1. Copying kits is a crime that hurts original artists & producers. Help support your favorite artists by buying their original works. PlanetFigure will not tolerate any activities related to recasting, and will report recasters to authorities. Thank you for your support!
  1. Martin Antonenko A Fixture

    Country:
    Germany
    Caligula Is Murdered!


    On January 24, 41, the Roman Emperor Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus is generally (albeit quietly and behind his back!) called after his childhood nickname "Caligula" (= soldier's booties)...

    [IMG]

    ...together with his fourth wife Milonia Caesonia...

    [IMG]

    ...and his daughter Iulia Drusilla...

    [IMG]

    ...murdered by members of the Praetorian Guard...:

    [IMG]
    Today, Caligula is generally regarded as the embodiment of the so-called "Caesar madness", which is repeatedly linked to an incident:

    So he is said to have planned his favorite horse "Incitatus" (this monument shows Caligula and the horse)...

    [IMG]
    ...to appoint a senator.

    What is guaranteed is that he forced the senators individually to kneel before the animal!

    [IMG]

    [IMG]

    Today, however, this matter with the "Caesar madness" is seen in a far more differentiated way:

    There is no denying that the Emperor constantly humiliated the Senate.

    He made fun of the highly ambiguous state structures created by Emperor Augustus!

    Augustus had one - purely formally! - Existing republic (re)initiated, but in reality governed behind the scenes as sole ruler.

    His motto may have been "It must all look Republican, but I (Augustus) must be in charge of everything!"

    Even the successor of Augustus, Tiberius, could not cope with this reality! He really tried to give the Senate back its old (dominion) position, at least partially, and was accused of "hypocrisy" and "dissimulation" by the senators.

    Caligula - son of Germanicus - who grew up in a legionary camp on the Rhine (digitally "rejuvenated" face of a Caligula bust!)...

    [IMG]

    ...and walked around there in miniature uniforms to the delight of the soldiers (hence his nickname), now left the stage and publicly presented the Senate again and again as a powerless body.

    And the common people loved him for it!

    This is also the background to the story of his Senator horse! The matter was less insane than more symbolic and thus highly political (even if that is sometimes the same)...:

    [IMG]

    However, it is also undisputed that Caligula allowed hecatombs of murders to be committed. There was no blood on his hands, it was literally dripping!

    His tyranny, however, was primarily aimed at one group of people: the senators, whom he hated fervently!

    In addition, those who were on good terms with senators, helped or assisted them, or who were considered by Caligula to be a real or perceived threat because of their name, position (of power) or for other reasons lived dangerously.

    The emperor is credited with the motto oderint, dum metuant ("Let them hate me while they fear me!").

    And just as surely Caligula had a sadistic streak!

    When he fell seriously ill shortly after taking office and was said to be dying (he had this rumor spread himself!), a number of Roman citizens swore to sacrifice their own lives if the emperor were to recover.

    [IMG]

    Caligula secretly had spies determine their names.

    When he recovered, all those who had sworn such an oath and belonged to the upper classes were given an imperial order to commit suicide!

    Those who refused were killed by Caligula's henchmen!

    The assets of those who committed suicide and those who were killed were confiscated by the state (or by the emperor).

    On the other hand, no hair was harmed to ordinary people who had let themselves be carried away to such an oath!

    The historian Flavius ​​Josephus writes that Caligula remained popular with sections of the population interested in elaborate games until his death, as well as with those sections of the army that had received their pay on time.

    Other sources also indicate the emperor's relative popularity with the people of Rome and Italy, but probably not in the provinces of eastern Greece, where Caligula had made himself unpopular by stealing art and looting temples.

    After only four years of rule, Caligula met his death at the hands of the Praetorian Guard. Initiator was her Praefectus Cassius Chaerea...

    [IMG]

    ...whereby the conspiracy was co-organized by some of the senators and other influential personalities at the imperial court.

    According to the ancient reports, the assassination took place in the underground corridor of a theatre, Caligula being slaughtered in the manner of a ritual sacrifice...:

    [IMG]

    The tunnel in question still exists today...:

    [IMG]

    Meanwhile, Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, who lives at the emperor's court, is hiding in the imperial palace in fear...

    [IMG]

    ...an elderly relative of the murdered man.

    When the praetorians search the palace and drag Claudius out of his hiding place, he thinks his last hour has come!

    [IMG]

    Instead, he sees himself proclaimed by the Guard to be the fourth emperor of Rome!

    [IMG]

    Incidentally, the story about Caligula's horse as a visible symbol of "Caesar madness" celebrates a happy resurrection in the USA during the reign of the "greatest president of all time"...:

    [IMG]

    [IMG]
    akaryu and Airkid like this.
  2. Airkid A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Bread and circuses (bit like nowadays I guess). Our own Caligula may yet get his just desserts but I'm not holding my breath....
  3. Martin Antonenko A Fixture

    Country:
    Germany
    Bojo is at best a grotesque caricature of Caligua!

    Harder than Hollywood

    Boris Johnson's excuses in the party lie affair are great cinema. The direction deserves an Oscar. And a resignation.

    It all starts with press reports, at Johnson's official residence at No. 10 parties were celebrated that ran counter to all the corona rules under which the British groaned at the time. The voice from the director speaks for the first time. She says in Boris' ear: 'Deny everything. There were no parties. There are no parties. There will never be a party. You don't even know what parties are."
    display

    »Hmmm«, says the voice after a few days, »it won't be that easy after all«. A series of instructions follows:

    'Then say: those weren't paaartys. You have to stretch the A in surprise and amazement that someone would think inviting over a hundred people to drink and stand around and have lots of fun in a garden could be something like a…don't use the word at all. «

    "Didn't work?" the voice asks a few days later. “Then say: you knew absolutely nothing. There might have been parties, but if there were, you knew absolutely nothing about it.”

    Next it turns out that the invitation to the big garden party came from Johnson's office manager. But the voice goes on: "Say you can't remember. There might have been parties, but you weren't there. Definitely not. Well, probably not. Well, maybe it is. But you can't remember."

    Public and press are becoming increasingly restless, the excuses are embarrassing even by battered British standards. 'Time to act,' says the voice, 'open an independent investigation by a close associate and say, 'The British people have a right to full disclosure'. Then speak privately with the staff member, and while the exam is in progress - deconstruct everything: what is a 'party'? At what point is a lawn a 'garden'? And what does 'being there' even mean?' However, for the first time the voice doesn't sound so steady when she says: 'You have to buy time, Boris.'

    But voters, party members and the media are becoming increasingly impatient, even those who call themselves conservative. The voice says, "Put the blame away. Nobody told you it was a party and not a work meeting. No one told you there were rules you had to obey as Prime Minister.”

    “Okay,” the voice concedes a moment later, “the fact that there was a bottle of wine in front of you doesn't look good in the photos. You have to get on the offensive. Find a scapegoat: Whoever didn't tell you to abide by the rules: fire them!"

    Over the next few days, desperation creeps into his voice. She says: 'Excuse me, Boris. Yes, I know you hate it because you went to the elite schools and colleges and it's so... plebeian, so... small minded and not free. Do it anyway.«
    In a long interview, Johnson apologizes for the parties and his affectation in dealing with the affair. But the voice says afterwards: "It's no use, it doesn't stop, heavens, what do they want from you? Then let's do it like Donald: flood the zone with shit! Start a crazy argument, Boris. Hire a staff member with your political ties (no, not the one with the independent investigation) to abolish the BBC. Make a law to ban demos just because they're too loud. Something like that.”

    Johnson's culture minister announces that she will cut public funds for the BBC, and the lower house wants to pass an extremely harsh anti-demonstration law. The director asks helplessly: "Isn't everything working? Your fellow party members, the ungrateful pack, want to have your collar on just because you disgrace your office? Huh, all of a sudden? Then throw a chunk of raw meat at the idiots if I don't mind."
    Johnson starts »operation red meat«. In order to dissuade reluctant Tory MPs from voting no confidence against him, he fulfills their great wish: he declares the corona pandemic over and most of the measures lifted.

    That was late last week. In London and in real life.

    By the way, the last entry of the direction for Boris – in the “procedure”, as it is called on television – could read like this: “Now it doesn't matter, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. Set fire to the city, London is not worthy of you. England isn't, and Britain (with those Scots and Northern Irish, oh man) certainly isn't. It'll be fine.«
    Text by: Nikolaus Blome, DER SPIEGEL
    Nap and Airkid like this.
  4. Airkid A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Absolutely brilliant!
  5. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Not exactly a normal fellow .......

    Nap
    Martin Rohmann likes this.
  6. Martin Antonenko A Fixture

    Country:
    Germany
  7. Airkid A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:!

    I see the toffs are closing ranks so it looks like we're stuck with poundshop Churchill for a few lies longer.:arghh:

Share This Page

planetFigure Links

Reviews & Open Box
Buy. Sell & trade
Articles
Link Directory
Events
Advertising

Popular Sections

Figure & Minis News
vBench - Works in Progress
Painting Talk
Sculpting Talk
Digital Sculpting Talk
The Lounge
Report Piracy

Who we are

planetFigure is a community built around miniature painters, sculptors and collectors, We are here to exchange support, Information & Resources.

© planetFigure 2003 - 2022.