An Analysis Of Caligula And His Domestic And Foreign Policies

Caligula was the third princeps of the Roman Empire.He inherited the position of the princeps to the family of Germainius,so his appearance played a role in the Julius-Claudy dynasty.In the ancient sourses Caligula is a crazy despot.This kind of image has been popular in the western world for nearly two thousand years.In recent years,due to the development of history,more and more modern scholars began to reunderstand Caligula,and even some people think that he is a wise monarch.That has made Caligula became one of the Roman emperors with the largest reversal of ancient and modern images.This paper combines the description of Caligula by classical writers to outline his general image,and then from his family background,domestic and foreign affairs and other perspectives,combined with the conclusions of modern scholars,to make a comprehensive analysis of Caligula.Therefore,this paper is divided into the following three parts:The first part is mainly the background of Caligula's succession,which is divided into three parts.The first part is the political framework and political rules of the head of state system established by Augustus.His subsequent heads of state conduct political activities under this system.The second part is Caligula's family background,which has a great influence on his policy.The third part is the reason of Caligula's succession,which also affects his behavior after taking office.These three parts constitute the background of Caligula's succession.Understanding this background will give a deeper understanding of the original intention of Caligula's policy.The second part mainly introduces Caligula's internal affairs from three aspects: strengthening the position of the head of state,consolidating the authority of the head of state and attacking the Senate.With the existence of other heirs,Caligula had to find ways to rationalize his rule,so he struck hard at those who might threaten his rule.At the same time,he deliberately strengthened family building and strengthened direct contact with Augustus.In essence,Caligula's internal policies are all means to strengthen his power,but the Senate is the biggest obstacle,so it is essentially the competition between Caligula and the Senate,which is where Caligula attempts to break the political order established by Augustus.The third part mainly introduces Caligula's foreign policy from Judea,Africa,Germany and Britain.Caligula's foreign policy methods are diverse,with different strategies for widely distributed Jews,offensives in the north,where border defenses are gradually struggling,and differentiation in Africa.Some of his policies departed from the traditions of Augustus and Tiberius,such as in Germany and Britain,where he was no longer conservative and gave Judea to Herod's descendants.However,these policies did not weaken the empire.Instead,they protected the authority of the country to a certain extent.In addition,Caligula's overseas policies are not isolated.For example,the Legion of levying Africa is actually for its own internal affairs.In general,the policies after Caligula came to power were influenced by his family background,and the German expedition is an important example.At the same time,because Caligula came to power as a young man and did not accumulate enough authority,it was destined that he could not hold a gentle attitude towards the Senate like Augustus and Tiberius.So Caligula's policy has been to strengthen his authority since he took office,and many of his policies and methods serve this purpose.However,his policy not only caused great damage to the Senate,but also blatantly violated the tradition that Augustus respected the Senate,which would undoubtedly cause dissatisfaction with the Senate.The classical writers who have recorded Caligula are basically from the Senate class,which makes them prejudiced against Caligula in the book.It is worth noting that although the ancient source smeared Caligula mainly for personal behavior rather than political behavior,people traditionally regard Caligula as a tyrant.Therefore,this article analyzes Caligula's political behavior and strives to restore the true Caligula's image.