Here the story of Incitatus becomes a parable of what happens when a state abandons its founding principles at the behest of sycophants. Info. Caligula was born Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus in 12 AD. When we think of the emperor Caligula, it is John Hurt’s wonderfully maniacal performance in the BBC TV series I, Claudius that usually comes to mind. We think of Augustus as the “first emperor” but he positioned himself as a leading Republican politician, not a monarch. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland, Lecturer in Roman History and ARC DECRA Research Fellow, Macquarie University. Mythbusting Ancient Rome – Caligula’s Horse, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Incitatus&oldid=1020399050, Articles needing additional references from January 2013, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Incitatus comes up trumps compared to Walpole, as the horse demonstrates all the qualities of a good Prime Minister. Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, Caligula’s Horse is a progressive alternative rock powerhouse. According to legend, Caligula planned to make the horse a consul. Hurt dances in a gold bikini, sports a beard soaked with the blood of his progeny, and parades his favourite horse, clad in the toga of a consul, in front of shocked onlookers. Caligula also expanded Rome into northwest Africa. Caligula did hold parties for his friends in the horse’s grand stables, where Incitatus himself was the “host”. . According to the historian Suetonius, Incitatus lived in a stable made of … Channelling the raw honesty of rock and the skill of progressive metal into a seamless voice at once energetic, grand and forthright, CALIGULA’S HORSE offers devotees of all strains of powerful and progressive music something unique. Maybe rather than a sign of madness, this was a boastful display over having proved … Mythbusting Ancient Rome - Caligula's Horse . On the subject of Caligula’s horse, the ancient sources are unambiguous in their testimony: he was not made a consul. “Incitatus” means “fast-moving”. Caligula’s Horse (Dali’s Horses), Salvador Dali, 1971. The provinces had been governed as usual, the senate met and passed decrees and the praetorian prefects administered justice. Caligula, the Infamous Roman Emperor Who Made His Horse a Senator. His name was scrubbed from monuments. One of the cleverer examples of this is a piece from the London Magazine and Monthly Chronologer, printed on 6 February 1742. Why would Caligula say this? Shopping. Tap to unmute. [6], Learn how and when to remove this template message. This has usually been overlooked, perhaps because Dio mentions it in a different section and does not explicitly name Incitatus. The real blow, however, is dealt at the end of the piece: Whoever considers these Things with an unprejudiced Judgement, will upon an impartial Comparison with another whom I have in my Eye, be obliged to own, that the Horse was not only the honestest, but by far the wisest Minister of the two. Incitatus has for centuries been an allegorical figure when referencing examples of political ineptitude, going back at least to 1742. As a result, we have been accustomed to interpreting this story as one about the abuse of political, rather than religious, power. We can easily imagine Caligula and his drinking buddies lampooning the stuck-up consuls as “asses”, and the emperor declaring that Incitatus would soon be joining their ranks! The youth of Rome loved their horse-racing. However, the accounts of his insanity are far more remembered, and one of the most well-known aspects of this is the story of his horse, Incitatus. Copy link. In short, Caligula wanted to be – and be seen to be – a monarch. "[5] "Possibly out of perverted sense of humor Caligula would pour libations to Incitatus' salus [health and well-being], and claimed that he intended to co-opt him as his priest. Natasha sheldon - October 23, 2018. His mane friend. Hurt dances in a gold bikini, sports a beard soaked with the blood of his progeny, and parades … The story therefore probably owes its origin to an off-hand remark made by Caligula that he would make Incitatus a consul (though he never followed through with it). Share. Mythbusting Ancient Rome - Caligula’s Horse 4 May 2017 An equestrian statue of a Julio-Claudian prince, originally identified as Caligula. Two thousand years ago one of history's most notorious individuals was born. Macquarie University et University of Queensland fournissent des financements en tant que membres adhérents de The Conversation AU. 10 He Invited His Horse To Drink Wine At His Dinner Table. Caligula's Horse biography Founded in Brisbane, Australia in 2011 Taking their name from the mad Roman emperor and his beloved steed Incitatus, CALIGULA'S HORSE is an Australian progressive rock/metal band intent on bridging the gap between dynamic, meaningful songwriting and instrumental prowess. The attention Caligula lavished on Incitatus went above and beyond that shown to prize steeds by other young aristocrats. Written by Shushma Malik, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland; When we think of the emperor Caligula, it is John Hurt’s wonderfully maniacal performance in the BBC TV series I, Claudius that usually comes to mind. And, while he was suspicious of other people, he placed unwavering trust in his equine friend. The people wanted no more reminders of their mad tyrant. At the climax of this passage, Suetonius writes: …it is also reported that he designated [Incitatus] to the consulship. Just four years into his reign, at the age of just 29, Rome’s third emperor was hacked to pieces on his way out the theatre. Early Life . He is the very model of a mad Roman emperor. Incitatus was the favourite horse of Roman Emperor Caligula (reigned 37–41 AD). Perhaps the greatest testament to Incitatus’ immortality, however, is the fact that he has his own Wikipedia page. The author cites the story of Incitatus’ consulship as one of many examples from ancient Rome where the wrong people are given decision-making power: The extension of the right of electing Magistrates to the people at large, was the principal cause of the fall of freedom in Old Rome. Caligula, ruler of Rome, had been out of action for weeks – and nothing had happened. But there is a final twist in this horse’s tale. Caligula, the Infamous Roman Emperor Who Made His Horse a Senator Natasha sheldon - October 23, 2018 In 37 AD, the people of Rome rejoiced when they finally gained a new emperor. The office of consul was the highest magistracy in the Roman Republic. P98723940. Trope Namer: Emperor Caligula famously planned to appoint his favorite horse Incitatus to the consulship, the (by this point purely titular) highest political office in Rome. Caligula’s horse also appears in more serious contexts, such as a British response to the American Declaration of Independence of 1776, entitled the “Rights of Great Britain Asserted against the Claims of America”. Under the empire, the position still existed, though it was primarily an honorific office, which emperors used to reward loyal senators. This page was last edited on 28 April 2021, at 21:21. In particular, commentators through the centuries have had a great deal of fun in comparing contemporary politicians to the emperor’s favourite horse. The biographer Suetonius does, however, report that the emperor lavished gifts upon Incitatus, equipping him with a marble stall, ivory manger, purple blankets, luxurious furniture, and his own slaves. One of the most popular theories is that the emperor was criticising the consuls: they were such “asses” that he might as well include his horse in this elite group. Picture Credit: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. Wikimedia Commons. However, it's a little more complicated than it sounds: he may have done this in order to mock the Senate ("My horse could do as good a job as any of you clowns! Named for the prized possession of Rome’s infamous despot, CALIGULA’S HORSE is a progressive alternative rock band from Brisbane, Australia. Caligula's Horse (Interprète) (Vinyle album). Voir les partenaires de The Conversation France. The internet is awash with articles and blogs chewing over whether it is really true. Des refrains accrocheurs et des riffs dévastateurs, à la fois calmes et violents pour ce … One, likely fictitious, telling has it that the army even tracked down and killed Caligula’s horse. On the subject of Caligula’s horse, the ancient sources are unambiguous in their testimony: he was not made a consul. The Prime Minister of Great Britain at the time was Robert Walpole, who, on 28 January 1742, had lost a vote of no confidence in Parliament. According to legend, Caligula planned to make it a consul. His successor, the dour Tiberius, tried to refuse as many monarchical honours as possible. The horse has even made it into the Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: its definition for the name “Incitatus” reads “the name of Caligula’s horse, made a consul by the emperor”. Caligula loved his horse, Incitatus. Channelling the raw honesty of rock and the skill of progressive metal into a seamless voice at once energetic, grand and forthright, CALIGULA’S HORSE offers devotees of all strains of powerful and progressive music something unique. Advertisement. While the ancient evidence mentions a plan for making Incitatus consul, the repeated retelling of the story over centuries (in particular, as a snide way to suggest that a politician might be out of his or her depth) means we often forget that Caligula’s horse never actually sat in the senate at all. Before Claudius had established himself on the throne, Caligula was gone, almost wiped from Roman history. Historians such as Anthony A. Barrett suggest that later Roman chroniclers such as Suetonius and Dio Cassius were influenced by the political situation of their own times, when it may have been useful to the current emperors to discredit the earlier Julio-Claudian emperors. The emperor pampered him during his reign. ©Trustees of the British Museum: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. Caligula’s three sisters: Drusilla, Agrippina, and Livia. The accuracy of the received history is generally questioned. Caligula’s horse also appears in more serious contexts, such as a British response to the American Declaration of Independence of 1776, entitled the “Rights of Great Britain Asserted against the Claims of America”. Suggestion are that the treatment of Incitatus by Caligula was an elaborate prank intended to ridicule and provoke the senate, rather than a sign of insanity, or was perhaps a form of satire with the implication that a horse could perform a senator's duties. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. ©Trustees of the British Museum: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. He was the emperor, so bigger and better was the name of the game. He was keen to experiment with the opportunities his position allowed him, adopting ceremonies and dress that were more in keeping with eastern kings. Check out Dale's play through of The Tempest on big-guitar with only five strings! In a column entitled Common Sense, the subject for discussion is “Caligula’s Prime Minister”. Caligula probably never made his horse a consul, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t treat the animal like a human being. 2 volumes Gravure sur Face D. Réédition jusque-là introuvable en Europe des 1er et 2ème albums de la valeur montante du Prog Rock. Droits d'auteur © 2010–2021, The Conversation France (assoc. Suffice to say Caligula didn’t last long. Incitatus was Caligula’s prize racehorse, and he got special treatment for it. The way that the imperial system functioned meant that Rome did not actually need a hands-on ruler. Did Caligula really make his horse a consul? According to Suetonius, in the Lives of the Twelve Caesars (121 AD), Caligula planned to make Incitatus a consul,[1] and the horse would "invite" dignitaries to dine with him in a house outfitted with servants there to entertain such events. But was he really as bad as the sources say? Statues of the now-dead emperor were smashed. The historian David Woods has ingeniously suggested that the name was intended to be an insult directed towards one particular consul, Asinius Celer, whose name means “swift ass”. Incitatus, whose name means “swift” in Latin, was Caligula’s favorite horse. According to multiple Roman sources, Caligula treated his favorite force, Incitatus, better than most people. He was the son of a celebrated Roman general and his wife. The biographer Suetonius does, however, report that the … Named for the prized possession of Rome’s infamous despot, CALIGULA’S HORSE is a progressive alternative rock band from Brisbane, Australia. Cassius Dio (155-235 AD) indicated that the horse was attended by servants and was fed oats mixed with gold flake[2] and that Caligula made the horse a priest.[3]. Another ancient source, the historian Cassius Dio, gives a slightly different version: …and he even promised to designate [Incitatus] consul. Suetonius also wrote that the horse had a stable of marble, with an ivory manger, purple blankets, and a collar of precious stones. Cassius Dio states that Caligula made a horse – assumed to be Incitatus – a priest of the emperor’s cult. Gaius Caesar Germanicus, also known as Caligula, was only 24 years old when he was appointed Roman emperor in 37 A.D. and his rein was well received. Such was Caligula’s hatred for the Senate that he joked about making his horse a consul (Rome’s most senior office) rather than offer the role to one of them. Watch later. Their unique tapestry of progressive metal laced with raw rock power is at once fluid, monumental, and striking, offering a wide audience a broad palate of unforgettable moments and timeless music. https://historycooperative.org/caligula-romes-insane-emperor A joke by Caligula the comedian has been interpreted as historical fact. The author of this satire immediately lays his cards on the table, stating that Caligula was a good and able emperor who chose the best candidate for the job of “Prime Minister”: What a happiness … must it have been to have liv’d under the auspicious Reign of the Emperor Caligula, who had so great a Regard to Merit wherever he found it, and took such a fatherly Care in providing for the Happiness of his People, that he made his Horse a Minister of the State. Caligula’s Best Friend was a Horse This actually sounds pretty endearing, until you consider that Caligula loved his horse as much as he hated other people (more on that later). Even though Caligula’s horse never actually got to sit in the ivory chair in the Roman senate (his ivory stable had to suffice), we still like to imagine a time when a politician literally was an ass. Caligula’s regal pretensions did not sit well with Roman aristocrats, who wanted their emperors to respect them and Republican institutions such as the consulship. The story of Caligula and Incitatus proved so irresistible as a paradigm of political abuse that it didn’t seem to matter that the horse never donned the consular toga. Caligula was a far cry from his imperial predecessors Augustus and Tiberius. He may not have had a great love for his people, but Caligula was very fond of his … The name of the horse is particularly relevant here. The empire had gone peacefully about its business. Though known for his harsh treatment of others, the infamous Roman emperor Caligula lavished attention upon his horse Incitatus, giving the animal his own house with a … Shushma Malik ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche. And he would most certainly have done this, if he had lived longer. Caligula’s horrible histories of his cruelty, combined with the appointment of his horse as consul, turned him into an endless source of hearsay. Le premier succès commercial du groupe fut en 2015 avec la sortie de leur album Bloom, qui atteint la 16 place des charts d'albums australiens. Also, the lurid nature of the story added spice to their narratives and won them additional readers. His horse had a marble stall and an ivory manger and Caligula was even going to appoint his horse to a government position. At the very start of his reign, Caligula led a … "[5], Ancient sources are clear that the horse was never made a consul. Supposedly, Thrasyllus predicted that Caligula had “no more chance of becoming emperor than of riding a horse across the Gulf of Baiae.” This may shed some light on Caligula’s reasoning for having the floating bridge constructed for his seemingly pointless activity of riding his horse across it in triumph. Caligula's Horse est un groupe de metal progressif australien originaire de Brisbane, dans le Queensland. Caillan Davenport receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Incitatus (Latin pronunciation: [ɪŋkɪˈtaːtʊs], meaning "swift" or "at full gallop") was the favourite horse of Roman Emperor Caligula (reigned 37–41 AD). The Horse That Became a Roman Emperor Caligula – From the Best to a Beast. These parts were recorded for Rise Radiant over a year ago now, and it was such a … Écrivez un article et rejoignez une communauté de plus de 126 800 universitaires et chercheurs de 4 020 institutions. Caligula, on the other hand, was a boisterous young man in his mid-twenties. [4], Barrett noted, "Many stories were spread about Incitatus, originating most likely from Caligula's own humorous quips. 1901), L’expertise universitaire, l’exigence journalistique. The prejudices and fears of the rabble were the steps by which ambitious men ascended to a power, which they converted into tyranny over their foolish Constituents…the grandsons of voters who placed Marius, Cinna, and Caesar at the head of the State, were employed by Caligula in raising his horse to the Consulship. His First Few Months As Emperor Went Reasonably Well. Aujourd'hui, le groupe est composé du chanteur Jim Grey, du guitariste soliste Sam Vallen, du guitariste Adrian Goleby, du bassiste et choriste Dale Prinsse, et du batteur Josh Griffin. He adored his four-legged confidant so much that he built Incitatus his own house, which extravagantly included a marble stall and ivory manger. The story that Caligula made his favourite horse, Incitatus, a consul has long tickled our imaginations. The dour, Emperor Tiberius was dead, and it was good riddance as far as the populace was concerned. Mike Duncan - Caligula's Rise - YouTube. But all the bling was really for Caligula and his mates, so they could live it up in style – it was not for the horse. And as if that wasn’t enough, it was said that Caligula planned on making the horse a consul. Le groupe est fondé par Sam Vallen et Jim Grey au début de 2011. 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