This study examines the life and reign of the infamous Roman Emperor Caligula, who is remembered for his tyrannical rule and his cruelty towards his own people. It explores the historical context of Caligula's reign, his rise to power, his
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, also called Gaius and Caligula, was the third Roman emperor, ruling from AD 37 until his assassination in AD 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder, Augustus' granddaughter, members of the first ruling family of the Roman Empire. He was born two years before Tiberius became emperor. Gaius accompanied his father, mother and siblings on campaign in Germania, at little more than four or five years old. He had been named after Gaius Julius Caesar, but his father's soldiers affectionately nicknamed him "Caligula".