ABSTRACT
Gaius Caligula spent nearly four years exploring what it meant to be Princeps and the limits of what he could do as Princeps. He became hated and feared. Italy and Rome suffered most from his autocratic ways, but in the provinces he mulcted wealthy Gauls of cash and outraged Jewish monotheists with claims to divine honours. He achieved uo succe<;s in the field: the Parthians were checked by L.Vitellius before Tiberius died in 37, the submission of the British chieftains in 39 was nomiual, and the training campaigns he ordered east of the Rhine after the fall of Lentulus Gaetulicus perhaps restored morale, but brought no booty. The political classes, after the brief respite of the honeymoon period, found his regime no improvement on that of Tiberius during his long absence from Rome, and property owners were having to finance his experiments in government (there were demonstrations against his tax demands during the circus games of January, 4 I). Gaius even antagonized the officers of the Praetorian Guard, by inflicting cruel duties and personal humiliation on them. Finally, his attacks on members of his own family, his two sisters Agrippina and Livilla, and his brother-in-law M. Lepidus, whom he had treated as a prospective successor, discredited the imperial family, damaged his relations with the people, and made him vulnerable to assassins, especially since, like Julius Caesar, he lacked a son of mature years. Gaius' assassination was on the cards from the autumn of 39 onwards, became a subject of speculation, and was achieved on 24 January, 41. The conspirators let slip opportunities for the murder, perhaps because they could not agree about what was to follow it, but finally agreed on the last day of the games in honour of Augustus that Livia had established on the Palatine. Gaius had not forgotten that he was Mark Antony's great-grandson, and was planning a visit to Egypt, where he could expect an enthusiastic reception from the Greek population. This would have caused alarm to senate and commons, who were equally interested in the primacy of Rome and Italy.'
