The Rise of Augustus Caesar and the Roman Empire He was the nineteen year old student who inherited a name and conquered a known world. While his great-uncle Julius Caesar was a man of the battlefield, this young heir was a master of the long game a strategist who dismantled a five hundred year old Republic to build an Empire that would endure for centuries. Born Gaius Octavius, he would die as Augustus, the "Revered One," having fundamentally altered the political geography of the Mediterranean

Caligula, born Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus in 12 CE, ruled as Roman emperor from 37 to 41 CE. The son of the popular general Germanicus, he earned the childhood nickname “Caligula” (“little boots”) while accompanying troops on campaign. At first, his reign promised hope after the austerity of Tiberius, as he granted amnesties and staged public games. However, ancient sources describe his rule quickly turning into a mixture of cruelty and extravagance. Caligula declared himself a livi