Following the sudden and unexplained death of his celebrated father, the young Caligula navigated his adolescence perpetually in the ominous shadow of his uncle, Tiberius, who now held the reins of power as emperor.

With the passing of Tiberius, Caligula ascended to the imperial throne of Rome, and for a time, he ruled with surprising competence. However, a subsequent illness gradually eroded his sanity, leading to a descent into madness.

Uncertain of his legacy, and acutely aware of his own vulnerability without an heir, Caligula resolved to secure the imperial succession. He turned his attention to his three sisters, determined to produce a child of royal lineage and thus …

As Caligula’s anxieties deepened, so too did his excesses, culminating in a reign marked by brutal violence and extravagant expenditure. This fostered a growing tide of opposition; Rome itself, the Senate, and even those who had once stood …