Doug Stanhope

There's nothing particularly shocking from the senatorial point of view that's happening, even though there is a sense of menace. Then he falls ill. When he recovers, he eliminates Gamalus, his own conceivable rival, and anyone who he thinks might be a kind of particular figure of opposition to him.

There's nothing particularly shocking from the senatorial point of view that's happening, even though there is a sense of menace. Then he falls ill. When he recovers, he eliminates Gamalus, his own conceivable rival, and anyone who he thinks might be a kind of particular figure of opposition to him.

There's nothing particularly shocking from the senatorial point of view that's happening, even though there is a sense of menace. Then he falls ill. When he recovers, he eliminates Gamalus, his own conceivable rival, and anyone who he thinks might be a kind of particular figure of opposition to him.

And he continues in the wake of his recovery from that illness to pay lip service to his partnership with the Senate in the way that Augustus had done, in the way that Tiberius had done. But then it seems that two years into his reign, he's finally had enough and there is this most spectacular showdown. And he summons the Senate and addresses them

And he continues in the wake of his recovery from that illness to pay lip service to his partnership with the Senate in the way that Augustus had done, in the way that Tiberius had done. But then it seems that two years into his reign, he's finally had enough and there is this most spectacular showdown. And he summons the Senate and addresses them

And he continues in the wake of his recovery from that illness to pay lip service to his partnership with the Senate in the way that Augustus had done, in the way that Tiberius had done. But then it seems that two years into his reign, he's finally had enough and there is this most spectacular showdown. And he summons the Senate and addresses them

and expresses to them in the most bold, uncompromising way, his utter contempt for everything that they represent. He strips away all these hypocrisies that we were talking about earlier, this pretense that the Senate in some way have any autonomy or power. that Rome is a partnership between the Princeps and the Senate. He says this is absolute nonsense. It's ludicrous.

and expresses to them in the most bold, uncompromising way, his utter contempt for everything that they represent. He strips away all these hypocrisies that we were talking about earlier, this pretense that the Senate in some way have any autonomy or power. that Rome is a partnership between the Princeps and the Senate. He says this is absolute nonsense. It's ludicrous.

and expresses to them in the most bold, uncompromising way, his utter contempt for everything that they represent. He strips away all these hypocrisies that we were talking about earlier, this pretense that the Senate in some way have any autonomy or power. that Rome is a partnership between the Princeps and the Senate. He says this is absolute nonsense. It's ludicrous.

The idea that Rome is a republic, madness. I am a monarch. I have complete authority over you. You are nothing. You are worms. And just for good measure, he then announces that he is reintroducing the treason trials that he had announced were cancelled with such trumpeting two years before. And the Senate, are so stunned by this that they don't really know what to say.

The idea that Rome is a republic, madness. I am a monarch. I have complete authority over you. You are nothing. You are worms. And just for good measure, he then announces that he is reintroducing the treason trials that he had announced were cancelled with such trumpeting two years before. And the Senate, are so stunned by this that they don't really know what to say.

The idea that Rome is a republic, madness. I am a monarch. I have complete authority over you. You are nothing. You are worms. And just for good measure, he then announces that he is reintroducing the treason trials that he had announced were cancelled with such trumpeting two years before. And the Senate, are so stunned by this that they don't really know what to say.

And Caligula sweeps out and they all just kind of sit there, ashen-faced, as Private Eye would put it. And the following day, they all kind of reconvene and... They pass a formal vote in which they formally thank Caligula for his sincerity and the intelligence of his comments. They praise him for his piety. And they say, such wonderful clemency from Caesar.

And Caligula sweeps out and they all just kind of sit there, ashen-faced, as Private Eye would put it. And the following day, they all kind of reconvene and... They pass a formal vote in which they formally thank Caligula for his sincerity and the intelligence of his comments. They praise him for his piety. And they say, such wonderful clemency from Caesar.

And Caligula sweeps out and they all just kind of sit there, ashen-faced, as Private Eye would put it. And the following day, they all kind of reconvene and... They pass a formal vote in which they formally thank Caligula for his sincerity and the intelligence of his comments. They praise him for his piety. And they say, such wonderful clemency from Caesar.

Even though we're worms, he's still, you know... We should offer him multiple sacrifices as a way of expressing our gratitude for his clemency and his general all-round decency.

Even though we're worms, he's still, you know... We should offer him multiple sacrifices as a way of expressing our gratitude for his clemency and his general all-round decency.

Even though we're worms, he's still, you know... We should offer him multiple sacrifices as a way of expressing our gratitude for his clemency and his general all-round decency.

He has the Praetorians. He has lavished bribes on the Praetorians. They are the only soldiers in Rome. So as long as he has the Praetorians on board, there's nothing really that the Senate can do. He also has lavished money on the legions because ultimately,

He has the Praetorians. He has lavished bribes on the Praetorians. They are the only soldiers in Rome. So as long as he has the Praetorians on board, there's nothing really that the Senate can do. He also has lavished money on the legions because ultimately,