hstry

Caligula is killed by his own guards

41 CE, Rome. An event.

Where and when

41 CERome

1,985 years ago

Explore
3000 BCE2900 BCE2800 BCE2700 BCE2600 BCE2500 BCE2400 BCE2300 BCE2200 BCE2100 BCE2000 BCE1900 BCE1800 BCE1700 BCE1600 BCE1500 BCE1400 BCE1300 BCE1200 BCE1100 BCE1000 BCE900 BCE800 BCE700 BCE600 BCE500 BCE400 BCE300 BCE200 BCE100 BCE1 CE100 CE200 CE300 CE400 CE500 CE600 CE700 CE800 CE900 CE1000 CE1100 CE1200 CE1300 CE1400 CE1500 CE1600 CE1700 CE1800 CE1900 CE2000 CEGreat Pyramid of Giza built, c. 2600 BCERome founded (traditional date), 753 BCELast western Roman emperor deposed, 476 CEGutenberg's printing press, c. 1440 CEColumbus reaches the Americas, 1492 CEFirst people on the Moon, 1969 CEToday, 2026

Swipe the line. Bars: entries. Dots: events.

, Rome

Officers of the Praetorian Guard stab the emperor Caligula at the Palatine games. The guards make his uncle Claudius emperor.

Respecting what followed, two different accounts are given. Some say, that, whilst he was speaking to the boys, Chaerea came behind him, and gave him a heavy blow on the neck with his sword

Suetonius, Life of Caligula 58Translated by Alexander Thomson, revised by T. Forester (1889)Read the full passage (Suetonius, Life of Caligula 58, opens gutenberg.org)

Background: Caligula, Wikipedia (opens en.wikipedia.org)

Why it matters

Some of the plotters may have hoped to restore the Republic, and Caligula's death marked the official end of the Julii Caesares in the male line.

Based on Wikipedia: Caligula

At least some of the conspirators might have planned this as an opportunity to restore the Roman Republic and aristocratic privileges.

Caligula's death marked the official end of the Julii Caesares in the male line, though the Julio-Claudian dynasty continued to rule until the demise of Caligula's nephew, the Emperor Nero.

Wikipedia, Caligula (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-24. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. 41 CEThis momentCaligula is killed by his own guards
  2. 43 CE2 years later Claudius invades Britain Same years
  3. c. 54–56 CEabout 14 years later Nero answers the Senate's thanks, in Suetonius Also in Rome
  4. c. 54–56 CEabout 14 years later Nero on signing a death sentence, per Suetonius Also in Rome
  5. 62 CE21 years later Seneca offers Nero his wealth, per Tacitus Also in Rome
  6. c. 62–65 CEabout 22 years later Seneca on dying daily Also about death
  7. 65 CE24 years later Nero orders his old tutor Seneca to die Also about death

See it among its momentsSee it in the feedExplore by place and time