Customer Reviews

Biography - Caligula: Reign of Madness [VHS]

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Caligula was assassinated at the age of 28, but it was no power play. An old man, in fact (Claudius), replaced him. Simply put, he had become bad for the Roman Empire. However, it didn't begin that way.

Caligula's first few months were productive and constructive, until an illness struck him and he was actually near death. He overcame the illness, but it seemed something changed him. Caligula now became something quite different than before, only for the worse. It is from this period where the stories of orgies, executions, incest and the like originate.

No one can be sure what caused the change in his behavior. Was it mental illness? Was it the effect of the sickness he had barely survived? Was it a result of his sad childhood? It remains a mystery. But what cannot be denied is that Caligula was dragging down the Roman Empire with his erratic behavior, and he had to be stopped. His "removal" from power was really only a matter of time.

It's called "Caligula: Reign of Madness" for a reason. Because all they did was focus on the bad stuff he did and the rumors that have followed him for years. It's good if you're out to know some scandals and have a basic introduction into Caligula. I thought it was completely biased. There was more to Caligula then sleeping with his sisters, and appointing his horse a senator (which by the way is highly debated as not being true) They touched on nothing of him as emperor, and exagerated a bit too much on his personal life, making him worst than he possibly was.
The only thing I like is that this video didn't altogether brand him a vicious demidevil who just got up one day and decided to be bad. The professors in this video did explain his reasonings, perhaps even his "dementia" and left it open for the viewers to decided on whether he was truly mad, inheritenly evil, or just a very hurt individual. Other than that, I expected more from this video than just a "scandals" report.

I really am a big fan of the A&E biographies, this is another one to add to the collection. I am in love with the story as much as any other. I know that i have a fascination with people's lives but A&E deserves the credit for my interest. They have done it again.