Asses the Impact of Caligula's Principate on Rome

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Assess the impact of Caligula’s principate on Rome Caligula was highly successful during the first six months in all areas including the senate, in regards to administration, social, building and religious programs. He created excitement throughout the empire with extravagant games and celebrations. Things didn’t continue to run as smoothly after Caligula fell ill. He became self obsessed and began to see himself as a living god. This negatively impacted the empire, however his achievements and success should be taken into account. At the beginning of his reign within the first six months Caligula’s relationship with the senate strong and positive. He was bestowed with the highest honours; Tribunicia potestas, the Maius imperium and the Consular Imperium. All of Caligula’s relations were stable and content as a whole. The legacies that were promised to the people in Tiberius’ will were honoured, lavish games were staged for the people of Rome and on top of this, unpopular sales tax were removed. All was going well for Caligula and the people of Rome, however following his recovery from a serious illness, any previous notions of respect or cooperation with the senate completely evaporated. Caligula seemed to have taken the idea of his divinity seriously and expected to be treated duly. He no longer sought to work with the senate but rather ruled as an absolute monarch and expected to be worshipped as a god. “…What emerges clearly from the sources is that while he was not clinically mad he was obsessed with a sense of his own importance as to be practically devoid of any senses of moral responsibility.” –Barrett. This all started with humiliating the senate in many actions. He forced them to run alongside his litter for long distances to discuss matters of the state. In addition to this, he also reduced the senate’s power through removing Africa (a

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