The nefarious Roman Emperor known as Caligula, whose actual name was Caius Julius Caesar Germaniucs, was born in Antium in 12 AD, a city along the German frontier in the northern Roman Empire. Perhaps as an affectation, Caius wore miniaturized versions of the military sandals of the soldiers they lived near. The name of these sandals, caligae, was modified by those soldiers to Caligula (little sandal). This nickname became his for the rest of his life (Barrett, 4). Caius father, Germanicus, held positions of power within the military and the political structures in the region and was seen as a potential candidate for the throne at some later time. While a teenager, his mother and several brothers were arrested and executed by prefect Sejanus because their family was seen as a potential threat to his authority in the region. Later that year, Caligula became a priest and lived for several years on the island of Capri where he attended to the spiritual needs of Emperor Tiberius (Reed, 120).
