Caligula: The Madness Behind His ReignThe famous Caligula ruled the Roman Empire from 37 to 41 AD as a tyrant who, in his time, became a villain. Although Caligula was an intelligent and funny young man, he also had a cruel and darker side that, in modern times, would leave people questioning his mental stability. His strange and unusual actions would reinforce this idea, such as him wanting and having his counterparts admire and worship him as a god because he considered himself a god. He forced men and women to have sex with him and committed incest with his sisters. Although incest was acceptable in those days, it is a very frowned upon act today. A considerable reason for the madness behind Caligula's reign could be due to a disease called megalomania. German pacifist Ludwig Quidde made this term known and described it as “the point of considering oneself divine; disregard for all limits of the law and all rights of other individuals; brutal cruelty without purpose or reason” (qtd. in Winterling 2). However, this would not have bothered Caligula. He liked to eat food covered in gold leaf and drink vinegar containing dissolved pearls. He also thought about it enough to want to organize a ceremony to crown his horse and make him his consul. Caligula gave himself up to the excitement and torture of execution. The victims of these senseless crimes were often Roman senators. He even removed two from his office because they forgot his birthday. Although he held a position of high authority, the author of the Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Caligula, Suetonius made his behavior clear by saying that "he was mad" (qtd. in Winterling 7). Gaius Caesa..... . middle of paper......domains. Caligula's mind was so far gone that in 40 AD he marched with his troops into Gaul as if they wanted to invade Britain. But he quickly stops them and makes them collect shells which he calls “spoils of the conquered sea” (Fagan). The people of Rome soon begin to realize that the young man they thought they were was not who he was becoming. His behavior was greatly hated by the Roman elite and plots would soon be organized against this tyrannical ruler. On January 24, 41 AD, four months after his return from Gaul, Caligula was assassinated by members of the Roman Senate, officers of the Praetorian Guard, and a well-known man, Cassius Chaerea. Caligula's wife was stabbed to death and his little daughter's head was slammed against the wall. This paved the way for Caligula's uncle, Claudius, to succeed him and become the next emperor of Rome..