CBS Television 60 Minutes episode about Roman Emperor Caligula coin

The American CBS Television network ran it's weekly "60 Minutes" television program and today (November 21, 2021) presented a program on Roman archaeologists and the Roman Emperor Gaius or Caligula (AD 37-41).

The episode showed the reverse of a Roman coin of Caligula and mentioned that it commemorated a sales tax reduction:



The coin appears to be a copper Quadrans, Roman Imperial Coins catalog number 39.

The inscription reads "PONT M TR P III PP COS DES III" with a large "RCC". "PONT ... DES III" were the roman offices Gaius held, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate III, Consul Designatus III.

RCC (remissa ducentesima) refers to the abolition by Gaius of the sales tax of a half percent.

The program host mentioned that coins were a form of imperial propaganda.

The program can be seen here (if available where one is located):
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/caligula-rome-60-minutes-2021-11-21

 

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Lowering sales taxes... Is it why Caligula is reputed to have been mentally deranged?

 

Removing a tax would endear a ruler to one segment of the population who would return the favor by following that leader even when his other actions might hurt another group. A small sales tax was of little import to wealthy senators who might be executed or have entire estates confiscated. The line between mad and clever might be hard to define. This program made a good point with the analogy of the funhouse mirrors. Some are convex; some concave; none are truly flat. Who was emperor and what he did to others made more difference to one class than another.

IMO the greatest point made here was the way too many of us get our 'knowledge' of history from historical fiction including the revered 'I, Claudius'. The study of history is a lot like law and medicine where much time is consumed by the correction of 'errors' of the past. Getting everyone to agree on which parts are 'error' and which are 'truth' will never come easily.
https://literarydevices.net/absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely/

 

Cool! I'll have to check it out.
Here's mine:

 

I DVR'd it but have not watched it yet.

 

Thank you for this interesting and informative thread.

Not wanting to judge anyone by their appearance (I’m nothing to brag about, for sure LOL), these reconstructions of Caligula are startling and eerie:

 

Julia Livilla looks cute in her pixie cut.

 

I watched it last night. Fairly interesting but resorted to clips of John Hurt playing Caligula from "I Claudius".