Doug Stanhope

He gets it because he is marching out across the Rhine to exact vengeance on the German tribes for their massacre of Varus's three legions. And he's endlessly burning villages and putting German tribes to the sword. And back in Rome, they think this is brilliant. So they call him Germanicus.

He gets it because he is marching out across the Rhine to exact vengeance on the German tribes for their massacre of Varus's three legions. And he's endlessly burning villages and putting German tribes to the sword. And back in Rome, they think this is brilliant. So they call him Germanicus.

Although actually, it's evident that Tiberius thinks he's a bit of a show pony and thinks it's actually all a bit of a wasted effort. But the point is that it creates a great stir back in Rome. And so... makes people love him even more. And he's popular not only with the Roman people, but with the legions themselves who were stationed on the Rhine. He's very charismatic.

Although actually, it's evident that Tiberius thinks he's a bit of a show pony and thinks it's actually all a bit of a wasted effort. But the point is that it creates a great stir back in Rome. And so... makes people love him even more. And he's popular not only with the Roman people, but with the legions themselves who were stationed on the Rhine. He's very charismatic.

Although actually, it's evident that Tiberius thinks he's a bit of a show pony and thinks it's actually all a bit of a wasted effort. But the point is that it creates a great stir back in Rome. And so... makes people love him even more. And he's popular not only with the Roman people, but with the legions themselves who were stationed on the Rhine. He's very charismatic.

He's a very successful general. He clearly cares for the legions. And one of the markers of that is that very unusually, and in fact, almost illegally, he has his wife Agrippina and their children with him. And this includes the very young Gaius. Gaius is just a kind of little toddler at this point. And the soldiers, you know, he's their little pet.

He's a very successful general. He clearly cares for the legions. And one of the markers of that is that very unusually, and in fact, almost illegally, he has his wife Agrippina and their children with him. And this includes the very young Gaius. Gaius is just a kind of little toddler at this point. And the soldiers, you know, he's their little pet.

He's a very successful general. He clearly cares for the legions. And one of the markers of that is that very unusually, and in fact, almost illegally, he has his wife Agrippina and their children with him. And this includes the very young Gaius. Gaius is just a kind of little toddler at this point. And the soldiers, you know, he's their little pet.

And so they make him a legionary outfit and he kind of walks around, toddles around the camp in his armor and his military boots, which in Latin are caligae. So they call it caligula, which are little boots. So that's where the name Caligula comes from.

And so they make him a legionary outfit and he kind of walks around, toddles around the camp in his armor and his military boots, which in Latin are caligae. So they call it caligula, which are little boots. So that's where the name Caligula comes from.

And so they make him a legionary outfit and he kind of walks around, toddles around the camp in his armor and his military boots, which in Latin are caligae. So they call it caligula, which are little boots. So that's where the name Caligula comes from.

And in fact, when Augustus dies, there are mutinies all along the line of the Rhine because they're unsure what the kind of political situation is. And they're threatening essentially to reject Tiberius as emperor. And The only thing, Suetonius says, that stops them from launching a full-scale rebellion is the appearance of Caligula.

And in fact, when Augustus dies, there are mutinies all along the line of the Rhine because they're unsure what the kind of political situation is. And they're threatening essentially to reject Tiberius as emperor. And The only thing, Suetonius says, that stops them from launching a full-scale rebellion is the appearance of Caligula.

And in fact, when Augustus dies, there are mutinies all along the line of the Rhine because they're unsure what the kind of political situation is. And they're threatening essentially to reject Tiberius as emperor. And The only thing, Suetonius says, that stops them from launching a full-scale rebellion is the appearance of Caligula.

And Germanicus says, if you don't calm down, I'm going to remove Caligula from the camp because I can't trust you to look after him. And this, Suetonius says, shames them into behaving a bit better. Do you think that story's true? Well, there's a much fuller account of this in Tacitus. And yeah, it does seem a trifle more complicated than that.

And Germanicus says, if you don't calm down, I'm going to remove Caligula from the camp because I can't trust you to look after him. And this, Suetonius says, shames them into behaving a bit better. Do you think that story's true? Well, there's a much fuller account of this in Tacitus. And yeah, it does seem a trifle more complicated than that.

And Germanicus says, if you don't calm down, I'm going to remove Caligula from the camp because I can't trust you to look after him. And this, Suetonius says, shames them into behaving a bit better. Do you think that story's true? Well, there's a much fuller account of this in Tacitus. And yeah, it does seem a trifle more complicated than that.

They're clearly very sentimental about him. And that vein of sentimentality about Caligula as this darling little boy is definitely a part of...

They're clearly very sentimental about him. And that vein of sentimentality about Caligula as this darling little boy is definitely a part of...

They're clearly very sentimental about him. And that vein of sentimentality about Caligula as this darling little boy is definitely a part of...