I don’t know if the spelling is accurate, but I have heard this word many times before and still have no idea what it means. I always assumed it was the name of a person.
Yes, he was a fine young man who was fond of horses.
If you have a rather liberal video store in your neighbourhood, and it has a good back catalogue, look for the video (Caligula). Pretty much says it all, though they may have sugar-coated some of it due to those pesky movie ratings not going beyond XXX.
kylen
Caligula was one of the first 12 roman emperors (one of the “12 caesars”.) (between Tiberius and Claudius)
http://www.salve.edu/~dimaiom/caligula/gaius.htm
Seriously, though, here is a somewhat gentle treatment of the third Caesar.
Caligula is also the answer to the question, “what pornographic film starred Malcolm McDowell, Sir John Gielgud, and Peter O’Toole?”
There are a number of apocryphal/uncorroborated stories about Caligula (“little boots” in Latin, IIRC), like his making a horse a senator, since many were written after his death.
However, in the 20th century, one of the world’s most-admired leaders did something similar:
Nicolai Ceausescu, universally admired for his willingness to buck Moscow, elevated his dog to the rank of colonel.
Let’s see if I can get this thread booted over to Great Debates.
Who was the creepiest Caligula; John Hurt or Malcolm McDowell? My money’s on Hurt.
Elmer J. Fudd,
Millionaire.
I own a mansion and a yacht.
Did one of them star in The Robe with Victor Mature? “I am a god!” I heard that the actor who portrayed Caligula in this movie carried away real-life psychological problems from his experience portraying the third Roman emperor.
Exits, pursued by a bear
That was Jay Robinson. He also played a crazed priest in Woody Allen’s “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask”. He is the host of the occasional show “Beyond Bizarre” on the Discovery Channe.
John Hurt - “I Claudius” BBC, starring Derek Jacoby and the woman who played Magenta in Rocky Horror as a minor character as well (!).
Malcolm McDowell - “Caligula” (the movie)
I can’t decide who is better (badder), I mean in one he eats his sister’s unborn baby, in the other he sticks his fist up…well never mind.
The word “Caligula” came up in the media the other day, it was a volunteer for Keyes (I can’t be bothered to check the spelling) - a “history major” who ranted (in Keyes style) about C-A-G-U-L-I-A, and “the fall of our society…blah blah blah” eeeccch!
Another familiar face in I, Claudius is Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart who played Sejanus.
Unless you have a high tolerance for bizarre, graphic sexual imagery, I’d recommend avoiding the “Caligula” movie. That whole castration scene still gives me the willies–er, still makes me uncomfortable.
Oh, hell, I’ll give this one a serious answer. According to the Enciclopèdia Catalana Basica, the only desk encyclopedia I have, Caligula was:
Caius Julius Caesar Germanicus “Caligula”. (12-41 AD) Son of Tiberius and Agrippina the Elder. Succeded Tiberius and became emperor (37 AD) with the help of Sertorius Macrus (Macro in “I, Claudius”). Governed wisely for a few months but soon afterwards went nuts and freaked out and killed a whole bunch of more or less innocent folks. Was murdered by the Praetorian Guard Cassius Chaerea. Was succeeded by Claudius.
(Note: The translation is mine and in parts quite liberal).
I’m a bit hesitant to correct the ECB, Lawrence, but I’m fairly sure Caligula was the son of Germanicus (the general), not Emperor Tiberius. Tiberius did adopt him after his father was assasinated, though.
The Caligula moniker came when Germanicus took him on raids into Germany - the soldiers named him.
This is from Graves.
You’re absolutely right, Ursa.