Caligula is a unique figure in world history—a Roman emperor whose brief reign left an outsized mark on politics, culture, and the popular imagination. Legend has it he brought his horse to the Senate and even let it “vote,” bragging it was cleverer than all the senators combined. Under Caligula no one could predict whether the next day would bring festivals, war, or a prank; unpredictability was his governing style.
Albert Camus’s play bridges past and present. In vivid, fast-moving scenes it asks how far power can go—and how long a people will tolerate a government’s contempt.