Why Did a Roman Emperor Make His Horse a Senator?
About this video
Discover the bizarre true story of the Roman Emperor who made his horse a senator. Learn how Caligula's political stunt humiliated the Senate and became a legendary act of satire. Chapters: 00:00 The Myth of the Horse Senator 00:12 A Political Stunt? 00:24 A Promising Start 00:36 Power Struggle 00:48 A Horse's Luxury Life 01:00 Fact or Political Satire? 01:12 The Senate Humiliated 01:24 Senate Power Eroded 01:36 Political Satire 01:48 The Punchline 02:00 Fact vs. Propaganda 02:12 The Story Evolves 02:24 The End 02:36 Legend Born 02:47 Propaganda Power 02:59 The Emperor's Pet 03:11 The Senate's Fury 03:23 A Horse's Diet 03:35 The Joke Spreads 03:47 Senators Humiliated 03:59 The Horse's Priesthood 04:11 The Consulship Threat 04:23 A Parallel to Today 04:35 The Horse's Fate 04:47 The Myth's Power 04:59 The Horse's Daily Life 05:11 Senators Forced to Run 05:23 The Horse as Priest 05:35 The Consulship Threat 05:47 The Real Lesson Sources & further reading: ā¢ Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars: Life of Caligula ā Primary source written c. 121 AD, detailing Caligula's reign and the horse story. ā¢ Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 59 ā Primary source written c. 230 AD, claiming Caligula made Incitatus a consul. ā¢ Tacitus, Annals ā Primary source on Caligula's assassination and the political context. ā¢ Anthony A. Barrett, Caligula: The Corruption of Power ā Modern scholarly analysis of Caligula's reign and the horse story. ā¢ Aloys Winterling, Caligula: A Biography ā Modern biography that examines the political satire angle. ā¢ Peninsula Press: 'Caligula's Horse: The Story of Incitatus' ā https://peninsulapress.com/2018/03/16/caligulas-horse-the-story-of-incitatus/
