The popular image about him is of an insane tyrant. Upon recovering, Caligula had permanently lost his hair and apparently his mind. Some suggest herpes or malaria (untreated malarial encephalitis causes extremely high fevers which are noted for causing brain damage in those who survive them) while others suggest lead poisoning. Later that year he fell seriously ill, the cause of which is still debated. Caligula was something of a PR maestro and knew how to put himself over: holding endless games, burning Tiberius' 'enemies list', and showering gold coins (actually his inheritance) onto his fans.
The first six months of his reign were reportedly an easygoing time for the Romans. Caligula was elevated to emperor once Tiberius died in AD 37. His great-uncle was Emperor Tiberius, while his nephew was the equally infamous Nero. His actual name was Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus Caligula is a nickname, meaning 'Little Boot' (or less literally 'Bootsy'), that he got in his childhood, because, him being a Military Brat, his mom liked to dress him up as a soldier. The infamous Roman emperor, reigned between AD 37 and AD 41.
