January 24: The Roman emperor Caligula was assassinated by his Praetorian Guard which in turn proclaimed Emperor Claudius, Caligula's uncle, in the year 41 AD.

                               Gaius Caesar Caligula

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, more popularly known as Caligula ruled Rome from March 16 from 37 to January 24 of the year 41, when the centurion commander Casio Chaerea, accompanied by the Praetorian Guard, stabbed the emperor to death.

Marble bust of Caligula –Side- New York City, Metropolitan Museum of Art

The eccentricity and despotism of Caligula produced a growing discontent in the Senate, in the equestrian society, and in the same Praetorian Guard whose commander was branded effeminate and incompetent in front of the centurions.

Gaius, as they refer to some historians, was the last male descendant of Augustus, in a direct line.

                                                  A Caliga

Agrippina, the mother of Caligula, was widowed when his son was just seven years old. She took care of educating her child with stories that aggrandized the figure of his father to the point that the pride of Gaius overflowed the most conceited of his time.

Youth on Horseback of Caligula. British Musum.

There is very little literature on Caligula´s youth. However, Caligula was loved by the populace that he felt pride and admiration for his father Germanicus. Even when Caligula entered Rome as Emperor, joy and glory throughout the city flourished as never before had cheered for another emperor.

Caligula appoints his horse “Incitatus” for consul and priest

Bibliographical sources narrate a collection of crazy scandals from incest, murder, orgies, until the appointment of his horse "Incitatus" as consul of Rome and priest of the gods. However, the accuracy of such an event has been questioned by historian revisionists such as Anthony A. Barrett who considers that such a story was elaborated. But how does he know that?

                                  Death of the Roman Emperor Caligula

According to Seneca, the nickname Caligula was placed by the soldiers of his Germanic father because he was carrying his child in military dress which included a Roman sandals called "Caligae" to what the soldiers called "Caligula" the child Gaius, and well rested, despite hated that nickname for the rest of his life.