Right now on the History Channel: Caligula

[CatWoman]

The more I watch this program, the more Caligula reminds me of Chimpolini.

Romans mistakedly thought he would be more like his father, just like Chimpy.

Romans mistakedly thought Caligula's inexperience would be in his favor, just like Chimpy.

Romans came to hate and despise him, just like Chimpy.

[originalpckelly]

1. Yes, he is the spitting image of Caligula...

Wait 'til you see how it ends, it's not pretty.

[CatWoman]

2. I know how it ends

wishful thinking, perhaps? :)

however, Caligula's death gave the Romans Claudius, which was a very good thing :)

Do we have a "Claudius" waiting in the wings?

[originalpckelly]

3. You never know...

We can hope.

[Aristus]

12. Well, remember Cat, Claudius' reputation nowadays is tempered

by Robert Graves' novels and the BBC miniseries.

The real Claudius was not quite as respectable as the fictional one. If you read "Claudius The God" by Graves and pay attention to the last episode of "I, Claudius", you will note Claudius referring to the tyrant he has to become if Rome is to overthrow the Emperors and restore the Republic. That never happened, and Claudius was not the monster that Tiberius and Caligula were. But not the pretended idiot-saint that Graves has given us.

[CatWoman]

13. noted, oh adored one

:hi:

indeed, he wasn't the monster, however, he wasn't the savior, either.

you know, of course, that you are the one who put me on this Roman addiction, right?

:loveya:

[Aristus]

14. Oh great. So now I'm responsible for getting someone addicted?

B-)

Hey, Cat...I'm gettin' drunk over in the Lounge. Can I buy you a round? :toast:

[CatWoman]

15. be right there

:)

[Clark2008]

4. The spittin' image:

[CatWoman]

5. ROFL!!!!

STOP THAT!!!

:rofl:

[pinniped]

21. lol, the devil's tail nose was sculpted perfectly.

.

[Rowdyboy]

6. Michael and I usually refer to Bush as "Little Boots"-Caligula's nickname

[CatWoman]

7. actually

Caligula translates into "little boots"

:hi:

:loveya:

[ellisonz]

20. Real name:

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus

or George Walker Bush. aka Walker Texas Ranger (he wishes).

:rofl:

[Rowdyboy]

23. Now why did I screw that up? Obviously, I'm not drinking enough

these days! Got your attention anyway and thats all I was aiming for anyway. Good morning, love and hope you have a great day!

[kineneb]

8. a really, ahem, "charming" guy (not), info

http://www.roman-emperors.org/gaius.htm

"Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (b. A.D. 12, d. A.D. 41, emperor A.D. 37-41) represents a turning point in the early history of the Principate. Unfortunately, his is the most poorly documented reign of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The literary sources for these four years are meager, frequently anecdotal, and universally hostile.<[1>] As a result, not only are many of the events of the reign unclear, but Gaius himself appears more as a caricature than a real person, a crazed megalomaniac given to capricious cruelty and harebrained schemes. Although some headway can be made in disentangling truth from embellishment, the true character of the youthful emperor will forever elude us."

<snip>

"The ancient sources are practically unanimous as to the cause of Gaius's downfall: he was insane. The writers differ as to how this condition came about, but all agree that after his good start Gaius began to behave in an openly autocratic manner, even a crazed one. <[5>] Outlandish stories cluster about the raving emperor, illustrating his excessive cruelty, immoral sexual escapades, or disrespect toward tradition and the Senate. The sources describe his incestuous relations with his sisters, laughable military campaigns in the north, the building of a pontoon bridge across the Bay at Baiae, and the plan to make his horse a consul. <[6>] Modern scholars have pored over these incidents and come up with a variety of explanations: Gaius suffered from an illness; he was misunderstood; he was corrupted by power; or, accepting the ancient evidence, they conclude that he was mad.<[7>] However, appreciating the nature of the ancient sources is crucial when approaching this issue. Their unanimous hostility renders their testimony suspect, especially since Gaius's reported behavior fits remarkably well with that of the ancient tyrant, a literary type enshrined in Greco-Roman tradition centuries before his reign. Further, the only eye-witness account of Gaius's behavior, Philo's Embassy to Gaius, offers little evidence of outright insanity, despite the antagonism of the author, whom Gaius treated with the utmost disrespect. Rather, he comes across as aloof, arrogant, egotistical, and cuttingly witty -- but not insane. The best explanation both for Gaius's behavior and the subsequent hostility of the sources is that he was an inexperienced young man thrust into a position of unlimited power, the true nature of which had been carefully disguised by its founder, Augustus. Gaius, however, saw through the disguise and began to act accordingly. This, coupled with his troubled upbringing and almost complete lack of tact led to behavior that struck his contemporaries as extreme, even insane."

(bold face added for emphasis)

[CatWoman]

9. the bolded excerpt describes Chimpolini to a "tee"

[Dover]

10. Right now on Ebay.......

A very old book about the 12 Caesars by one of the palace's secretaries who had access to the archives.

1541 Suetonius Tranquillius, C., XII Cesares VELLUM rare!!

PREFACE and COMMENTARY by ERASMUS of ROTTERDAM


Each biography begins with the ancestry of the emperor portrayed, followed by his early life, political career, physical appearance and private life, a pattern that influenced mediaeval biographers. As Suetonius was secretary at the imperial palace under Trajan, he was able to consult the imperial archives, although he often followed second-hand sources that make his narrative rich in anecdotes and rather gossipy. ‘There is an account of Caesar’s crossing the Rubicon, and a detailed narrative of his assassination; mention of his dark piercing eyes and his attempts to conceal his baldness. Augustus is said to have been short but well-proportioned, with and aquiline nose and eye-brows that met, careless in dress, frugal, and sparing in diet .. There is a vivid picture of the grotesque appearance of Caligula, of his waywardness and insane cruelties; of the awkward walk, loud guffaw, and stammer of Claudius .. The life of Nero reveals much about his stage displays and his passion for horses .. and that of Domitian records his restoration of the libraries which had been burnt down and his efforts to collect manuscripts.’ (Oxford Companion to Classical Literature).

http://cgi.ebay.com/1541-Suetonius-Tranquillius-C-XII-Cesares-VELLUM-rar_W0QQitemZ150076124623QQihZ005QQcategoryZ29223QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


And a more affordable version:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Folio-Society-The-Twelve-Caesars-Suetonius-Rome_W0QQitemZ150078812011QQihZ005QQcategoryZ29223QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[CatWoman]

11. yikes!!!!

$400 and climbing!!

:wow:

[Dover]

16. Well, it IS rather old! Here's a newer, more affordable copy:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Folio-Society-The-Twelve-Caesars-Suetonius-Rome_W0QQitemZ150078812011QQihZ005QQcategoryZ29223QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[CatWoman]

17. Dover,

I looked at some of the other books offered by that seller (the first one), and $400 is a drop in the bucket compared to what the others are going for.

thanks. :hi:

[Dover]

18. Welcome to the world of rare books....lol!

If you can't afford it, it must be rare.

Some of us are just happy to own contemporary editions in paperback.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

19. I remember the I, Claudius series on PBS

With Derek Jacobi as Claudius and John Hurt as Caligula. And Peter O'Toole's wife as Livia. And Magenta from Rocky Horror as somebody minor!!!!

I do remember he was nuts and the last episode was quite gory and not suitable for young audiences.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

22. No, GHWB was Caligula

Then, WJC played Claudius, good leader, liked the ladies.

Next one up was GWB as Nero. Fiddlin' 'n' Burnin'. Totally nuts, a god in his own mind.

[CatWoman]

24. you know, a while back there was once a thread discussing

which Roman emperor Chimpy best emulated -- it was a tossup between Caligula and Nero.

ROFL on the Clenis comment :)