English Learning for Curious Minds | A More Interesting Way To Learn English #572 | Caligula | Psychopath, Sadist, Emperor
Oct 9, 2025
The podcast dives into the dark reign of Caligula, revealing his transformation from a promising leader to a cruel tyrant. It explores unsettling incidents, including a dinner party where he wielded death as a threat. Tales of his public executions, bizarre military orders, and obsession with divinity paint a chilling portrait. From alleged sexual depravity to extravagant spending, the narrative captures the excesses of his rule. The episode culminates in his assassination, highlighting the violent end of a legacy marked by terror and tyranny.
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Dinner-Table Terror
- At a dinner, Caligula laughed for no apparent reason and left consuls terrified of what he'd do next.
- A nod or wave from him could sentence anyone in Rome to death, showing his taste for public humiliation.
Power Through Pedigree
- Caligula's rise had deep roots in imperial succession and family prestige in Rome.
- Being Germanicus's son and Augustus's great-nephew made him the obvious favorite despite inexperience.
Little Boots Grows Up
- As a child Caligula wore tiny soldier's boots and earned the nickname Caligula, meaning Little Boots.
- He later lived with Tiberius on Capri, learning to hide resentment and flatter a dangerous emperor.
