L’Olivo Santa Barbara is a blog about cultural similarities and differences between Italy and the United States, with some emphasis on Santa Barbara, California. The blog addresses history, travel, film, music, art, food, and people and animals. Following an introduction in English, you can choose to read each post in Italian or English. Comments are welcome, as are ideas for future posts.
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As with most dictators, Caligula’s downfall was driven by many factors. His lavish spending and extravagant spectacles drained the imperial treasury. To compensate, he levied predatory taxes and seized property from wealthy citizens. Seething grievances extended to Roman senators, whom he mocked and humiliated. On the mere hint of treason, he executed family members and political rivals. Finally, he insulted the Praetorian Guard, his own elite police force tasked with protecting him.
In particular, he often publicly mocked the Praetorian Cassius Chaerea for having a high-pitched voice. (Take heed here, JD Vance.) Fed up with the abuse, Chaerea formed an alliance with fellow Praetorians, senators, and others in constant fear of the emperor and his increasingly erratic behavior. In 41 A.D., during the Palatine Games — a sports and theatre festival — Chaerea approached the emperor in an underground corridor. When Caligula mocked him again, Chaerea struck him with his sword. A crowd of conspirators rushed in, stabbing the emperor nearly 30 times until he was dead. A contingent of guards then hunted down his family. Caligula was the first Roman Emperor to be assassinated.
Similar factors led to Nero’s demise in 68 A.D. His reckless spending caused him to devalue the currency and heavily raise taxes. His executions of family members and political rivals instilled fear among everyone. His alienation of the Roman Senate and his increasing tyranny spawned regional military rebellions. Ultimately, the Praetorian Guard abandoned him.
The Roman Senate declared Nero a public enemy (hostis publicus), which meant he could be killed on sight. As a fugitive and unwilling to face execution, Nero committed suicide stabbing himself in the throat.
In modern times, Hitler committed suicide in his underground bunker 2 days after learning that Mussolini had been executed and hanged upside down in a Milan square, where the Italian people spat on and defaced the body.
Do the lives of tyrants end well? A study of national rulers with absolute power like Caligula’s and Nero’s found that 69% end up jailed, exiled, or killed. Tranquil retirement is incredibly rare.
Trump’s fate? That chapter has yet to be written. In this country, we do not condone violence. We do, however, believe in accountability, as well as full and fair investigations, which proponents argue can only be achieved with a “blue tsunami.”
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Come accade alla maggior parte dei dittatori, la caduta di Caligola fu determinata da molteplici fattori. Le sue spese sconsiderate e i suoi spettacoli stravaganti prosciugarono l’erario imperiale. Per rimediare, impose tributi vessatori e confiscò i beni di cittadini facoltosi. Il risentimento si diffuse anche tra i senatori romani, che lui derideva e umiliava. Al minimo sospetto di tradimento, giustiziava i membri della propria famiglia e i suoi rivali politici. Infine, arrivò a insultare la Guardia Pretoriana, il corpo scelto incaricato della sua stessa protezione.
In particolare, lui derideva spesso pubblicamente il pretoriano Cassio Cherea per via della sua voce acuta. (Un monito, questo, per JD Vance.) Stanco di tali angherie, Cherea strinse un’alleanza con altri pretoriani, senatori e diverse persone che vivevano nel costante timore dell’imperatore e del suo comportamento sempre più imprevedibile. Nel 41 d.C., durante i Ludi Palatini — un festival che comprendeva gare sportive e spettacoli teatrali — Cherea si avvicinò all’imperatore in un corridoio sotterraneo. Quando Caligola lo prese nuovamente in giro, Cherea lo colpì con la spada. Un gruppo di congiurati si precipitò sul posto, pugnalando l’imperatore quasi trenta volte fino a ucciderlo. Un contingente di guardie diede poi la caccia ai suoi familiari. Caligola fu il primo imperatore romano a essere assassinato.
Fattori analoghi portarono alla caduta di Nerone nel 68 d.C. Le sue spese sconsiderate lo spinsero a svalutare la moneta e ad aumentare drasticamente le tasse. L’esecuzione di membri della propria famiglia e di rivali politici diffuse il timore ovunque. L’aver alienato il Senato romano e la sua crescente tirannia provocarono rivolte militari nelle province. Alla fine, anche la Guardia Pretoriana lo abbandonò.
Il Senato romano dichiarò Nerone nemico pubblico (hostis publicus), il che significava che poteva essere ucciso non appena fosse state avvistato. Ormai in fuga e non volendo affrontare l’esecuzione, Nerone si suicidò pugnalandosi alla gola.
In epoca moderna, Hitler si suicidò nel suo bunker sotterraneo due giorni dopo aver appreso che Mussolini era stato giustiziato e poi appeso a testa in giù in una piazza di Milano, dove il popolo italiano sputò sul suo cadavere e lo oltraggiò.
Le vite dei tiranni finiscono bene? Uno studio sui governanti dotati di potere assoluto, come Caligola o Nerone, ha rilevato che il 69% di loro finisce in prigione, in esilio o ucciso. Una serena pensione è un’eventualità estremamente rara.
Quale sarà il destino di Trump? Questo capitolo deve ancora essere scritto. Nel nostro Paese non giustifichiamo la violenza. Crediamo, tuttavia, nella responsabilità e in indagini complete ed eque. Secondo i sostenitori di questa tesi, un simile obiettivo è raggiungibile solo attraverso un “tsunami blu”.
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During the Roman Empire (c. 27 B.C – 476 A.D.), there were several generally “good” monarchs such as Augustus, Vespasian, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and Antonius Pius. Terms often associated with their reigns are “peace,” “stability,” and “social welfare.” In contrast, there were the not-so-good emperors whose legacies are characterized by cruelty, murder, fiscal mismanagement, extremism, spectacle and narcissism. Two of the worst were Caligula, who reigned from 37 to 41 A.D, and Nero, who reigned from 54 to 68 A.D. They offer an interesting comparison to Donald John Trump 2,000 years later, keeping in mind the differences in government structure and the similarities that are metaphorical.
Caligula, who has been dubbed the “Mad” ruler, started out well; however, it is believed that a severe illness left him brain damaged, paranoid, and erratic. He ordered arbitrary executions of senators and insulted the Roman Senate by threatening to make his horse, Incitatus, a Roman consul. He declared himself a living god, built temples in his honor, appeared in public dressed as various deities, and demanded to be worshipped. He also drained the treasury with lavish projects. Fortunately, his reign was limited to four short but terrifying years.
Nero’s atrocities were more calculated and extensive. Over his14-year reign, the “Malignant” ruler murdered his own family members, including his mother and his pregnant wife. He also executed political rivals and philosophers. After the Great Fire of Rome in 64 A.D., Nero seized public land to build his Domus Aurea (Golden Palace), which featured a massive statue of himself. This gilded Colossus of Nero stood taller than 100 feet (more than 30 meters) and depicted Nero as the Roman sun god, Sol. To deflect blame and create distraction, he brutally persecuted Christians, using them as human torches. Like Caligula, he bankrupted the treasury and completely alienated the senatorial class.
Although there is no evidence that Trump directly killed anyone, his failed policies most certainly did and still do. According to a report by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, his mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the unnecessary deaths of more than 100,000 Americans. A study by The Lancet medical journal estimated that about 40% of COVID-19 deaths in the first year of the pandemic could have been averted if U.S. death rates had matched the averages of other G7 nations. Moreover, Trump’s aggressive stance on immigration enforcement contributed to the deaths of 52 people so far in ICE custody, along with immeasurable cruelty and suffering for countless others. Let’s not forget Alex Pretti and Renée Nicole Good, who were killed during the ICE protests in Minneapolis in January 2026. Finally, lives are being lost in the ill-advised War with Iran, launched without foreseeing consequences and only to try to prove that Trump is a tough guy.
Trump shares the two emperors’ obsession with spectacle and vanity. He holds pumped-up rallies and tawdry public events, such as combat entertainment events on government grounds, and frequently brags about his gold-adorned fixtures and architecture. He tries to build monuments to himself, put his name on the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, and continuously stamps his brand on other self-glorifying projects. He planned to televise a public firing-squad execution as if it were a Roman Colosseum circus. Like Caligula, he seemingly enjoys humiliating people.
But these pale in comparison to his systematic dismantling of democracy. He attacks norms and institutions with impunity—targeting co-equal branches of government, universities, law firms, the media, international allies, and any business or person who obstructs his grasp for unbridled power. Too often fear leads to institutional capitulation as he chips away at the constitution, the rule of law, and civil behavior. Furthermore, the grifting and corruption know no bounds. Countless examples exist of schemes designed to defraud citizens, monetize his name, manipulate markets, and forge deals with foreign leaders to the distinct disadvantage of the American people.
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What happens to tyrants like these? See part 2 next week.
