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Caligula

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• Caligula (Caius C�sar Augustus Germanicus)

(so called from caligce, the foot-dress of a common soldier, which he wore while his father was in the camp in Germany), properly CAIUS CAESAR, the third of the series of Roman emperors, was the youngest son of Germanicus, the nephew of Tiberius, by Agrippina. He was born Aug. 31, A.D. 12 (Suetonius, Claud. 8), and, after spending his youth among the soldiers in Germany (Tacitus, Ann. 1:41, 69; Dio Cass. 57:5), he was received into favor by Tiberius after the fall of Sejanus (A.D. 32), although his mother and brothers had been disgraced by that tyrant, whom he succeeded as emperor in March, A.D. 37. (See TIBERIUS). He is frequently mentioned (under the simple name "Caius") by Josephus, who speaks of his restoration of Agrippa I to his Jewish dominions (Ant. 18:7, 10) among the few acts of liberality that characterized the first months of his. reign. After his recovery from illness, however, which his excesses had brought upon him, he gave way to his naturally brutal temper in so violent and irrational a manner as to be evidence of downright insanity, and was at length assassinated Jan. 24, A.D. 41. It does not appear that he molested the Christians. He commanded Petronius, governor of Syria, to place his statue in the Temple at Jerusalem for the purpose of adoration; but the Jews so vigorously opposed it that, fearing a sedition, he suspended the order (Josephus, Ant. 17:8). See Smith's Diet. of Class. Ant. s.v.; Conybeare and Howson's St. Paul, 1:110, 111.