Description

Bronze as of the Roman Emperor Caligula, coin struck in Rome around AD 37–38. Obverse: bare head of Caligula facing left; reverse: Vesta seated left, holding a patera and a sceptre.

The nickname “Caligula” comes from the Latin word caliga, meaning a Roman military sandal. As a child, the future emperor Caius Julius Caesar Germanicus accompanied his father Germanicus in military camps, dressed in a small soldier’s outfit. The legionaries, amused, affectionately called him “Caligula,” meaning “little boot.” This childhood nickname stayed with him throughout his life, although he disliked it once he became emperor.