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Caligula

American  
[kuh-lig-yuh-luh] / kəˈlɪg yə lə /

noun

  1. Gaius Caesar, a.d. 12–41, emperor of Rome 37–41.


Caligula British  
/ kəˈlɪɡjʊlə /

noun

  1. original name Gaius Caesar, son of Germanicus. 12–41 ad , Roman emperor (37–41), noted for his cruelty and tyranny; assassinated

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Caligula Cultural  
  1. A cruel and insane ruler of the Roman Empire in the first century a.d.; one of the twelve Caesars. To humiliate the senators of Rome, he appointed his horse to the senate.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She was the sister of the emperor Caligula and the niece of his successor Claudius, who became emperor after Caligula was murdered by his own Praetorian Guard in C.E.

From Scientific American • Aug. 9, 2023

Caligula, now, has a human face and a beak.

From New York Times • May 12, 2023

The Roman Emperor Caligula brought the ancient obelisk to Rome more than 2,000 years ago, and it was moved to the square in the 16th century.

From Washington Times • Apr. 30, 2023

In the city of Rome, emperors were often closely associated with the gods, but only stereotypically “corrupt” emperors such as Caligula declared themselves gods during their lifetimes.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

The Roman emperor Caligula allegedly planned to appoint his favourite horse, Incitatus, to the consulship.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari