Week 3: 225

What a day we had on Tuesday! It was cold, rainy, we thought we were going, we get on the metro, Danilo decides to convince us to reschedule, we agree on rescheduling, we can’t get a hold of Laura, we walk to Palatine Hill, we post up at the entrance still trying to reschedule, and before we know it we’re walking up the steps to Palatine Hill. Woah! Talk about getting your emotions played with. Through all the wind, hills, and water we ended up having a great, educational experience. After the tour, I decided to focus today’s blog on the history of Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. He was a Roman emperor who took up residence at Palatine Hill.
Gaius took reign after his great uncle, Tiberius. According to his uncle’s will, Gaius and his cousin were to share the throne. So in order to ensure ultimate power, Gaius had his cousin killed. That took care of that. At the start of his reign in 37 AD, Gaius was doing many generous works such as, giving cash bonuses to Praetorian Guards, honoring his father and other relatives publically, and reimbursed people who were wronged by imperial tax.
With all going so well for him, many would assume that his reign was long and glorious. Unfortunately, it only lasted four years, taking a turn for the worst. According to the records, Gaius was insane. His empire began to crumble before him when he started making out-of-line comments that insinuated his cruelty, immoral sexual tendencies, and disrespect towards the Senate. Some say he was misunderstood. Others say he was crazy. No matter what the case, Gaius was soon murdered by his own men, capping off his reign in only four years.