S06 · E05

Caligula: Reign of Madness

His reign lasted only four years and he was dead at the age of 28. Yet, as the third emperor of the Roman empire, he remains one of the most notorious rulers in history. Best remembered for his bacchanalian lifestyle and callous, heavy-handed ruling style, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, or “Caligula,” as he was known, packed a lot into a very short life. In this incisive program, Biography goes beyond the legend to explore the anguished life of this infamous emperor. Discover how the first six months of Caligula’s rule were marked by a surprising degree of clemency and how a violent illness seemingly transformed him into the monster that history remembers today. Featuring interviews with leading scholars, Caligula: Reign of Madness is the ultimate profile of Rome’s most reviled ruler: the bizarre, bloodthirsty Caligula.