How Did Caligula Influence His Army

Caligula was originally called Gaius. He grew up in a camp as a favorite of his father's soldiers. The troops nicknamed him "Caligula" after the small military boots he wore in camp. His childhood was not a happy one, spent in an atmosphere of paranoia, suspicion, and murder. Uncertainty over the succession of power from the aging Tiberius, led to a series of personal tragedies. His famous father Germanicus, his mother Agrippina the elder and all his brothers were either killed or starved to death by order of the suspicious Emperor Tiberius (reigning at that time) and his ambitious Praetorian Prefect, Sejanus. During his adolescence, Caligula was like a prisoner of Tiberius. By then Tiberius had largely withdrawn from active government and retreated
to the island of Capri, where Caligula kept him company and tried to play the part of a dutiful and upright young man. Eventually Tiberius fell ill and went into a coma.
The court officials thought he had died and began to congratulate Caligula on his accession, when Tiberius awoke. It is said that the Emperor was smothered with his bedclothes by Caligula's personal assistant. Caligula was in a perfect position to assume power, despite the obstacle of Tiberius's will, which named him and his cousin Tiberius Gemellus joint heirs. (Gemellus's life was shortened considerably by his orders). In the first months Caligula's reign was mild and his policies showed some good judgment. Even then, Caligula took much pleasure in attending executions and he preferred to have them drawn-out. Soon his grandmother Antonia, who might have been a good influence, died. After this, he became very ill and recovered this as a very different man. The real terror of Caligula's mind began to show itself. In a few months he entirely exhausted the treasury, which the late Tiberius had filled by years of economizing. People suspected of disloyalty were executed or driven to suicide. On one occasion, when there weren't enough condemned criminals to fight the tigers and lions in the arena, Caligula ordered some spectators to be dragged from the benches into the
arena. Even his financial decisions were unfortunate. To increase his revenues Caligula introduced all possible forms of taxation and rich people who had involuntary willed him their estates were murdered. At one point, he considered making his favorite horse, Incitatus, a consul. Occasionally guests were invited to his palace in the horse's name. The horse enjoyed sharing meals with the emperor, and was often adorned with fine purple blankets and jewels. During his rule he had several wives and fathered a few children. It is said that he was so impatient for one of his wives (who also happened to be his sister) to give birth to his child that he disemboweled her and took the child from her womb. After her death, he had her deified. Caligula also demanded he be worshiped as a god. He was convinced that he was entitled to behave like a god. So, he set up a special temple with a life-sized statue of himself in gold, which was dressed each day in clothing such as he wore himself. He claimed fellowship with the gods as his equals, identifying himself in particular with Jupiter, but also with female gods like Juno, Diana or Venus. It was possible that some of these beliefs were brought on by a preexisting case of schizophrenia. Also, Caligula had inherited epilepsy. At times, because of faintness, Caligula was hardly able to move his limbs, stand up, collect his thoughts, or hold up his head. Finally, after a 4-year-reign the Praetorians stabbed Caligula to death when he left the theatre. His fourth wife was stabbed to death too, after her young child was killed before her. One of the conspirators was Cornelius Sabinus, whose wife had been publicly humiliated by Caligula. Another conspirator was Cassius Chaerea, who hated Caligula, because he had imitated his high, effeminate voice. Suetonius wrote that Caligula's reign of terror had been so severe that the Romans refused to believe that he was actually dead.