Caligula, the third Roman Emperor, ruled from AD 37 to 41. Notorious for his erratic and despotic behavior, he is often depicted as the epitome of the mad tyrant. Known for extravagant acts like planning to appoint his horse a consul and his brutal methods of governance, Caligula's reign is remembered as one of the most tumultuous periods in the early Roman Empire. Caligula sought not just to maintain his rule but to become a god in the eyes of his subjects.