Philip Beaufoy Barry

The Story of Caligula, Evil Emperor of Rome Philip Beaufoy Barry

Caligula, emperor of Rome from AD 37-41, was perhaps the most wicked and tyrannical Roman emperor. In the beginning of his reign he made himself very popular by his mildness and his lavish expenditures, but at the end of eight months he was seized with a disorder that permanently affected his brain, and after his recovery a series of heinous crimes marked his career. Though he degraded the imperial dignity by fighting as a gladiator in the arena, he considered himself a god and caused sacrifices to be offered in his own honor. At last a band of conspirators assassinated him. Originally published in 1922 in the author's larger "Twenty Human Monsters," this paperback edition explores the emperor's reign, including his tyrannical excesses, his insanity, and his sadism.