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+--- Thread: Gaius or Caligula? (/showthread.php?tid=18325)
Gaius or Caligula? - Epictetus - 02-08-2011
The third emperor, Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, seems to be called "Caligula" by older historians but "Gaius" by more recent ones. Why the change? Is it more common to call him "Gaius" now?
Re: Gaius or Caligula? - Quintius Clavus - 02-08-2011
Caligula was a nickname, given to him as a child. Gaius is used for him as emperor to distinguish him from other male members of his family, and from other Julio-Claudian emperors. I don't have any of my Roman historians with me at work, but, if I recall correctly, he did NOT appreciate being called by his child-nickname as an adult. What those historians called him, when they were living and writing many years after he was dead, would not have endangered their lives. With respect to modern historians, I suppose it depends on many factors when they make their choices on which of those names to use.
It is intersting that he, Caligula/Gaius, and Nero were the only two Julio-Claudian Emperors who were diret decendents of Augustus, via his daughter Julia and her children (specifically, Agrippina) fathered by her husband Agrippa. Gaius was his grandson and Nero was his great-grandson.
Re: Gaius or Caligula? - Vindex - 02-09-2011
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus - don't forget the Augustus bit...
I suspect it is more to do with the connotations of the name Caligula. Shame they don't call him Germanicus instead of Gaius though:wink:
(And yes, I am of the school of thought that this particular Emperor had a really bad press...)
Re: Gaius or Caligula? - D B Campbell - 02-09-2011
Quote:... seems to be called "Caligula" by older historians but "Gaius" by more recent ones.Interesting observation. I had the impression that it was the opposite! J.P.V.D. Balsdon's well-known book (1977) is called The Emperor Gaius (Caligula), as if he wasn't sure that readers would know who Gaius was. But he still wanted to call him Gaius.
More recent books, e.g. Anthony Barrett's Caligula: The Corruption of Power (1989), or Sam Wilkinson's Caligula (2005), or even H. Lindsay's Suetonius: Caligula (2008), are happy to call him plain-old Caligula.
btw Didn't Suetonius call him Gaius? :?
Re: Gaius or Caligula? - Epictetus - 02-09-2011
I guess “older” and “newer” historians are relative. Gibbon used Caligula, as did Mommsen (at least, in my translation).
Speaking of translations, it looks like we should be careful with Seutonius. I checked Loeb and saw both names used. Curious, I looked at the Latin text and it appears as if Caligula isn’t used at all, except to explain the nickname.
Just glancing through my bookshelf, I see biographer Michael Grant used Gaius in the 1980s, but Adrian Goldsworthy used Caligula in the 2000s, bolstering Duncan’s impression.
Perhaps there is no consensus.
Which name do you prefer? I think I’ve always preferred Caligula, simply because Gaius was such a common name.
Re: Gaius or Caligula? - D B Campbell - 02-09-2011
Quote:Gibbon used Caligula, as did Mommsen (at least, in my translation).Interesting. Mommsen's German text refers to "Kaiser Gaius" !
Quote:Which name do you prefer? I think I’ve always preferred Caligula, simply because Gaius was such a common name.I usually use "Gaius (Caligula)", in case the reader is unfamiliar with the name, but I suppose I could get away with plain "Caligula".
Re: Gaius or Caligula? - john roberts - 02-09-2011
Caligula is an easy name to remember, and it just sounds[i][/i] depraved. Personally, I think Caligula was just a guy who knew how to have a really good time.