Caligula died on 24 January 41 CE in Palatine Hill, aged 28. A Roman emperor, Gaius Caesar Germanicus was nicknamed Caligula, meaning little boots, as a child among his father's soldiers. His father Germanicus was a popular general, and Caligula became emperor at 24 on the death of Tiberius. His early reign was welcomed, but ancient writers such as Suetonius and Cassius Dio describe him as increasingly cruel, extravagant and unstable, with stories such as the plan to make his horse a consul. Modern historians treat these accounts with caution, because the sources were hostile, but they agree that he alienated the senate. He was assassinated by officers of the Praetorian Guard, and his uncle Claudius took the throne.
Before and after
- 37 CEBirth of Josephus
- 16 March 37 CEDeath of Tiberius
- 15 December 37 CEBirth of Nero
- 30 December 39 CEBirth of Titus
- 24 January 41 CEDeath of Caligula
- 42 CEOrigins of Coptic Orthodox Church
- 43 CERome invades Britain
- c. 47 CEOrigins of London
- 48 CEPublication of Epistle to the Galatians
More in Wars, politics & history
- c. 3,101 BCENarmer unifies Egypt
- from c. 1,258 BCE to 1,180 BCETrojan War
- c. 510 BCEThe Roman Republic is founded
- c. 509 BCECleisthenes lays the foundations of Athenian democracy
- 147 BCERome destroys Carthage
- 24 August 410 CEAlaric and the Visigoths sack Rome
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 1st century.