CALIGULA. 



mother and brother, who had fallen sacrifices to the 

 j.-alousy of Tiberius, he pretended to burn all the 

 documents which might lead him to a knowledge of 

 those implicated in their condemnation. When a 

 memorial was presented to him ^ a d' sign 



on his life, his reply was, " that he w.u c 

 no action for which he could be haied, and that he 

 was determined to shut his ears against all informers." 

 His conduct in other respects was equally fluttering. 

 Among other popular actions, he banished from tin- 

 city all the infamous professors of vice, restored va- 

 luable privileges to the people, strengthened the au- 

 thority of the magistrates, was extremely nice as to 

 the qualifications and conduct of the knights, remitted 

 taxes, conferred donations, relieved distress, and, in 

 short, was much too good an emperor to continue so. 

 For all these reasons, a golden shield, among other 

 honours, was decreed to him, which was every year 

 to be borne in solemn procession to the capitol, by a 

 company of priests, followed by the whole senate ; 

 while the children of the prime nobility, boys and 

 girls, were all to chaunt in regular cadence the praises 

 of this mighty benefactor. 



The Roman people were destined soon to awake 

 from this delusive dream. Whether we are to as- 

 cribe his conduct to insanity, to the corruption of 

 the times, or to the genius of despotic authority, one 

 thing iscertain, that Caligula disgraced the character 

 of human nature more than any other individual. There 

 is something in unlimited power, well calculated to 

 nurse and bring to perfection the caprices of human 

 nature ; and to this circumstance we are probably, in 

 a great measure, to ascribe the whimsical benefi- 

 cence and the wanton barbarities of this and the 

 other tyrants who then governed the world. Sub- 

 jected to no controul or responsibility by a political 

 constitution, furnished with no motives of fear or ul- 

 terior ambition, either in this world or in the next, 

 they were naturally impelled, like the inferior creatures, 

 by every motion of the animal fluids, and pardoned, 

 butchered, and oppressed, without any other reason 

 than the humour of the moment. Absolute princes 

 are always mad in proportion as they are powerful ; 

 once above the consideration of law and public opi- 

 nion, we are prepared for every inconsistency, and 

 every enormity. 



One of the first public crimes of Caligula, was to 

 put to death Gemellus, the unfortunate youth already 

 mentioned. Silanus, too, his father-in-law, Macro 

 and his wife Ennia, and several others, all of them 

 zealous agents in promoting his accession, were re- 

 warded for their services with death. Many were the 

 persons of all ranks, who fell victims either to his po- 

 litical jealousy or to his caprice. An exile, who had 

 been banished by Tiberius, having returned, and be- 

 ing asked by Caligula how he had spent his time, 

 the man, by way of flattery, told him " that his con- 

 stant occupation was praying to the gods that Tibe- 

 rius might be destroyed, and Caligula advanced in 

 his room :" upon this, thinking that those exiled by 

 himself would in like manner wish for his destruc- 

 tion, Caligula sent his executioners through all the 

 islands, to put the whole of them to death. His in- 

 nate love of cruelty exceeds belief. He never al- 



lowed the executioner to finish criminals by one great 

 blow ; but ordered him to proceed by minute and 

 strokes, t! lhrmtelvc*djr 



The -Ii/Uent offence, such as omitting to 

 wear by himself, often provoked him to extremities. 

 It was one luxury of his to compel fathers to wit- 

 ness the execution of their son* ; and, on one ocea- 

 si' n, when an apology was lent, he invited the 

 wretched man to a magnificent banquet, and assuming 

 ail the ease and gaiety of which be was capable, en- 

 tertained him with the utmo.t merriment and jocular- 

 ity. Caligula was frequently beard to lament, that 

 his times were not distinguished by some signal ca- 

 lamity. Sensible that his tyrannical conduct made 

 him an object of universal detestation, bis common 

 maxim was, uderint dum met n ant t " let them bate me, 

 provided they fear me ;" and once, when the people 

 hissed in disapprobation of his pursuits, bis rage burst 

 out in the horrible wish, that the Roman people had 

 but one neck, which he might cut off at a blow. 



The monster sometimes attempted wit in the midst 

 of his butcheries. Some Gauls and Greeks having 

 been condemned together, probably for the sake of 

 the execrable pun, he boasted that he had done for 

 Gallogrzcia. A military gentleman having gone 

 for his health to Greece, and petitioned from time to 

 time for a renewal of his leave of absence, the tyrant at 

 last ordered him to be slain, adding, that as medicine 

 had been of no service to him, blood-letting was abso- 

 lutely necessary. Even in his most pleasant moods, 

 this tremendous jester thought of nothing but blood. 

 When kissing the neck of his wife or mistress, 

 he frequently remarked, " pretty as this neck is, 

 off it goes the moment I order it." One day at a 

 sumptuous banquet, he. suddenly burst out into 

 laughter, upon which the two consuls, who reclined 

 by him, politely ventured to den and the cause of 

 his imperial merriment. " I was only thinking," re- 

 plied Caligula, *' how easily, by a single nod, I could 

 assassinate both of you." His jest with Apellet 

 the tragedian was more serious, whom be ordered to 

 be flogged most unmercifully, that he might bear, ia 

 their native excellence, the lii.e tones and inflexions 

 of voice of that actor. 



It would be disgusting to enumerate the various 

 acts of oppression, by taxation, pillage, torture, and 

 murder, recorded of this wretch, who was aluo equally 

 infamous for his effeminacy and horrible debaucheries. 

 His incestuous passion for his own sisters is well 

 known. His sister Drusilla, with whom be had been 

 detected in scandalous familiarities when a boy, be 

 now actually married ; and he bewailed her death 

 with the most extravagant frenzy of grief. His next 

 madness was, like Alexander the Great, to give him- 

 self out for a god. He actually built a temple to 

 his own divinity, and instituted a priesthood, altars, 

 and sacrifices in honour of himself ; and sometimes 

 exhibited himself among a crowd of statues of his 

 brother gods, being consulted by the people, and 

 giving responses. As a deity of equal rank, he 

 used to invoke the full moon to his embraces at 

 night. He likewise held private conferences with 

 Jupiter Capitolinus, at one time muttering some* 

 thing in a low voice, at another, gravely listening ; 



<;. ...... 



