The emperor Gaius (‘Caligula’) was assassinated in January AD 41. It seemed that the dynasty of the Caesars was over, and republican rule restored; but a military coup by the Praetorian Guard set up Gaius’ uncle Claudius as emperor. A detailed contemporary account of the plot and its aftermath was incorporated by the historian Josephus into his Antiquities of the Jews, as an example of the providence of God (if Gaius had lived, he would have desecrated the temple at Jerusalem). This book is a translation of that unjustly neglected narrative, one of the most important texts in Roman impe ... More

The emperor Gaius (‘Caligula’) was assassinated in January AD 41. It seemed that the dynasty of the Caesars was over, and republican rule restored; but a military coup by the Praetorian Guard set up Gaius’ uncle Claudius as emperor. A detailed contemporary account of the plot and its aftermath was incorporated by the historian Josephus into his Antiquities of the Jews, as an example of the providence of God (if Gaius had lived, he would have desecrated the temple at Jerusalem). This book is a translation of that unjustly neglected narrative, one of the most important texts in Roman imperial history, with an introduction and historical commentary to bring out its full significance. Two appendices provide detailed discussion of (1) the scene of the events, the imperial residence on the Palatine, of which our understanding has been revolutionised in the last few years by new archaeological evidence, and (2) the Roman historian Cluvius Rufus, the likely author of the original account used by Josephus.