Cassius Chaerea

Cassius Chaerea (dee'd 41) wis a centurion in the airmy o Germanicus an servit in the Praetorian Gaird unner the emperor Caligula, whom he eventually assassinatit.

Accordin tae Tacitus, afore his service in the Praetorians, he distinguished hissel wi his bravery an skill in helpin tae subdue the mutiny on the German frontier immediately efter the daith o Augustus.^[1]

Cassius wis disturbit bi the increasingly unbalancit emperor, an angered at Caligula's mockin o his vyce an his supposed or real effeminacy, possibly due tae a woond tae his genitalia suffered while servin Caligula's faither, Germanicus. It is reportit that wheniver Caligula haed Chaerea kiss his ring, Caligula wad, accordin tae Suetonius, "hauld oot his haund tae kiss, formin an muivin it in an obscene fashion."^[2] Cassius wis made tae uise degradin watch-wirds at nicht, includin "Venus" (slang for a male eunuch) an "Priapus" (erection).^[2]

Unable tae bear this ony langer, Chaerea planned tae assassinate Caligula durin the Palatine gemmes held in Januar. Cassius' plot wis ane o several that formit aroond the same time an eventually coalescit intae ane broad conspiracy includin a nummer o Praetorians, Senators, an Equestrians. On 24 Januar, Cassius struck, an Caligula wis killed. At the same time, Caligula's wife Caesonia an dochter Julia Drusilla wur murthert, completin the task o destroyin the emperor's immediate faimily. Cassius wis sympathetic tae his fellae conspirators in the Senate, an wantit the destruction o the principate.

Unfortunately for Cassius, he did no control the lyalty o the majority o the Praetorians. The Praetorians proclaimit Caligula's uncle, Claudius, as emperor. Shortly efterwairds, Cassius wis sentencit tae daith, ane o the few assassins tae be acbbbbbtually condemned. Cassius requestit tae be executit wi his awn murther wappen, an this wis grantit.he killed people for fun

Sources

↑ Cornelius Tacitus. Anthony John Woodman (ed.). The Annals. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-87220-558-1. Archived frae the original on 6 Januar 2011. Retrieved 24 Januar 2011.
↑ ^a ^b "The Lives of the Twelve Caesars". University of Chicago Press. 2010. Retrieved 23 Januar 2010.

References

Suetonius, On the Life of the Caesars, "Caligula", LVI.

[1] Cornelius Tacitus. Anthony John Woodman (ed.). The Annals. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-87220-558-1. Archived frae the original on 6 Januar 2011. Retrieved 24 Januar 2011.

[suetonius-2] "The Lives of the Twelve Caesars". University of Chicago Press. 2010. Retrieved 23 Januar 2010.

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