Incitatus

A horse, ancient Rome and a touch of madness....

Incitatus was the favorite horse of the emperor Caligula 

Caligula was the 4th roman emperor in the Julio-Claudian line. He ruled from 37-41AD.

He was very intensely involved with horse racing, which was a common form of entertainment at the time. Incitatus was a very successful racehorse. His name roughly translates to 'swift' or 'fast moving'. 

 

 

Caligula has passed down in history as one of the ancient world's most brutal and insane rulers. Incest with his sisters, having conversations with the moon and feeding prisoners to wild beasts were some of his feature exploits.

He lavished this specific horse in unbridled luxury. He had 18 servants, or slaves, at his disposal; lived in a marble stable and ate out of an ivory manger.  He was kitted out in a harness and tack decorated with rare, precious stones and jewels. His blankets and saddle cloth were purple in colour, a pigment strictly reserved for royalty in ancient Rome. This was a pivotal factor in roman and other ancient and medieval societies. It was perceived as a great offence, attracting severe punishment, donning a colour that was not appropriate for a specific social class. 

Caligula made him a priest of the emperor's cult. This was a controversial practice of worshipping the emperor and his family as divinity. Interestingly, it was forbidden in Rome itself, but still practiced in the rest of the empire.

Incitatus was regularly invited to dine with the emperor at the palace. Furthermore, he also entertained dignitaries in his own capacity. 

Toward the end of his reign Caligula's relationship with the senate was progressively stooped in distrust and skepticism. When, he announced his intention to make Incitatus a consul. This was the highest executive office in charge of governing and administering the empire. Two consuls were elected to be in office for one year at the time. The reaction from the senate and the public was shock, disbelief and outrage.....surprise, surprise.

By then Caligula's manic tendencies had started to escalate, fueling the ever growing tensions. The destructive level of distrust was now spilling over to society at large.

His announcement could have had three possible reasons. 

• He was genuinely, outrageously fond of his horse (I can totally identify with that)
• It was a political move designed to humiliate the senate
• Severe deterioration of his mental state

The unrest that his mental illness caused, sourced the formation of an assassination plot which succeeded in the murder of Caligula, his wife and daughter, on the 24th January 41 AD. 

Incitatus never got to run for consul after that. However, the intent survived nearly 2000 years.