Caligula: The Corruption of Power

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Summary: To be or not to be . . . mad, that is the question
Review: A wonderful analysis of Caligula, Roman emperor so commonly portrayed as mad. But we must consider the sources of this popular view. The author demonstrates this by comparing and contrasting the various 'original' and archaelogical sources. Contemporaries who bear a grudge, will likely be biased towards a negative assessment, an exaggeration or willing to promote a rumour. Taken in light of the environment, the mentality of the times, the pressures of being a ruler of a vast empire, was Caligula so mad or was he reacting naturally ?

Barrett manages a conversational tone while including essential background, character analysis, and trends of the time. Actively, he shares his thought processes along side the available clues. Encouraging the reader to do more than passively swallow the lines in yet another history account, he gathers the viewpoints of the various sources so we may also draw our own conclusions.

Valuable for its accessible tone, array of information, and not least important, adequate maps. This is an intriguing read for anyone interested in an intimate look at a legend who held the reigns of the Roman Empire.

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Summary: A Rational Biography of Caligula
Review: Taking a pragmatic look at infamous Roman emperors like Caligula and Nero may not be a popular thing to do (after all, it is more fun to think of them simply as crazy with no redeeming characteristics) but Anthony Barrett succeeds remarkably with this well-written book.

Caligula has been portrayed as a megalomaniac in films like The Robe and as seriously disturbed in "I, Claudius" and is the view people generally accept. Ancient historians were not like their modern counterparts who seek to reveal the truth behind people and events, and are not in agreement among themselves. Rather, their concern was to relate the truth as they saw it, and a bad emperor had to be bad man.

Mr. Barrett writes well and gives us a biography that can appeal to the historian and general reader. He examines the sources and archaeological evidence to provide a well-ground appraisal of Caligula's personality. The discussion is well reasoned and Mr. Barrett presents a good deal of material to support his conclusions. There is an excellent selection on the coins, inscriptions and portraits of Caligula, and a list of his victims with source citations. The personality that emerges may not be the one who slept with his sisters and thought he was Jove but a ruthless tyrant remains.

Rating:
Summary: An intriguing new look at the infamous Roman Emperor
Review: This is a well researched, scholarly look into one of history's most complex characters. Could Rome's most infamous "madman" actually be a victim of politics? For anyone who thinks there is more to Caligula than Suetonius' account will want to read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Gaius
Review: This is the first biography I've read on Caligula. I have read several other books that touched on him, but this is the first full-length book I've read on him. This is the first case of reading a biography on anyone from the ancient world where I felt like I really didn't need to read it. I got plenty of info on Caligula from Michael Grant's books or biographies on Tiberious (Caligula's predecessor). I once read an article on Caligula in a journal that discussed the theory where the reason behind his madness was due to Interictal Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Barrett's book starts out great with a lot of background information on Caligula's family and his struggle to move into the number one slot in the Roman Empire. He talks about Caligula's father Germanicus in detail which I enjoyed. I have been trying to find a good book on Germanicus for a long time. We was one of the most popular people in his day and well liked by the population and elite. Then Barrett spins into questions of whether or not Caligula was fit to rule. Most of it didn't make sense to me and was based on a lot of speculation. I did like his appendix and end notes. Those are always value added if done well and Barrett knows how to do them. In the same fashion as his later book on Agrippina, Barrett has a few interesting lists including "Named Victims of Caligula" and how they were victimized. There is a bout a five page photo spread which is kind of weak, but a few good timelines and other easily accessible data. It is not necessary to read this whole book if you want to know more about Caligula. I would suggest reading Grant's The Twelve Caesars. Grant gives a good overview on who Caligula was and what his reign was all about. Save this book for the hardcore.