12 Caesars: Caligula

Caligula



(Note that the bust on the right, above, was restored to its original colors by indentifying particles trapped in the marble.)

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known as Caligula, was the son of Germanicus and Agrippina senior, the nephew of Claudius, and great-grandson of Augustus, Livia, Octavia and Marcus Antonius. Gaius earned the nickname Caligula (“bootikins” or “little boots”) when he accompanied his father Germanicus during military campaigns in Germania wearing a miniature soldier’s outfit with, of course, little boots.

According to Suetonius, during a campaign in Syria, Germanicus was poisoned by an agent of Tiberius (who viewed Germanicus as a political rival). After Germanicus’ death, Caligula lived with his mother Agrippina, whom Tiberius forbade to remarry fearing that any husband would become a rival. Agrippina’s ongoing feud with Tiberius led to her banishment and the eventual destruction of her entire family, with Caligula the only surviving male (along with his three sisters Agrippina Junior, Drusilla, and Julia Livilla).

At the age of 19, Tiberius summoned Caligula to join him in Tiberius’ self-imposed exile on Capri. Suetonius writes that even at that age, “…he could not control his natural cruelty and viciousness, but he was a most eager witness of the tortures and executions of those who suffered punishment, reveling at night in gluttony and adultery, disguised in a wig and a long robe, passionately devoted besides to the theatrical arts of dancing and singing, in which Tiberius very willingly indulged him, in the hope that through these his savage nature might be softened. This last was so clearly evident to the shrewd old man, that he used to say now and then that to allow Gaius to live would prove the ruin of himself and of all men, and that he was rearing a viper for the Roman people and a Phaethon for the world.”

Caligula is thought to have been involved in Tiberius’ death. Again, Suetonius writes “…he poisoned Tiberius, as some think, and ordered that his ring be taken from him while he still breathed, and then suspecting that he was trying to hold fast to it, that a pillow be put over his face; or even strangled the old man with his own hand…” This is also the view portrayed in I, Claudius.

After Tiberius’ death, Caligula and Tiberius’ own grandson Gemellus jointly inherited Tiberius’ estate and the titles of the principate. Since he was seven years older than Gemellus and had secured the loyalty of the Praetorian Guard, Caligula was the natural successor to Tiberius. Initially Caligula was admired by the people and loved for being the son of much-beloved Germanicus. Multiple accounts describe Caligula’s first seven months of rule as being benign and celebrated.

But in October 37 AD, Caligula fell seriously ill (or was possibly poisoned), and upon recovery, an entirely different Caligula emerged: he began to kill or exile those who he deemed as a serious threat, and had his adopted son (and co-inheritor) Gemellus executed. His uncle Claudius was spared only because Caligula regarded him as a harmless fool, and kept him around as something of a court jester.

Equally regrettable, Caligula had little or no formal background in administration or warfare (apparently accompanying his father Germanicus on military campaigns did not transfer military knowledge to Caligula) and he failed spectacularly in those areas.

In his private life, he is said to have been addicted to nearly every form of sexual depravity. I, Claudius portrays him as bragging about having incestuous relationships with all three of his sisters. Suetonius writes “He lived in habitual incest with all three of his sisters,…”

While one can reasonably conclude that Caligula suffered from a host of mental illnesses, it’s difficult to specifically identify which illnesses those might be. Following the death of his favorite sister Drusilla in June 38 AD, he became even more unstable, he reinstated the treason trials that had been the hated hallmark of his predecessor Tiberius, putting to death a large number of great Roman citizens. He launched a military campaign in Germany, imitating his beloved father Germanicus, but failed miserably with no tangible results other than the deaths of a great many soldiers.

In 39 AD, Rome was devastated by a financial crisis. Caligula had managed to squander the 2,700,000,000 (yes, 2.7 billion) sestertii fortune left to him by Tiberius and his great-grandfather Augustus, through extravagance and political payments for his support. To raise money, he levied taxes on lawsuits, weddings, and prostitution; he auctioned the lives of gladiators at shows; he revised wills that left goods to Tiberius, to leave those goods to him.

Caligula returned to Rome from his military campaigns on August 30, 40 AD, fearing that the senate as well as the Praetorian Guard might be plotting his assassination. This fear proved to be well founded, and on January 24, 41 AD, he was stabbed to death by the Praetorians before his personal German guards could save him.

Caligula can rightly claim some successes during his reign: he improved the grain-importing harbors at Rhegium and Sicily; he completed the Temple of Augustus, as well as the Theater of Pompey; more beneficially, he began work on the Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus aqueducts. In Syracuse, he repaired city walls, built new roads, and maintained existing ones. But ultimately, his successes were dwarfed by his failures as a ruler and his cruelty to those around him and the citizens of Rome in general.

About the Coins

Coins of Caligula can be difficult to find. Although it is sometimes thought that the shortage of Caligula’s coins might be due to a demonetization following his death, RIC dismisses that theory since “…its size would have made this, economically, almost impossible, and such an action would have conflicted sharply with Roman practice: Antony’s ‘legionary’ denarii continued to circulate for two centuries.”



Caligula’s AES coins include two of my favorite sestertii in all Roman coinage: the Three Sisters and Ad Locutio reverses. I’m fortunate to have two fairly decent examples of these coins. I often wonder how the Roman populace regarded coins with such highly personal associations (although arguably the AD LOCVT reverse relates mostly to his leadership of the troops rather than his personal life).

The aureus is unlisted in RIC, one of only two known with this obverse legend, although there is a denarius with this obverse and reverse. An aureus with a similar reverse is catalogued in RIC, but the obverse legend includes POT III COS III.

As always, let's see everyone's Caligulas!

Next: Claudius

 

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CALIGULA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT, bare head right
REVERSE: DIVVS AVG PATER PATRIAE, radiate head of Divus Augustus right
Struck at Lugdunum, 37/8AD
3.5g, 18mm
RIC I 10

CALIGULA
AE As
OBVERSE: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TRP O T - Bare head Left.
REVERSE: VESTA - Vesta seated left, holding patera and scepter
Struck at Rome, 37/8AD
9.6g, 28mm
RIC38, BMC46, C27

 

Terrific write-up and utterly magnificent coins!!

I'll post my 'budget' example of a highly scarce and otherwise expensive coin---with a high-grade example for comparison which sold for $250,000:



Caligula AE Sestertius
Caligula (37-41 AD). AE Sestertius (34 mm, 25.83 g), Roma (Rome), 39-40.
Obv. C CAESAR DIVI AVG PRON AVG P M TR POT IIII P P / PIETAS in exergue, Pietas, veiled and draped, seated left, holding patera and resting arm on small draped figure, standing on a basis.
Rev. DIVO AVG / S - C in two lines across field, Caligula standing left, holding patera over altar; on either side, victimarius, holding bull for sacrifice, and attendant, holding patera; hexastyle, garlanded temple of Divus Augustus in background.
Cohen 10. RIC 44.

 

Great coins @IdesOfMarch01 and a wonderful writeup.

Here is my poor example, the only Gaius I own.


Caligula and Agrippina AR Denarius, aF, toned, bumps and marks,
(17.84mm, 2.680g) 180o
Lugdunum (Lyon, France) mint, end of 37 - early 38 A.D.;
Obv: C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT (counterclockwise), laureate head of Gaius right;
Rev: AGRIPPINA MAT C CAES AVG GERM (counterclockwise), draped bust of Agrippina Senior (his mother), her hair in a queue behind, one curly lock falls loose on the side of her neck,
RIC I 14 (R) (Rome), RSC II 2; BMCRE I 15 (Rome), BnF II 24, Hunter I 7 (Rome), SRCV I (2000) 1825 RSC 2
Ex: the Jyrki Muona Collection, Ex: Forvm Ancient Coins.

 

Stunning collection of Caligula coinage @IdesOfMarch01 . Unfortunately I'd have to mortgage the house to have the cash to get something as impressive, so I'll probably settle eventually on a Sestertius or As of Caligula and call it a day. Well done, man. You got the best collection of Caligula I've seen.

 

Beautiful coins. Would love to own a silver, but I just have this provincial.


Caligula (37 - 41 A.D.)
AE30 AS
SEGOBRIGA, SPAIN
O: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS IMP, laureate head left.
R: SEGO BRIGA in wreath.
Segobriga Mint
30.5mm
10.1g
Burgos 1724

 

That's an excellent group!

Caligula
37/38 AD
AE AS
Obvs: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT
Revs: VESTA SC
28mm, 11.44g

 

Tremendous as always, but those are beyond expectation : fabulous

I'm a bit Caliguly challenged (and my picture of it is really poor) :


Caligula, As Rome mint
C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT, bare head of Caligula left
VESTA, Vesta seated left, SC in field
10,96 gr
Ref : RCV #1803, Cohen #27


Below are three coins minted under Gaius in honor of Agrippa and Germanicus


Agrippa, As Posthumous issue of Caligula, in honour of his grandfather (died 12 BC)
Rome mint, ca AD 37/41
M AGRIPPA L F COS III, head of Agrippa left with rostral crown
Neptun standing left, holding trident and dolphin. Large S C in fields
10.9 gr
Ref : RCV #1812, Cohen #3

The following comment is a (quick) translation from CGB about a similar coin :

"Although Augustus associated his close friend Agrippa in his coinage, he didn't for him alone. Gaius honoured the memory of his grandfather, recalling he had been COS III in 27 BC while Augustus was COS VII at the same time.
Gaius, however, as the new emperor would like us to remember his double filiation : Through his father, Germanicus, he's descended from Nero Drusus and Antonia, thus from Tiberius ; through his mother Agrippina the elder, he tells us Agrippa and Julia are his grand parents and he's a grand grand son of Augustus. Agrippa remained prestigious all along the first century CE, although he had died 12 BC. Titus then Domitian will also strike this type, seemingly very succesfull towards population (see RCV 2589 and 2894)"



Germanicus, Dupondius Posthumous issue of Caligula, in honour of his father (died AD 19)
Rome mint, AD 37-41
GERMANICVS CAESAR, Germanicus in triumphal quadriga right
SIGNIS RECEPT DEVICTIS GERM, Germanicus standing left, rising right arm, holding legionnary eagle
17.79 gr
Ref : RCV #1820, Cohen #7




Germanicus, As Posthumous issue of Caligula, in honour of his father (died AD 19)
Rome mint, AD 37-38
GERMANICVS CAESAR TI AVGVST F DIVI AVG N, Bare head of Germanicus left
C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT around large SC
10,64 gr
Ref : RCV #1821, Cohen #1

Q

 

Those sestertii!!!

A better photo of this (one of my favourite coins) is still on the to-do list:

 

Out my collection

 

The coins you are showing are the equal of museum pieces. Most impressive.

From my humble 12 Caesars group:

Caius Julius Caesar Germanicus (Caligula) (37-38)
(BMCRE 103; RSC 12; RIC 8)
Drachm of Ceasarea, Cappadocia (which was functioning as an imperial mint at this time, so it is not a provincial coinage in the usual sense)

C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS
Bare head of Caligula facing right
(obv and rev both read: right up, left down, outwardly)

IMPERATOR P[ON]T.MAX AVG TR [PO]T
simpulum and lituus

Of this reverse type at Caesarea, Mattingly in Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum (BMCRE) gives the note, "The drachm of Caligula, with the priestly type, simpulum and lituus, indicating his rank as Pontifex Maximus, was probably struck in his first year, A.D. 37-8." To this he adds the additional note "TR POT is in favor of this; but it is occasionally used as a title only, not as a date."

As to the cultic objects depicted, a simpulum is essentially a ladle, associated with sacrificial libations. The lituus, a short heavily curved staff was used as a wand to mark out sacred space in the sky above the worshiping conclave.

 

I am very weak in this creep. Since I do not like his history, I have but a representation of this monster:



The only good thing he did was probably this issue honoring his Father:


RI Germanicus AE As 27mm struck under Caligula- S-C

 

Great stuff

 

Would you rather have a worn fine or a very fine with much more hair detail and a separated ear outline? In this case I preferred the fine. For a long time the VF was in my trade box but the fact it had a different legend made me stop short of giving it away.

 

Fabulous set and a great write-up. I personally prefer marble plain, without color, although I don't know if that's because of true preference or just because that's what I'm used to seeing. It must have been quite remarkable to see such vibrant colors in antiquity when pigment was rare.

 

My college professor who taught Greek and Classical lit had his home interior painted in bright basic colors rather like the White House red room and green room. We thought he was strange but he was just a fan of the culture he studied. It is very much what we are used to. More recently there have been people restoring Victorian houses to their original colors rather than the all white of the 1930's that I grew up thinking appropriate for old houses. Generally we find people get in their head what something should be and don't want to hear differently. I don't care if my coins once sparkled like the sun. I prefer tone and patina that make them look old. In general the painted statue restorations I have seen look like they were done by someone who never before had touched a paintbrush. I prefer to think that the painter entrusted with coloring the emperor's statue was a bit more skilled than someone today with Photoshop and no great skills even at that.

 

My latest Caligula. I bought it for the Pegasus, TBH.



Caligula, AD 37-41
Roman provincial Æ 20 mm, 6.74 g
Peloponnese, Corinthia, Corinth, Ae. P. Vipsanius Agrippa and M. Bellius Proculus, duoviri, AD 37-38
Obv: C CAESAR AVGVSTV, bare head right
Rev: M BELLIO PROCVLO IIVIR / COR, Pegasus flying right.
Refs: RPC I 1173; Amandry (1988) XVII; BCD Corinth 405-6.

 

I finally have one!!

 

You never cease to amaze with your great coins and wonderful history lesson Ides.

 

Great post and amazing coins @IdesOfMarch01. That three sisters Sestertius is one of the coolest coins I've ever seen

I completely agree. Most of the color restorations I have seen look like they were sculpted by Michael Angelo and painted by a three year old. I think it is more than clear from the colored pieces of art that have survived that the Ancient Greek and Romans had plenty of skill at rendering shadow and tonal shifts to make the colors seem more realistic and natural.

This original Roman mosaic is a good example.