Cuirass Bust of Caligula

myminifactory

Caligula, Roman emperor from AD 37 to AD 41, was born into the Julio-Claudian dynasty - the first ruling family of the Roman Empire. Despite being known as Gaius Caesar after Julius Caesar, he earned the nickname "Caligula" (meaning "little soldier's boot") from his father's soldiers during their campaign in Germania. When his father Germanicus died, Caligula moved back to Rome with his mother and five siblings. After a conflict between his mother and the emperor at the time, Tiberius, Caligula was the only surviving member of the family and took over the throne in AD 37. Sources describe his reign as initially noble and moderate during the first six months of his rule. However, he is believed to have become an insane tyrant - extravagant, perverse, and cruel - after this period. The reliability of these sources is questionable, but it is known that Caligula focused on increasing his power as emperor and lavishing attention on his luxurious dwellings during his brief reign. In a bust depicting him, Caligula wears a military chestplate (cuirass) and a crown of oak leaves tied in the back with a ribbon (fillet): the "corona civica".