgeist, might be a clue.
From this perspective, his witness of the Tiberian excesses; the trolling of the Senate by making his horse a Senator; etc could have caused the Establishment to kill him then destroy his reputation. This would end the last of any serious threat to return Rome to a Republic.
Long live the Empire!
Quite a rich work of research. Interesting indeed.
It is so much easier to be a good person, do good, help others, create a country and society that will flourish. I do not and cannot understand evil. I recommend Grave’s I Claudius. It puts everything in perspective. By the way, it is my favorite book of all times.
I haven’t watched this yet. (I’m about to :)) but my SO is an MSW/LCSW and we’ve talked about this at length. The answer is yes, probably.
What's MSW/LCSW ?
I can understand why he was so messed-up. Not to excuse him, but he really didn't have a good upbringing what with being stuck with Tiberius who was a major-league pervert. and losing much of his family. If he was unstable to begin with (and he more than likely was), all that would have pushed him over the edge.
I don't know if he was "unstable to begin with", as you say. However, his time with Tiberius, and the banishment and murder of some of his family members no doubt had a traumatic effect on the young man.
@@hyacinthlynch843 Agreed.
The bust of Caligula looks just like Joffrey from Game of Thrones.
it is the other way around
Maybe they used the bust of Caligula as inspiration.
I read that he was chosen because he was promising, but he fell ill, and the fever messed up his mind. He was never the same afterward, and became frightening. People would dread being invited over for dinner, because you couldn't refuse, and depending on his whim, you might be asked to eat gold, or worse.
He would cut right into today’s life we walk past hundreds of Caligula’s everyday and don’t batt an eye
I bet it’s such a treat to have Mary Beard as a professor!!! She’s amazing!!
By twenty-first century standards Caligula was almost a paragon of uprightness and good sense.
😅😅😅😂😂🤣🤣
so true !
A potential MAGA candidate.
@@donaldpetkus1637 MAGA? Très passé. That's French, by the way - a European language.
@@donaldpetkus1637 Are you referring to "Manigula", aka "Little Hands"?
Who wasn’t a psychopath back then
LOL at 3:19 Prof Beard is proving how difficult it is to switch from left side of the road driving to right side.
I know, how difficult when u cross borders!
I think that much of the bad rep of Caligula that he was the first of Rome's mad emperor. Later came Nero, Domitian, Commodus, Caracalla, Heliogebalus...
Well Done!
Never trust a ruler with no pupils. It shows they have no soul.
Lmfao
Well said 😃😃💀💀
In nature all animals with black eyes are deadly.
@@ventibreeze6648
Is that a joke?
Or a teacher!
You could definitely say this is the first official rock and roll star.
17:21 He looks so happy about it 😂😆
Thanks for the documentary
If this doesnt address the early Caligula that people loved and his slow progression to madness thanks to unhinged power and lead poisoning, I'm skipping it entirely.
Successful propaganda decades after his death to make people not remember or focus at all on what an emperor was capable of (early Caligula) and harp on what he was (negatively) capable of. The political context of the following decades makes me truly question even how much of the bad was true.
If your adoptive father was a man out of control who promised you a bright future or otherwise a terrible life likely to end early, wouldnt you yearn to be beyond him so you can be allowed to be yourself? as it is human nature regardless of era?
Likely Tiberius taught Gaius how to be him, Gaius saw Tiberius' death as the start of his own persona, and upon raising to power and dealing with what must have been a really toxic and dangerous social environment for people on his position, likely pivoted back to the toxicity he knew.
Comments like Gaius sassily saying "I trust my horse more than you people" then turned by others who lived decades after his death into "oh he actually slept with his horse. Can we assume he fucked his horse? Yeah lets just roll with that"...
i mean, look at the guy's face in 17:15 .... a snap of how gossip makes peoples dicks hard even to this day, are we truly to believe everything verbatim? Especially when it was written by political adversaries decades after the mans death?
Then again, why would this media settle for less than 360º scandal, it's what gets and retains the views.
PLEASE LIST TIME PERIOD (eg 50 AD, etc) IN WHICH THIS HAPPENED IN THE TITLES OF YOUR VIDEOS, THANK YOU
The volume needs to be turned up.
at 34:35... professor Wiseman... what a great and apt name!
i would draw the line at the flamingo…i would take exception to that
He was one of the most interesting figures in Roman history.
He's not a psychopath. He's a very naughty boy.
Thank you! 👌🏽☀️
he probably had brain damage from sphyllis
Still one of my true loves forever
It's a very good question. Considering the times, was his behavior out of the norm?
Nah he was just a kid experimenting on how far he could go with extreme total power. I think he was sane just mean.
Thank you! Kills me when people become keyboard psychologists. Truth is life was different then. Families were different in ways we can’t even imagine. These modern day diagnosis mean nothing in history.
@@jeezuschrist9887 Did he or didn't he do what he is credited for?
Of course not, he was a sane, warm and caring soul who enjoy spreading warm and fuzzies all over the place🌞😳🤪🤫
Maybe spreading warm and fuzzy blood and guts
He ran out of warm fuzziest n began to distribute plastic fake fuzziest n it created a feeling of fear and anger and so he got injured and fell asleep
Sarcasm
Oh yeah, just the guy I'd stand in line to hang out with.
@@PBFoote-mo2zr Is that Fellini's "Satyricon"? Or "Centurions of Rome" which was set during Caligula's reign? The latter I've never seen, but my gay godson said it's definitely pornographic. Though "Satyricon" was pretty wild, especially for the time--however that was set during Claudius's reign.
I don’t know if he was a psychopath or not, but he was clearly insane even by Roman Emperor standards.
Stop copying videos from yt channel "Timeline - World History Documentaries"
I guess the question isn't whether he was too cruel but if he wasn't cruel enough.
Mary get your facts right, Tony Robinson did in the Timeline series, it was not 'Lamb' that Caligula said "It was Pork". If she can't get the well known stories correct, then it puts doubt on her knowledge overall.
Caligula: a story of Roman gossip 🤣
38:08 There is a pornographic film about Caligula. It's called "Caligula".
Have we all forgotten about the tyranny?
That bust of a young Caligula looks a lot like Joffrey
When watching a show about historical events, I am not interested in watching the narrator drive down the road or mug for the camera. I would rather see artifacts or buildings.
People with so much power, fame, and fortune eventually become demoniac. Caligula is a small demon compared to demons mentioned in the Vedas.
Emperor Caligula (Emperor Germanius) ::: His claim to fame was that he ordered the killing of Governor Pontius Pilate, who stayed on as Governor for another 6 years after execution of Jesus Christ. Caligula himself was stabbed to death by a secret group of Roman citizens many years later, and well after governor Pilate was executed. Six years after death of Jusus, Caligula had summoned Governor Pilate from Judea to Rome. Caligula had Governor Pontius Pilate tried and executed in Rome for the Judea execution of Jesus Christ, which happened in far away Judea. Governor Pilate stayed on as Governor of Judea (present day Israel) for six more years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. As few more Roman soldiers converted to Christianity day by day, all wasn't well in distant lands such as Judea, for the six years since the execution of Jesus Christ:: . A sizable number of Roman soldiers had already converted to Christianity within 5 years after the death of Jesus Christ (Bless his name). The average Christian of today is peace loving, for the most part. However the early Christians of 37 AD who had converted to Christianity within five years after the death of Jesus, were largely fanatical. A sizable number of early Christians were ordinary Roman soldiers. few Roman legions were demanding in Rome that Governor Pontius Pilate be removed at the very least, from his position as Governor of Judea, which is a Rome appointed job. HE wielded behind the scenes while the king of Judea (king Herod) was a figure-head position or job at the time. Soon after coming to power, King Caligula of the Roman enmpire ordered Governor Pilate to meet with him to apparently discuss with Emperor Caligula the recent rebellion by the Samaritans, another ethnic group which lived at the time in Judea. After reaching Rome. Caligula's soldiers arrested Governor Pontius Pilate, and had him tried for doing nothing to prevent the death of Jesus Christ. Emperor Caligula did this (he had Governor tried for the urder of Jesus Christ) to quell desires of Roman rebellion within his own ranks and within his own armies, a small percentage of which had embraced Christianity within five years after death of Jesus.
So caligula live in the time of jesus christ they were alive at some point on earth the same time?
Pilate let the Rabbis decide Jesus' fate. That always disturbed me, after all they were Rabbis, but Jesus knew why he was to die on the cross, FOR US!
Wonderful post, great insight and knowledge. Many more should read this…I found it fascinating…thank you and well done.
Thanks John, late here but wanted to say I love your comment. The only good thing Caligula ever did was have Pilate killed. Never knew
Julius was. Octavian was also psychopath.
Not half the psychopaths and Perverts that Tiberius and Caligula were.
Julius also had real world accomplishments outside of just telling other people what to do and killing for the sake of it.
His nephew Nero was just like him..
How do you know ? Where you there ?
Actually, this is highly debated. He gave slaves the right to sue their masters for mistreatment and instead of singing while Rome burnt, he orchestrated rescue efforts
@@michaeljunger169 but he oppressed Jews & Christians... That was awful. He was an arrogant turd who wanted people to worship him.
@@jamellfoster6029 Yes, he was terrible. Or turned terrible after a while. But in the beginning he was suprisingly benign compared to many others.
Nero was an unprepared teenager whose reputation was much maligned after he was usurped.
Humanity got robbed when we got an Emperor Gaius instead of Germanicus.
Love Mary Beards brutally honest account of the classical Roman emperers like Caligula who was the son of Germanicus himself: his own name directly born of (admix of romano-anglo heritage), kind of somewhat truthful yet falsifying of true facts. It must always be remembered that so many Roman armies depended hugely upon neighbouring tribes from the Rhine-Gallica, not just freed slaves of mixed native heritage to steamroll their way to victory in the rest of Eurasia a little later in the time of Constantine the Great. Caligula was nothing exceptional as an emporer, just simply wanting to revolutionize an old republic whatever his sortcomings and responsibilities as a young sometimes misguided general.
Psychopaths are born narcissists are made
This narration is very good in the most evil way, but no bueno. From the story of Tiberius taking Caligula out on his boat and the nibbling of "fishes" - THAT LOOK from the narrator for 1 brief second is decadence personified. It is disturbing. This story is quite chilling. Tiberius was smothered by Caligula as described by the chubby historian at 17:23 and smiles so... inappropriately. I do think there is context to the story - it's history - but it is a tragic story. I don't want to be overly politically correct, but we still should remember the horror and those were human lives and children's lives. People who are evil and child abusers may get the wrong message from this documentary, as engaging and informative as it is. As Voltaire wrote "History never repeats itself - man always does."
I like the video of the "Rhine" in Germany in 14AD..pretty cool...and now I know they had video way back then???
It sounds like Claudius killed Caligula. If Caligula was popular with the ordinary people Claudius must have really hated him or he would have done the obvious thing and treated him as a victim rather than a tyrant. -Even if he disliked him. The most obvious reason for the blackening of his reputation is that Claudius was afraid his part in his death would become known and needed to make sure no-one would be able to investigate his death further.
Where does Claudius come into it Caligula was the 3rd Emperor.
after Tibireus, Claudius came after Caligula died.Claudius was a cripple, Caligula would say he would kill Claudius when
Whenever he wanted too
Right off of the bat: 1) inbreeding is not a good idea. 2) consumption of lead will drive you mad. Thanks for sharing. Philadelphia USA
THEY all were and still are.
I don't think you know what a psychopath is.
:/
@@BigAl2-u7e I dont think you know history
@@BigAl2-u7e Nero got married 4 times. 2 men and 2 women and he was the bride the last time. He burned Rome then blamed the Christians. Threw human beings in a cage with lions. All kinds of psychopathic atrocities and that's just one of them. Caligula sodomized his people's wives on their wedding day
@@tesselaynes5428 The Christian lie of Nero burning Rome has been debunked to oblivion
I read years ago the the Jewish prohibition against pork is based on the understanding that of all the meat we eat, pigs were known to eat human flesh
Works for me as a vegetarian😊
Kind of a circular argument, though, lol.
No one cares your a veggie
The prohibition is not just pork, but basically all scavenger animals. They were meant to clean up dead, dying, excrement.
Would you eat a buzzard?
Virginia M I care…meetyourmeat.
Why do you always have to play such loud music. .it sure ruins the story for old ears.
Caligula wasn't even his actual name. Caligula means little boot and he HATED that name. Also she said exactly what I just said lol.
Next week: "Did Hitler Really Dislike Jews?"
Hitler was some usual guy overtaken by devil's spirit
Wait what?? Agrippina was on a hunger strike, then forced fed until she starved to death??
❔❔❔❔❓❓❓❓
The force feeders may not have been very motivated.
Looks a bit like Piers Morgan.
Did Rome Ever fall.
Pompeii did, by lava!
A sad story that curiously repeats itself after 2000, in a different geographic area, targeting political power and gold mines. Why not get inspired by the successful gossips of the past? But this time more convincing for we have the digital technology. I suppose Claudius' marble took sometime to be reshaped, the XXI century's victim only one hour or so. Thank you for the inside. One Romania poet said once ~all is new and old is all~ ; old ideas, new technologies.
This woman is wonderfully suited for the search she has undertaken she can read Latin as the Romans wrote it for crying out loud
I feel Gaius didn’t like the senate after they tried to replace him when he got sick…
Also the population loved him and was disturbed at his assassination…
He was almost wiped from the history books thanks to the Roman “damnatio memoriae “ and replaced with his uncle who was worse then him ( nice to the aristocracy thou… )
Was he mad? Yeah that the upper class and they killed him for it and shaming his name…
Gaius germanicus is his name not lil boots
oh and it was the byzantines who were chaotic?
Well, splitting the Empire in half wasn't the smartest idea, though I think the Empire finally got too big and unweildy for the Romans to administer. Of course hiring various barbarians as mercenaries wasn't the greatest idea, either. Maybe by that time Romans weren't interested in spending 29 years of their lives in the military. Changes should have been made, like not hiring potential adversaries as those who are supposed to protect your empire.
@@harrietharlow9929 what’s your point?
It's a good show - except for the presenter always putting her bare hands all over the artefacts!
Why doesnt she put gloves on - if she Must handle the ancient objects.
I think she gets a better sense of connection with the past by actually touching the artifacts. I do believe she should have worn gloves 🧤 while handling the coins. Acid etc on the skin Is the bane of numismatics
That bothered me too
There is not much to be said in favour of this (or any emperor come to that) but what a pity that the colours which once decorated the busts have been lost. Without them it is impossible to properly see what they looked like. Incidentally, Germanicus was no angel either.
None of the emperors were. Like the rest of us they had faults and shortcomings. Vespasian and his son, Titus were two of the better ones. After the destruction of Pompeii, Titus donated large sums from his personal fortune to help survivors. Vespasian did spend on public works. The four worst, IMHO, were Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.
He was worse than that. He was the devil himself.
The question is nonsensical. We do not have accurate, detailed or much less reliable enough information from the time period to make any sort of a determination to this end.
Every time I watch one of her documentaries I cringe when she touches something ancient
Why is that?
@@DenethordeSade.90 Because the oils from your skin can potentially damange ancient artifacts. This is why you often see people wearing gloves when handling ancient artifacts. But in this case, given that they're out on full display with no glass over them says to me that what she's touching are replicas with the real deal being locked away in the museum's vaults.
@@Riceball01 Lol, visit the British museum. They let people lounge in 2000 year old sarcophagi. You can touch ancient Egyptian statues. You'd have a heart attack.