BACKGROUND
Caligula. Born in the 1st Century, he was originally named Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus in honor to his famous ancestor. The Third Emperor of the Ancient Roman Empire who left behind many anecdotes of insanity and atrocity. An anti-hero that usually would be allocated to the Berserker Class, but...
...due extraordinary circumstances, at this time he has been summoned as a Rider while in a state corresponding to the early days of his reign, back when he still was regarded a wise ruler.
He came to the world as the child of the famous Roman general Germanicus and his wife Agrippina the Elder. In his childhood, the young Gaius would often accompany his father to the frontlines while wearing a miniature military uniform that his mother prepared to him. This lead him to be nicknamed “Caligula” (little boot) after the small pair of boots that were characteristic of the uniform.
Germanicus was the adopted son and heir apparent to the Second Emperor Tiberus. Furthermore, Agrippina was the granddaughter of the First Emperor Augustus. But despite such outstanding pedigree, Caligula’s ascension was far from a smooth one. To begin with, he was just the third son and would never have the chance to inherit anything under normal circumstances.
Everything changed when Germanicus met an untimely death while away in an expedition. In the aftermath of this tragedy, Emperor Tiberus and Agrippina had a falling out due political reasons. Fearing that the heiress of Augustus would work to undermine his position, Tiberus fabricated accusations of treason so he could have her exiled along with Germanicus elder sons. Meanwhile, Caligula and his younger sisters (who were still children at the time) remained in Rome, under Tiberus’s personal care.
What followed after was nothing short of a torture for Caligula. Well aware that his each and every step was under strict surveillance, he had to put on a facade of a loyal subject and thoroughly conceal his animosity towards the Emperor. For all intents and purposes, he was a prisoner within his own house.
This state of affairs persisted for several years. However, when news that his mother and brothers died under suspicious circumstances eventually reached him, Caligula went into a fit of rage and determined himself to seek revenge. He invaded the Imperial Chambers one night, dagger in hand. Since the only ones present at the time were Caligula and Tiberus himself, nobody knows what exactly transpired in that room. Nevertheless, the son of Agrippina left the room without laying a hand on his family’s nemesis, instead dropping his weapon at the Emperor’s feet. From his part, Tiberus choose to not punish Caligula for the treasonous act and did not pursue the matter any further.
Eventually, Caligula was formally adopted by the Emperor and named as his heir. Even to this day, many are puzzled of why Tiberus would do such a thing for a man who once attempted to murder him. A popular theory says that, in that night at the Imperial Chambers, Tiberus supposedly saw through Caligula’s true nature – the brutality and sadism which were hidden behind the mask of a well-behaved child. Near the end of his life, the Second Emperor came to loathe the country that he ruled. By allowing Caligula to ascend to the throne, Tiberus hoped to set up the downfall of Rome.
Wise Ruler
Caligula came to power in 37 A.D. His ascension was met with great popular approval, as the rise of a new Emperor was a welcome change to the old and petty Tiberus. Furthermore, he soon began implementing many measures that benefited the general public, which brought him tremendous popularity in the early stages of his reign.
That being said, it was not like there were no problems. For one thing, Caligula was somewhat lacking in moderation regarding finances. His extravagance burned through the Imperial reserves and he nearly bankrupted the state at one point. Meanwhile, although his measures favorable to the masses, they were often implemented at the detriment of the ruling elite – especially the nobles of the Senate and the military. Frictions between the Emperor and these two groups was quite pronounced during Caligula's administration. Nevertheless, he managed to keep the Empire running by means of vigorous, but sensible efforts.
All that changed at some point.
As time went by, Caligula's behavior became more and more controversial. Political adversaries were ruthlessly purged. Acts of barbarity were performed on a whim, for no clear reasons. In his private time, he lived a life of debauchery and indulgence. Chief among his misconducts was the insistence of being treated as a living god by his subjects (although it was not uncommon for Roman monarchs to be deified after death, to do so while the concerned person was still alive was unheard of until then).
Such behavior brought about accusations of insanity and misgovernment against Caligula, which in turn gave new momentum to conspiracies against him. Everything culminated in an assassination plot carried out by the Praetorian Guard. In January 41 A.D., Caligula was ambushed during a public appearance at a festival and stabbed multiple times by his own elite bodyguards (historians often make parallels between Caligula's death and that of his own namesake).
***
On a side note, although this is not registered in official history, Caligula’s change in behavior had a clear reason behind it. Everything draws back to a certain failed project of his.
Maybe thanks to its natural isolation, the Lake Nemi still retained some lingering traces of the Age of Gods back when Caligula was alive. By taking advantage of that, the Emperor aimed at turning it into an artificial paradise, completely removed from the disturbances of the outside world. After preparing an appropriate altar, he attempted to summon a divinity that had strong ties with that land.
Unfortunately, his endeavor back-fired. The blessing of the goddess that were supposed to bring peace and tranquility instead became a curse that corroded his mind.
***
Everything was for the sake of a single speck of light. After being given hope by a small, brilliant life that was much like a star, Caligula attempted to confine it into a specially made sanctuary for safekeeping. Not unlike how one would place a preserved rose inside a glass case...
Originally Posted by Dragolord09
