Ancient Rome - 37-41 CE Caligula AR Denarius NGC VF★

Gaius (Caligula) (AD 37-41). AR Denarius (3.72 gm). NGC Very Fine★ Strike: 5/5  Surface: 4/5. Struck at Lugdunum (Lyon, France) Mint in AD 37. Obverse: C•CAESAR•AVG•GERM•P•M•TR•POT, Laureate head of Caligula facing to the right. Reverse: DIVVS•AVG-PATER•PATRIAE• Radiate head of Divus Augustus facing to the right. References: RIC I 16, RSC 2. Rich golden brown toning highlights both the legends and devices.

Caligula was very popular. He ended Tiberius' treason trials, paid quite generous bequests to the Roman citizenry and a sizable bonus to the praetorian guard. But six months later he became quite ill. After that he was a very different man. The Roman historian Suetonius tells us that Caligula suffered from epilepsy since childhood. That, or something else, violently changed his state of mind, making him completely irrational, with delusions of grandeur and divinity. Caligula had four wives, and it was said that he had incest with his three sisters. He had difficulty sleeping, getting only a few hours of sleep and having horrible nightmares. He would wander around the palace waiting for sunrise.

Perhaps it is legend or actually history. We are told that Caligula invited people to his palace to dine as the guests of his favorite racehorse, Incitatus. Above is a statue of the two of them. Photo: wikipedia.

Caligula had people put to death with no trial.  He ordered an alter to be build to himself, and proposed that statues of himself be placed in synagogues. He introduced new taxes to help pay for his personal projects. In AD 39 he announced the return of the treason trials, which had terrorized Rome in the last years of Tiberius' rule. He kept his favorite racehorse, Incitatus, inside the palace. Dinner guests were invited in the horse's name, and the horse joined the emperor and guests for dinner. More people were executed, his sisters were banished and he seized their property, and he planned military campaigns in German lands and Britain that never took place. Conspiracies developed to get rid of Caligula. On January 24, 41, three praetorian guardsmen assassinated the unhinged emperor.