Malice in Wonderland - The Pax Romana Podcast 12

Was the emperor Caligula mad or just bad? No one really knows. But on todays podcasts, we recount some of the worst excesses of Rome’s third emperor. At this point, not only was the republic dead and gone, but it seemed the arrangements put in place by Augustus were also reaching a devastating end. As Caligula’s antics, eccentricities and outright malice created a climate far worse—far more deadly—than any living Roman could recall, it became clear that a new member of Augustus family needed to be found and made emperor. The problem? Caligula was having them killed—his own family members—one after another. Would Rome ever rid itself of its worst emperor yet?

Primary sources Referenced:

Suetonius, Life of Caligula 37.

Suetonius, Life of Caligula 24.

Cassius Dio, Roman History 59.14.7.

Cassius Dio, Roman History 59.29.6-7, 30.1.

Buy Professor Elliott's newest book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pox Romana: The Plague that Shook the Roman World⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, published by Princeton University Press.