Was Caligula Insane?

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  • čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
  • Caligula made his horse consul, tried to make love to the Moon, and sent his soldiers to gather seashells by the seashore - or did he? As we'll see in this video, the Caligula of popular imagination may be far removed from the historical emperor.
    Check out my other CZcams channels ‪@scenicroutestothepast‬ and ‪@toldinstonefootnotes‬
    Please consider supporting toldinstone on Patreon:
    / toldinstone
    If you liked this video, you might also enjoy my book “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.”
    www.amazon.com/Naked-Statues-...
    If you're so inclined, you can follow me elsewhere on the web:
    / toldinstone
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    Chapters:
    0:00 Caligula's bridge
    1:30 The reign of Caligula
    2:40 Established Titles
    4:00 Decadence and cruelty
    5:00 The emperor's eccentricities
    5:45 Caligula's madness
    6:37 Assassination, character assassination
    7:43 Rumors of incest
    8:19 Caligula's horse
    8:57 Warring with the ocean
    10:02 Explaining the bridge
    10:37 Glimpsing Caligula

Komentáře • 657

  • @rickb3078
    @rickb3078 Před rokem +1049

    Every time I am at cross roads in my life I always ask myself: What would Caligula do?

  • @Renwoxing13
    @Renwoxing13 Před rokem +131

    Historians :
    He suggested he make a horse his consul.
    Caligula : “ You are all so useless I might as well elect my horse as consul”
    ⚫️ Rumor : Caligula made his horse a consul.
    Lmfao !

    • @semoremo9548
      @semoremo9548 Před rokem +12

      right? I would've burst out laughing if I had heard him say that to be honest, but historians and people in general saying he actually made his horse a consul, or seriously suggested it, takes the fun out of it. All the bad things he did aside, he was kind of hilarious.

    • @GAIVSCALIGVLA
      @GAIVSCALIGVLA Před 4 měsíci +4

      Finally someone speaks the truth.

    • @kaloarepo288
      @kaloarepo288 Před 3 měsíci +2

      It's very similar to 2 other allegations made about historical figures - (1) That king Canute (Knut) the Viking king of England claimed he could control the tides and (2) That queen Marie Antoinette said "Let them eat cake.' Both are taken out of context for partisan reasons - Canute was demonstrating to a flatterer that he couldn't control the tide and Marie Antoinette was referring to brioche not cake - brioche is a type of fortified bread that was actually quite available at the time and was quite cheap and nutritious whereas bread was temporarily in short supply.

    • @booksteer7057
      @booksteer7057 Před měsícem +1

      An early example of Fake News. 😅

  • @AmericanIlluminati
    @AmericanIlluminati Před rokem +145

    "Don't forget, I can do what I want." I think that statement describes his mentality perfectly. He was drunk on his own power & authority, and life became essentially a game for him. It's not that he was crazy, but rather he thought to himself, "but, who's going to tell me no?"

    • @MrFredstt
      @MrFredstt Před 10 měsíci +5

      Too bad he didn't think of the fact that if he didn't take the needs of his citizens seriously to some extent that at some point he would have no allies and he would be forcibly removed from power. I wonder if that's what crossed his mind during his dying breath

    • @merrittanimation7721
      @merrittanimation7721 Před 8 měsíci +6

      ⁠@@MrFredsttTo be fair it’s not so much the average citizen he alienated rather than the elites since they were in closer proximity to him.

    • @michyoung77
      @michyoung77 Před 26 dny +2

      One of his most famous quotes is "Who cares if they respect me? So long as they fear me."

    • @AmericanIlluminati
      @AmericanIlluminati Před 26 dny

      @@michyoung77
      Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.

  • @kaiserwigglesiii2369
    @kaiserwigglesiii2369 Před rokem +319

    Of all the things this channel has taught me, the fact that our ancestors thought and acted like us today is among the top. I can’t shake the feeling that Caligula just didn’t give a damn, a laissez-faire, bored, unrestricted “troll”. The disregard for human life aside, the stories all give off a sense of modern day sarcasm, or have some layer of irony.

    • @fruitygarlic3601
      @fruitygarlic3601 Před rokem +67

      Yes. The seashell story always struck me as someone using the imperial power to mess around. He may have ordered the most powerful force in the region to get up to whimsical holiday activities during an invasion, just because it would have been funny.

    • @viderevero1338
      @viderevero1338 Před rokem +47

      He was a 4channer born too soon.

    • @cassiecasiano2500
      @cassiecasiano2500 Před rokem +5

      He was a performance artist.

    • @whatinthefudge5346
      @whatinthefudge5346 Před rokem +18

      It was better bc races weren't mixed we obviously weren't supposed to mix that's why we are different races

    • @Lightice1
      @Lightice1 Před rokem +36

      @@fruitygarlic3601 The most plausible explanation for the shell collecting I've heard was that Caligula wanted to invade Britain but the legions refused, and knowing that he would get murdered if he pressed the issue he instead decided to humiliate them by making them collect the shells and present them as bounty of their nonexistant "campaign". Refusing to do something as simple would have ridiculed the legionnaires just as much as doing it, so either way, Caligula got his petty revenge.

  • @OptimusMaximusNero
    @OptimusMaximusNero Před rokem +83

    Caligula's eccentricities were so great that they reached even the farthest reaches of the Empire. For example, in Judea, he attempted to introduce a statue of himself into the Great Jewish Temple, which caused enormous outrage and resistance from the Jews. Had Caligula not been assassinated shortly after ordering the statue's transfer to Jerusalem, it would have sparked a full-scale Jewish revolt. If you are interested, the Anthony Burgess novel "The Kingdom of the Wicked" and the series "A.D." (which portrays the most degenerate and insane Caligula ever conceived) recount this event. Highly recommended

    • @leoribic1691
      @leoribic1691 Před 4 měsíci +1

      I haven't seen A.D. yet, but surely he can't be worse anywhere than he is in the 1979 movie? I'm going to watch it!

    • @fieracarmen4713
      @fieracarmen4713 Před měsícem

      Vorbiți despre Caligula în așa fel,de parcă l-ați văzut personal și știți sigur,ce fel de om era!Eu cred că a fost o victimă mult mai mult, decât tiran!

  • @phnexOice
    @phnexOice Před rokem +93

    One note I’d like to add is that it’s very likely Caligula was deeply traumatized by his childhood, ranging from the death of his father to what seems to be political assassination, to the show trials of his mother and brothers, and then being used as little more than a pawn by his uncle, the emperor, him going mad from this trauma wouldn’t exactly surprise most, as it’s likely all of us in the same position would do the same

    • @jmd1743
      @jmd1743 Před rokem +9

      That sounds like he was just being spiteful toward the demographics who were in his childhood. He was 24 years of age when he took over which is not that many years from teenage rage.
      There was this girl who had a rich goldman sach's executive father. She went to a high dollar college & in order to rebel she smoked some weed while attending.
      She was arrested and then her father cut her off from the wealth.
      When she turned 18 she went to a infamous porn film studio that was famous for the most nasty type of content, think " two girls - one cup". When her porn content got out her father did everything he could to get off of the internet. He spent millions of dollars trying to get it removed off the internet with no sucsess.

    • @yippee8570
      @yippee8570 Před rokem +4

      Nah that's bollocks

    • @a2pabmb2
      @a2pabmb2 Před rokem +2

      @Maniac 5000 When was that ever suggested? We're certainly not going to give you any.

    • @rudi_tabootie
      @rudi_tabootie Před rokem +1

      @Maniac 5000 mhm good solution. treat psychopaths like a psychopath would. good idea

    • @MadProphet
      @MadProphet Před rokem +2

      @@jmd1743 pics or it didn't happen

  • @OptimusMaximusNero
    @OptimusMaximusNero Před rokem +257

    6:37 Of all the depictions of Caligula's death, the best without any doubt is the one represented in the infamous 1979 movie. In this version, Caligula has long been aware that Chaerea wants to kill him. However, he doesn't move a finger because he actually wants to die in order to see his beloved sister Drusilla again, being his desire to become a God just a pathetic attempt to fill the void he has in his heart. Finally, Caligula realizes the day of his assassination that he already has a happy life with Caesonia and their child. Caligula then confronts Chaerea, ready to apologize to him in order to become the good Emperor he was, at first, destined to be. However, Caligula's unconditional love for his dead sister makes him insult Chaerea again, causing the latter to murder him and the Emperor's family. As the final credits roll on, we watch Caligula's dead face contemplating the high cost he paid in order to see Drusilla again

    • @michaeldunne338
      @michaeldunne338 Před rokem +10

      That movie was Bob Guccione's. Tinto Brass disavowed the project in the end.

    • @curiodyssey3867
      @curiodyssey3867 Před rokem +1

      Latter**
      Not
      'later'

    • @OptimusMaximusNero
      @OptimusMaximusNero Před rokem +14

      @@michaeldunne338 He still directed the majority of the footage of the films so, disavowing it or not, it will be always a film of his

    • @michaeldunne338
      @michaeldunne338 Před rokem +4

      ​@@OptimusMaximusNeroHe shot much film. Guccione noted that Brass shot enough film for the original Ben Hur,. 50 times over. I believe controversy centers around post-production and editing, which turned out to be a protracted, tangled affair, lasting several years. Brass would later be credited just for principle photography, while a generic "production" team is credited for putting the movie together.

    • @gigipaints1302
      @gigipaints1302 Před rokem

      O9oo9ooo

  • @massthetics1013
    @massthetics1013 Před rokem +79

    Caligula's Horse is a solid band with some really good albums front to back. Stoked they got a mention here!

    • @honjon666
      @honjon666 Před rokem +3

      Dang, I have thought Diocletian's Horse would be cool band name, i guess Caligula's Horse is cool too though lol, I'll have to check them out!

    • @2e826
      @2e826 Před rokem +2

      Haha I was caught off guard when he said it because it’s what I was thinking about

    • @massthetics1013
      @massthetics1013 Před rokem +1

      I would recommend their album "In Contact" to start with. Enjoy!

  • @KK-qm1mr
    @KK-qm1mr Před rokem +16

    Caligula sounds like a modern billionaire with a better sense of style.

  • @kaloarepo288
    @kaloarepo288 Před rokem +27

    I think the writings of Suetonius are extremely suspect -he was a tabloid type sensationalist writing for another dynasty and blackening the reputation of the previous Julio-Claudians

    • @joshuaharper372
      @joshuaharper372 Před rokem +5

      If course Suetonius is writing tabloid sensationalism--that's why he is so fun to read. That's also why it is important to try to read behind the text or between the lines. But when there's as much reported smoke as there is with darling "Little Boots", I suspect there was at least some fire...

    • @reeyees50
      @reeyees50 Před rokem +2

      Thank you for admitting the obvious, even back then they had comical yellow press propaganda

    • @NathanDudani
      @NathanDudani Před 3 měsíci

      ​@@joshuaharper372 iF cOuRsE

    • @jasondashney
      @jasondashney Před 3 měsíci +1

      If I said something to you today, nobody would take it seriously. If I wrote it in a letter to you 400 years ago, and somebody found it, it would be shown as evidence and people would claim the things I said were fact.

  • @mordecaitoth6703
    @mordecaitoth6703 Před rokem +85

    Great video as always but the unimaginable abuse Caligula allegedly suffered during his upbringing from Tiberius seems often ignored.
    I hope you will do more videos about both Caligula and Tiberius in the future.

    • @Dan_Kanerva
      @Dan_Kanerva Před rokem +6

      average American take:
      > is never someone's fault... is always the parents

    • @knitterscheidt
      @knitterscheidt Před rokem +20

      wouldn't any person who lived under the constant threat of a horrific death since childhood, witnessed his father's execution and other atrocities be a bit ruthless? was he really more insane than Tiberius?

    • @mordecaitoth6703
      @mordecaitoth6703 Před rokem +45

      @@Dan_Kanerva At no point did I absolve Caligula of the evil of his deeds. The video is a discussion of his supposed insanity and it is well understood that childhood abuse negatively impacts cognitive development. Have a nice, perfectly sane day.

    • @Dan_Kanerva
      @Dan_Kanerva Před rokem +7

      @@mordecaitoth6703 you are correct tho , traumas caused by bad parenting was very overlooked all the way throught history until the last 2 centuries... i am not surprised how many insane people where key parts of old society

    • @redplanet7163
      @redplanet7163 Před rokem +6

      @@Dan_Kanerva Indeed, Caligula's behaviour cannot be understood without regarding his time on the Isle of Capri with Tiberius. And what had happened to his family members in the years before that. It's no wonder he was a very disturbed individual!

  • @fabrisseterbrugghe8567
    @fabrisseterbrugghe8567 Před rokem +23

    The look on the horse's face at 8:24 is priceless.

    • @benrobertson7855
      @benrobertson7855 Před rokem

      @JZ's BFF Yass ifss obverlsss….piss me aanotheerrrssss..nnaaayyy.hic.

  • @jonscaplan
    @jonscaplan Před rokem +737

    Established Titles is a scam. Having them as a sponsor hurts the credibility of your very excellent channel. It is difficult to see this appear alongside such well researched and thoughtfully presented videos.

    • @laurensb1b
      @laurensb1b Před rokem +100

      I'm glad im not the only one thinking this. Especially for a history channel, you expect the uploader to do his due diligence and check sources. If he couldn't figure out Established Titles is a scam how can i trust the rest of his information.

    • @saartnomsky4523
      @saartnomsky4523 Před rokem

      He still needs to make money idiot

    • @jadeharley8640
      @jadeharley8640 Před rokem +188

      No one was talking about Established Titles being a scam until a few weeks after this video was posted. MOST CZcamsrs did not know it was a scam at the time, and I'm willing to bet neither of you knew either. Toldinstone is still a perfectly credible channel (as credible as a random CZcams video can be, at least), they just made a mistake that tons of intelligent creators on this site also seem to have made.
      It's fine to call out Established Titles, I just don't understand attacking a creator's credibility because you didn't actually look at the upload date.

    • @livrowland171
      @livrowland171 Před rokem +40

      @@jadeharley8640 uploaded this November?? I've known it or similar products are a scam/joke for many years! It's pretty obvious to anyone with any legal knowledge that you obtain no official, legal ownership of any land and no noble title that would be formally recognised by any government any more than one you just awarded yourself..

    • @nick.p.9328
      @nick.p.9328 Před rokem +4

      @@saartnomsky4523 so then money > dignity, right? Careful with the name calling, you might end up the one ;)

  • @cerberus6654
    @cerberus6654 Před rokem +72

    In the whole 'what if?' thing, I have often wondered what kind of Emperor Germanicus would have made. Probably one of the best. But Roman imperial succession stories are, to me, a lot like 'Survivor'. I always start off a season thinking "He should win!", or "She's going to win for sure!" but by the time I get to the final three I'm usually amazed at who actually survived, much less who won.

    • @merrittanimation7721
      @merrittanimation7721 Před rokem +24

      When one emperor (Claudius) becomes emperor mostly because he's the only adult male in the family left, regardless of actual qualifications, it's indicative of a fairly unpleasant series of events.

    • @cerberus6654
      @cerberus6654 Před rokem +3

      @@merrittanimation7721 True!

    • @theeccentrictripper3863
      @theeccentrictripper3863 Před rokem +14

      Germanicus as Princeps is the stuff romaboo wet dreams are made of

    • @michaeldunne338
      @michaeldunne338 Před rokem +14

      Germanicus could have ended up a failure. However, he had campaign experience that was relatively extensive for a person of his age by the time he died - as commander of forces in Germannia for 4 years (AD 13 to AD 17), but also from military and administrative experience going back to AD 17. He made mistakes, and maybe violated certain Roman taboos and rules (handle remains while technically a priest of a college that was not permitted to do that, and having a fleet badly roughed up by weather on the North Seat; visit Egypt without Tiberius' permission), but seems he won the admiration of the soldiers and earned the right to command in their eyes (imperator).
      In a counterfactual of survival in the East, he may have been able to evolve or reach a new accommodation with Tiberius and prove a successful emperor after the long reign of Tiberius (AD 14 to 37 - about 23 year).He didn't revolt at the start of Tiberius' reign when the legions revolt, and it is uncertain if he could have changed his mind and revolted while in the East, or after another assignment.
      Its always possible that years of service to the state could lead to a situation of eroding his judgement, morals, constraints ... but data is lacking.

    • @cerberus6654
      @cerberus6654 Před rokem +1

      @@michaeldunne338 Well put!

  • @MonkeyspankO
    @MonkeyspankO Před rokem +8

    50% propaganda, 25% historical fog of time, 25% methods of conducting oneself shared by most roman rulers.

    • @jasondashney
      @jasondashney Před 3 měsíci +2

      Nailed it. It always shocks me that historian, after historian will be so sure of themselves as far as historical matters go, especially when there isn't a mountain of evidence for most things. How people can look at the news today and see the same event covered so differently by all sides, and not realize that history was like that as well is beyond me. It's like we all assume that humans were perfectly objective and without bias and always factual and never wrong hundreds or thousands of years ago. Everything they say is gospel.

  • @CorollaLvr2000
    @CorollaLvr2000 Před rokem +15

    Any chance for a video about the Roman Republic? I'd love to see a video about Cincinnatus, for example.

    • @renatovonschumacher3511
      @renatovonschumacher3511 Před rokem +2

      The Republic was the best period of time in Roman history. The Empire was the ruine of Rome

  • @siner2442
    @siner2442 Před rokem +9

    I guess the better question would be: “Was there a method, to his Madness”? Also most Kings and Pharoas is to be remembered and not forgotten, it’s a fear for them and see it as if they never existed. Although he is remembered for the crazy things that he did, but other than that he did pretty much the same things as every other Emperor did… they were all known for responding with extreme measures to questions they would ask themselves. Killing friends,family,anybody who’s a threat to the throne or that could overthrow them and even wiping out everybody around them so no one can get revenge. They “Heavy is the Head who wears the crown” but paranoia is uncontrollable. This is why they say it’s lonely at the top.

  • @weilandiv8310
    @weilandiv8310 Před rokem +7

    He was only in one big film, and then we never heard from him again.

    • @michaeldunne338
      @michaeldunne338 Před rokem +1

      In Europe they did, with a Laura Gemser film, on Caligula the Untold Story ...

    • @da90sReAlvloc
      @da90sReAlvloc Před 3 měsíci +1

      No he wasn't he's in another big film called demitrius and the gladiator. Caligula character is in there as well

  • @dennisphillips7589
    @dennisphillips7589 Před rokem +14

    Another great video. Also really enjoy your podcasts - hoping you upload some more soon!

  • @arzhvr9259
    @arzhvr9259 Před rokem +16

    It’s very difficult to believe anything good or bad said about the Julio Claudians because the histories were written by senators who judged good and bad based on how they acquiesced to the old Roman aristocracy.
    That said Germanicus would have been a great ruler

    • @renatovonschumacher3511
      @renatovonschumacher3511 Před rokem +1

      The senators had every reason to hate the Empire. The republic under the senators was Rome's best period. The emperors deprived them of power and at the same time heralded the fall of Rome.

    • @MalleusIudaeorum
      @MalleusIudaeorum Před rokem +16

      @@renatovonschumacher3511 false. It was corrupt and became so bloated with bureaucratic roadblocks by the time of the late republic that nothing could get done. The republic could never have carried on as it was indefinitely.
      The Roman Empire was infinitely more successful than the Republic by every measure and saw its greatest periods of expansion and financial growth.

    • @renatovonschumacher3511
      @renatovonschumacher3511 Před rokem +1

      @@MalleusIudaeorum YOU are wrong. Totally wrong. You could not be more wrong. WRONG ! !

    • @renatovonschumacher3511
      @renatovonschumacher3511 Před rokem

      @@MalleusIudaeorum You can compare it with modern times. The peak of European culture was the 18th century with a short revival between 1870 and 1914. The 20th century reversed everything and heralded the decline and soon to be end of Europe.The peak of Roman culture was the Republic. The empire initiated the decline, followed soon by the end.

    • @merrittanimation7721
      @merrittanimation7721 Před rokem +5

      @@renatovonschumacher3511 How to say you're a Prussian fanboy without actually saying it

  • @davidmajer3652
    @davidmajer3652 Před rokem +10

    Thanks for another excellent video, we always get the straight dope from you.

  • @broadh2o980
    @broadh2o980 Před rokem +27

    Not having the Tacitus to balance the Suetonius really hurts
    Who honestly knows what happened.
    There is actually epigraphic evidence supporting the bridge story, and the amount of shipping boats that were ported there during the non-sailing season was immense. I had a professor convince me that this one actually happened.
    But I do think he was crazy.
    Nero on the other hand, is the victim of a total propaganda hit job from the ancient sources that still survives in popular culture today. #Nerodidnothingwrong (well he probably did kill his mother)

    • @MrFredstt
      @MrFredstt Před 10 měsíci

      Really? Nero is often the other Emperor touted as the most evil person in history. I'd like to hear more about how there may be more nuance to it

    • @HeatherAngus-vj2jq
      @HeatherAngus-vj2jq Před 6 měsíci

      No Caligula was worse as he committed more financial waste and carnage than even that of Nero. Caligula is considered the worst of the ancient world and Hitler is of all time the most evil person in the world.

  • @andrewnorris7642
    @andrewnorris7642 Před rokem +87

    Caligula was and remained relatively sane considering all he had to endure. He grew up with tiberius, who was also pretty cruel. Lead poisoning may have fucked him up a bit but at the end of the day he was just human with depravity, dispite having had the world

    • @toserveman9265
      @toserveman9265 Před rokem +8

      Empathy is misdirected

    • @siner2442
      @siner2442 Před rokem

      U have to fight the World in order to keep it… remember anything worth having in this World, people will fighting u for it, so u have to fight to keep it.

    • @HeatherAngus-vj2jq
      @HeatherAngus-vj2jq Před 6 měsíci +1

      How dare you justify somebody THAT evil and insane? That’s like feeling sorry for and admiring Hitler! Just because you have gone through some horrible stuff, doesn’t give you or anybody for that matter the right to do the most horrible things ever! How could you think such great things about a Roman emperor who was THE most hated and feared upon?

  • @jbb4105
    @jbb4105 Před rokem +11

    He was just ahead of his time

  • @markcarson1844
    @markcarson1844 Před rokem +1

    Bravo, great video again!!!

  • @cgavin1
    @cgavin1 Před rokem +3

    TIL that "Eccentriciies = beating a man to death with chains or having prisoners bled dry with dozens of tiny cuts."

  • @necropolistc6357
    @necropolistc6357 Před rokem +59

    being the inventor of the "pleasure cruise" and the "orgy pit" isn't crazy its genius

  • @teaqeri
    @teaqeri Před rokem +1

    you’re a excellent youtuber thank you for the content.

  • @ricardorodriguez-mi2zv
    @ricardorodriguez-mi2zv Před rokem +1

    The clear disregard for human life seals it for me....insane it is

  • @bigbasil1908
    @bigbasil1908 Před rokem +7

    Established Titles is a scam.

  • @optomix3988
    @optomix3988 Před rokem +7

    Thank you for your videos. I really enjoy them and the little history lessons on one of my favorite periods of time.

    • @renatovonschumacher3511
      @renatovonschumacher3511 Před rokem

      Your favorite period of time ? Are you aware that this periode marked the decline and fall of the Romans ? The best time of the Romans was during the Republic when the senators, the Roman aristocracy, ruled. The Empire ruined it all. The end of Rome also meant a setback of 1.000 years in European history. Your favorite period of time ? Are you sure ? You may also be one of those who admire the present day ruines for which the Emperors are responsible. Your favorite period of time ? Are you really sure ?

    • @jaelge
      @jaelge Před rokem +2

      @@renatovonschumacher3511:
      Quite the judgy little CZcams comments Karen aren´t you? Imperial times of Rome happens to be my favorite era of study as well, would you like to bawl me out as well?

    • @renatovonschumacher3511
      @renatovonschumacher3511 Před rokem

      @@jaelge Your favorite period of study does not mean that it was also the best period in Roman history, no matter how much you love this period of decadence.

    • @jaelge
      @jaelge Před rokem +2

      @@renatovonschumacher3511:
      Pretty sure that´s what Optomix was saying irrespective of the fact that he didn't phrase it precisely to your satisfaction. But even if it is someone´s favorite era, so what? As opposed to what you may think Julius Ceasar´s and Augustus's times was some of the most peaceful and prosperous times to have been a Roman. And for me, the most interesting.

    • @renatovonschumacher3511
      @renatovonschumacher3511 Před rokem +1

      @@jaelge Yes, Julius and Augustus and a few more appear in a positive light. It was not them who ruined Rome buth the dozens of other emperors and the imperial system as such that more and more turned against tradition and against the old elite that built and prospered Rome. The new imperial elite was a bunch of nouveau riche who were not interested in the continuity of ancient Roman culture. Parallels to today's world come to mind.

  • @RonJohn63
    @RonJohn63 Před rokem +2

    2:51 I was just watching a LegalEagle video on Established Titles.... LOL.

  • @noahlogue3807
    @noahlogue3807 Před rokem +12

    You never covered his time in Capri where Tiberius showed Caligula the joys of torture and depravity.

  • @spankflaps1365
    @spankflaps1365 Před rokem +4

    Caligula is also featured in the 1950’s movies “The Robe” and “Demetrius & the Gladiators” (well worth a watch).

  • @jbug1979
    @jbug1979 Před rokem +4

    This is the best part: 8:15 "Caligula's relations with his relations." 😋

  • @end.olives
    @end.olives Před rokem +6

    See you got baited by the established titles scam too

  • @darkstarZ74
    @darkstarZ74 Před rokem +2

    Suetonius portrayed all the emperors before Nerva and Trajan as mad tyrants outside of Augustus of course.

  • @metalhigh0043
    @metalhigh0043 Před rokem +6

    There's a restaurant near me called Little Boots...Ive always called it Caligulas.

  • @ATtravel666
    @ATtravel666 Před rokem +33

    It would have been really surprising if Caligula had turned out to be a well rounded Emperor considering his violent family background. His family was destroyed by jealousy, paranoia and ambition.

    • @VerilyViscous
      @VerilyViscous Před rokem +7

      It'd be the second surprise I would learn about the Julio-Claudians. The first, of course, is that Claudius was actually a competent emperor, so much so that I'd say he was only eclipsed by Augustus.

    • @ATtravel666
      @ATtravel666 Před rokem +12

      @@VerilyViscous The problem with Claudius was his visible disabilities in a world where they had extremely negative connotations, everybody thought he was an idiot. Which ironically, is probably how he survived the family bloodbath under Augustus (think the two Julias and Agrippa Postumus and especially under Tiberius.

    • @ultra-papasmurf
      @ultra-papasmurf Před rokem +1

      @@VerilyViscous Claudius as the second best empire I feel is putting too much value into the early empire. His greatest accomplishment Britannia ended up a gigantic burden once the tin and gold mines ran dry and there are far more contenders for said spot

  • @mrshts
    @mrshts Před rokem +1

    "Enhance!" I love it.

  • @monicacall7532
    @monicacall7532 Před rokem +7

    Perfect timing because I watched the Caligula episodes of “I Claudius” today. Thanks for a different look at Caligula. It gave depth to his story.

    • @JOEFABULOUS.
      @JOEFABULOUS. Před rokem

      Coughing irritated him 😉

    • @jaybee9269
      @jaybee9269 Před rokem

      Nah, he just wanted to cure the boy’s cough…

  • @acey850
    @acey850 Před 5 měsíci

    The captions on the pictures are HILARIOUS

  • @GravesRWFiA
    @GravesRWFiA Před 11 měsíci +1

    What I've heard about the 'madness' was that it was focused on the upper class, that he was humiliating them to play to the masses. the idea of a horse as council would fit in that line too. the problem was that he also turned his 'humor' on his guards who expressed their displeasure.

  • @DavidFraser007
    @DavidFraser007 Před rokem +12

    It it just a coincidence that Caligula and King Joffrey from Game of Thrones have more than a passing similarity in appearance?

    • @jellyfishjig
      @jellyfishjig Před rokem +3

      Nope

    • @merrittanimation7721
      @merrittanimation7721 Před rokem +7

      GRRM has stated that Stannis was partially inspired by Tiberius (as he appeared in the I, Claudius BBC show) so it's probable.

    • @mrgaudy1954
      @mrgaudy1954 Před rokem +1

      Aren’t there also “5 good kings” in ASOIAF to mirror the “5 good emperors”?

    • @hfsk123
      @hfsk123 Před rokem +1

      I was about to comment that Gleason kid could play the hell out of Caligula

  • @robbabcock_
    @robbabcock_ Před rokem +1

    Fascinating!

  • @ericvosselmans5657
    @ericvosselmans5657 Před rokem +1

    Beautiful. Just beautiful

  • @franklinsterling8787
    @franklinsterling8787 Před 4 měsíci

    Dear Gaius, another master of hubris beside
    Gein, suffered from Grave's Disease and had
    Episodes of Occupational Delirium, he worked so hard on his sass!

  • @sotony7483
    @sotony7483 Před rokem +4

    Didn't Caligula's successor Claudius describe him as 'deranged' in a public document after his assassination? It seems quite unlikely for Caligula's unclde to say that officially about his dynastic predecessor unless perhaps reluctantly acknowledging a widely-accepted fact known to everyone at the time.

    • @semoremo9548
      @semoremo9548 Před rokem +1

      If he wanted to distance himself from the bad image Caligula had given the figure of emperors, I find it more than reasonable that he would've cursed him out no matter if it was true or not. If everyone hated Caligula, and Claudius wanted to clean up the emperor image, then he would've gone with the flow and agreed with them.

    • @sotony7483
      @sotony7483 Před rokem +1

      @@semoremo9548 Yes, possibly, but many emperors managed to distance themselves from their predecessors' acts and policies without stating publically they were deranged. It's an odd thing to say out loud about a member of your own family (and a former consular colleague) unless everyone knew it was true anyway and it was an inescapable reality that had to be acknowledged to be able to move on. I do accept more generally that the 'mad emperor' motif is overemployed in popular culture for others (e.g. Nero), but for young Gaius and his traumatic background it's all too believable. For example, at 25 he was at pretty much the peak male age for schizophrenia onset, which would have had a 1% prevalance in the population then as now.

    • @semoremo9548
      @semoremo9548 Před rokem

      @@sotony7483 Tbh yeah they were family but like... it's not like that family was healthy or normal anyways so I don't actually find it weird that he said that about Caligula. I'm not saying there was no chance that the being "crazy" allegations hold no truth or aren't likely, but I also wouldn't be surprised if it was just a group of wealthy people trying to smear his image (more than his other heinous acts had already smeared it lol)

  • @bradwatson7324
    @bradwatson7324 Před rokem +1

    Power tends to corrupt -- sometimes so much that the corruption appears to be insanity.

    • @HeatherAngus-vj2jq
      @HeatherAngus-vj2jq Před 6 měsíci

      It’s not power itself. It’s the person behind the power. Just like it’s not the gun or car itself that kills people. It’s the people with the gun or car. Same thing with power and wealth.

  • @ritchierichh
    @ritchierichh Před rokem +28

    1:30 - I don't know if it's that simple to just concluded he was insane. Wasn't there an oracle by the name of Thrasyllus of Mendes who prophesied that Caligula had no more chance of becoming emperor than of riding a horse across the Bay of Baiae? And in that, he used his opportunity and power to cross the bay?

    • @toldinstone
      @toldinstone  Před rokem +20

      That's one of the three explanations Suetonius gives for why Caligula built the bridge. It's impossible to say now, of course, whether there's any truth in it.

    • @ritchierichh
      @ritchierichh Před rokem +6

      @@toldinstone I feel they should've been mentioned at least rather than directly stating Caligula was insane.

    • @MarcusAgrippa390
      @MarcusAgrippa390 Před rokem +12

      @@ritchierichh
      I just finished watching the video, and honestly, Garrett never once said that Caligula was insane.
      He quoted references and sources that said Caligula was insane and when he did so it was clear that it was the source which made the statement.
      And at the end he concluded with pretty much the same thing as your comment.

    • @tw9535
      @tw9535 Před rokem +1

      I think that was kind of the point.
      Did you watch the video all the way through? Like at the 11:09 mark?
      Or are you saying the video misinterpreted sources from the past?

  • @JagerLange
    @JagerLange Před rokem

    I love I,. Claudius and John Hurt's sudden appearance in this got a laugh from me.

  • @ziggyzap1
    @ziggyzap1 Před rokem +1

    King Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones was based on Caligula. So if you want to see what Caligula was like on a daily bases go watch that show

  • @johndubois8876
    @johndubois8876 Před rokem

    i had read that some local writer there had said that that will be the day sarcastically, when Caligula walks on water or something like that,,, so Caligula arranged the crossing.

  • @sawahtb
    @sawahtb Před rokem +1

    As I understood it Claudius still had Caligula's assassins executed.

  • @woofy2000
    @woofy2000 Před rokem +3

    Now I wonder how 12th century archeology worked.

  • @peterhutley4254
    @peterhutley4254 Před rokem +2

    Thanks

  • @KingSlimjeezy
    @KingSlimjeezy Před rokem

    told in stone we love you come hang out with us next year at the Holy Boulders Pilgramagenear Carbondale IL!!!!!!!!! First Weekend of November

  • @colleen6341
    @colleen6341 Před rokem +5

    Hey, really like your channel. I watch your videos all the time. However I don’t see any comments talking about Established Titles - it’s a scam company. It’s a gag gift "name a star" type of thing and you don’t actually get land or have a tree planted. You actually can’t even hold the legal title of lord under Scottish law. This information is just getting out, but I would recommend severing ties with ET.

    • @jasondashney
      @jasondashney Před 3 měsíci

      So you admit that it's a gag gift, but are still cranky about it?

    • @colleen6341
      @colleen6341 Před 3 měsíci

      @@jasondashney Why were CZcamsrs promoting it like it was legitimate? This is old news. Established Titles is proven to be a scam and nobody (to my knowledge) partners with them anymore. I get "cranky" when CZcamsrs I support partner with scummy companies.

    • @jasondashney
      @jasondashney Před 3 měsíci

      @@colleen6341 Anyone that dense was bound to lose their money anyway.

  • @dillopaintball
    @dillopaintball Před rokem +2

    I heard about your channel from the forehead fables podcast. I’m glad I found your channel!

  • @loopymoomoo1
    @loopymoomoo1 Před rokem +2

    caligula was the very first man to live in a society

  • @eyesthatburnthemind
    @eyesthatburnthemind Před rokem +1

    He may have had syphilis as well

  • @GatesOfAvalon1
    @GatesOfAvalon1 Před 11 měsíci +2

    Oof... Didn't expect an established titles plug in this one, that hits hard

    • @jasondashney
      @jasondashney Před 3 měsíci +1

      Why? It's a gag gift. Anybody who literally thinks you can become a Lord for a few bucks deserves to lose their money. I bet they are furious after they go see a magician and find out that it's mirrors and wires.

  • @aardsnark940
    @aardsnark940 Před rokem +6

    Quite surprised to see Caligula's Horse mentioned. Good band.

    • @khanzor
      @khanzor Před rokem +2

      Came here to comment the same! Absolutely my favourite hahah.

  • @bkohatl
    @bkohatl Před 10 měsíci

    Like King Canute ordering the tide to retreat, to prove his sycophants were wrong.

  • @goodnightcharly5135
    @goodnightcharly5135 Před rokem

    That bridge on the sea is to me a pretty inventive defensive construction

  • @petersclafani4370
    @petersclafani4370 Před rokem +1

    I wouldn't want to live any where near him.

  • @abyssimus
    @abyssimus Před rokem

    Now I need to go back and did up the old "Viva Caligula" flash game.

  • @markmcarthy596
    @markmcarthy596 Před rokem +2

    I have the original Caligula uncut movie on DVD from Penthouse-Malcolm McDowell was brilliant acting as Caesar and captured the essence of just how crazy and perverted He was. Good luck finding that to watch uncut

    • @dreamingsymphony
      @dreamingsymphony Před rokem +1

      I think you can find the uncut of you pirate it...or is it that there were more crazy things that are cut?!🤔
      Needless to say the movie is just hardcore porn and when I was watching it I was just looking overy shoulders to not get caught!

  • @Tinil0
    @Tinil0 Před rokem +17

    Oh man, it hurts bad to see this channel support that established titles scam. I REALLY hope it was a desperation to find any sponsor and not a lack of due dillegence. For some reason, a channel like this hurts more because I respect it so much.

    • @ahappyimago
      @ahappyimago Před 11 měsíci

      How was he supposed to know it’s a scam?

    • @Tinil0
      @Tinil0 Před 11 měsíci +1

      @@ahappyimago Let's ignore that this was after the entire CZcams community realized it was a scam for the sake of argument.
      Due Diligence is the answer. If you represent something, you have the responsibility of researching what it is you are representing. By advertising it, you endorse it. If you advertise scams, you are partially responsible for everyone that gets scammed who saw your advertisement and joined. That's part and parcel of taking money to represent something.

    • @ahappyimago
      @ahappyimago Před 11 měsíci +2

      @@Tinil0 His job is history not exposing fraud

    • @Tinil0
      @Tinil0 Před 11 měsíci +1

      @@ahappyimago It has nothing to do with "exposing" anything. He doesn't need to share any info with anyone, but by taking money to promote it he is absolutely responsible for it.

    • @ahappyimago
      @ahappyimago Před 11 měsíci +1

      @@Tinil0 no the people who made the fraudulent business are responsible unless it’s reasonably obviously a fraud

  • @WuvPain
    @WuvPain Před rokem +2

    So how do we think things like schizophrenia were recorded in ancient times? Obviously people just just say someone was “mad” but were things like delusions of grander something that was known about? Cause with him thinking he’s a god, paranoia of others with power and hallucination(like when he would talk to “moon people” or whatever you said)
    Like those 3 things sound like they could be schizophrenia to me, so if they did make up that he was crazy, wouldn’t it be a pretty weird coincidence that they described schizophrenia before a time where mental illnesses were understood?

  • @JoJoJoker
    @JoJoJoker Před rokem +3

    @2:45 oof Established Titles

  • @huwhitecavebeast1972
    @huwhitecavebeast1972 Před rokem +8

    Being a murderous megalomaniac is the definition of insane dude.

  • @AcornScorn
    @AcornScorn Před rokem +1

    I think the insanity of Caligula mainly comes from the fact he acted like a late empire ruler during the principate era. He was still at a time when he needed to appear as a member of the senate when as Agustus learned, that was just necessary pageantry for the transition from republic to empire. If he had come later he probably would have been remembered as an average emperor, but he came at a time when the aristocracy still had a lot of social influence and he pissed them off by showing they had no more political power effectively so they trashed him when they could

  • @brick6347
    @brick6347 Před rokem +2

    Ever feel like we're living in a bad reboot?

  • @BobBob-xl8em
    @BobBob-xl8em Před rokem +1

    PLZ POST AS MUCH AS YOU WANT. WHENEVER. DONT REGARD YOUR LITTLE DEMON. WE ARE PARCHED.

  • @larsfinlay7325
    @larsfinlay7325 Před rokem +1

    I'm just glad we call him Caligula instead of Gaius Agustus. The guy was a real jerk.

  • @SJam491
    @SJam491 Před 10 měsíci

    Thanks for taking the time to give Caligula the benefit of the doubt. 😁

  • @notpublic7149
    @notpublic7149 Před 11 měsíci

    Cheers, he is my favourite, little boots. We should all wish to be more like him. Let's hope to have leaders like him in the future. 😀😬😂❤️❤️

    • @HeatherAngus-vj2jq
      @HeatherAngus-vj2jq Před 6 měsíci

      You want leaders to be like Caligula? You’re MAD and insane! I can’t believe you want tyrants and dictators like Caligula and Hitler!

  • @Chris-ki7rt
    @Chris-ki7rt Před rokem +1

    Caligula's Horse are fuckin great

  • @peterkoinzell7983
    @peterkoinzell7983 Před rokem +4

    9:00 Xerxes or one of the King of kings is said to have, after a wave of water destroyed a bridge he had been trying to construct while on campaign (which is typically considered bad luck), Xerxes had men waddle into the river and whip it 300 times. he had hand cuffs thrown into the river. the river was branded and were shells taken as loot? did I hear that part twice? little similar.

  • @pittsburghwill
    @pittsburghwill Před rokem

    the movie THE ROBE i think has one of the best portrayal of calligula

  • @joseker2186
    @joseker2186 Před 8 měsíci

    Caligula sounds like he was droned

  • @azaraelhyzer3874
    @azaraelhyzer3874 Před rokem +1

    I am not insane the world I live is too orderly.
    ~ Caligula.

  • @terrylong8894
    @terrylong8894 Před rokem +1

    Caligula was definitely one of the weirder emperors.

  • @Dylanbeee
    @Dylanbeee Před rokem

    For some reason youtube doesn’t tell me when you upload videos. Despite being a subscriber

  • @matbroomfield
    @matbroomfield Před rokem +4

    He's m... m... mad sir!

  • @elliotkane4443
    @elliotkane4443 Před 11 měsíci +2

    Why do modern historians always feel the need to 'overrule' and second guess long established history?

  • @tonytaskforce3465
    @tonytaskforce3465 Před rokem +1

    Yes

  • @MrFredstt
    @MrFredstt Před 10 měsíci

    Just imagine thinking you're about to be executed only for the Emperor to come out.....and start dancing around the room for absolutely no reason at all

  • @jordansiqueido2101
    @jordansiqueido2101 Před rokem

    Hey man. I hope that this Rome trivia question is rhetorical, bruh. He never bathed in the Ranch dressing at Ambrose Pizza in La Mirada. How come? Great Channel

  • @MarkLatimerRussell
    @MarkLatimerRussell Před rokem +1

    This is wild. I have been watching you for like a year. I bought your audio book. I just realized I was not subscribed

  • @antilope452
    @antilope452 Před rokem +5

    "Caligula was erratic, eccentric, megalomaniacal and murderous, but theres no reason to assume that he was insane"

  • @AmidalaEmma
    @AmidalaEmma Před rokem +1

    One thing is that he should have been deeply traumatized, much of his family had been horribly killed or left to starve to death in cells during his boyhood, and then he had to serve and live with the man who did it, the emperor Tiberius.

  • @fritz404
    @fritz404 Před rokem +51

    Did Romans have any mental impairments from their lead ?

    • @orionfernandes4587
      @orionfernandes4587 Před rokem +3

      Some did, I believe it was known as a disease that affected heavy drinkers.

    • @Marinilliv
      @Marinilliv Před rokem +30

      This is mostly a misconception. the Greeks and Romans knew about the health detriments of using lead and continued to use it in aqueducts and other plumbing, but the hard water buildup prevented almost any contamination of lead into the water supply.
      Surely some did, but the idea of widespread lead poisoning affecting a large percentage of the population is overblown

    • @gentlemanfarmer6042
      @gentlemanfarmer6042 Před rokem +3

      @@Marinilliv Thank You for someone saying this! Thus has become very pervasive as of late on the internet.

    • @gentlemanfarmer6042
      @gentlemanfarmer6042 Před rokem +1

      This*

    • @someguy8955
      @someguy8955 Před rokem +3

      Probably. I think it's similar to how we used to have leaded gasoline, which let high levels of lead in the bloodstream, which affected especially the children's development.

  • @aleccope1320
    @aleccope1320 Před 3 měsíci

    He was well liked and implemented great policies his first year.
    Then he had that fever and became a lunatic.

  • @tedpikul1
    @tedpikul1 Před rokem

    I'll take Suetonius' word for it.

  • @manifestgtr
    @manifestgtr Před 5 měsíci

    5:44
    LOL

  • @leonardodavid2842
    @leonardodavid2842 Před rokem +1

    I forgot who, but I remember reading an historian pitting foward the idea that Caligula’s order to collect sea shells was an order meant to humiliate his troops.
    A sort of jokes.
    This is because, as far as we know, the even occured on Caligula’s return from a failed campaign in gaul/germania, during which his troops refused, out of fear of the enemy, to follow rhe orders of the emperor.
    Caligula’s revenge was the order to collect seashells on the road to return to Italy.
    In essence: since u r not brave enough to cross the rhine into Germania, all u r good for is collecting seashells.
    Edit:
    This alligns with Caligula’s character. The emperor’s intentiom to make incitatus consul also seems to have been one such joke, likley in response to a fight with the senate.

  • @RicardoFlor0
    @RicardoFlor0 Před rokem +3

    No reasons to assume he was insane???? Where you take such conclusion from???

  • @oldtimetinfoilhatwearer
    @oldtimetinfoilhatwearer Před rokem +2

    Loved your appearance on forehead fables-I'm in the likely small overlap between your subscribers