Chapter 2: Little Boots
"The naming culture of the Roman Empire is a bit complicated, to say the least…"
Their naming convention varied between boys and girls—a reflection of the inequality in a society that favored males.
That was simply how things were back then.
But that didn't mean that most women accepted it without resistance.
Of course not.
But we'll leave that discussion for another day.
For now, let us start again.
In the Roman Empire, when a baby boy was born, he was given a praenomen, or birth name.
If the boy was born into a noble or Imperial family—a nomen, or family name was added—marking which clan he belonged.
And the last was the cognomen—the identifier of his family branch.
Together, these three were referred to as the tria nomina.
These names were added to emulate past predecessors, in the hopes that these children—specifically the boys—would grow to mirror the same respect and power their ancestors once held.
This naming practice also applied even in cases of adoption into a new family.
And in Rome, adoption was quite common.
In contrast, girls typically received only one personal name—
It was often a feminized version of the family name or one reflecting their family's heritage.
It wasn't particularly creative.
Unless they were adopted or married into a new family, girls rarely received additional names.
"Then came the Julio-Claudian dynasty…"
There were ten gentes—ten top-tier families in Roman nobility—that held a significant amount of power and influence.
They shaped Roman politics, society, and culture through their complex web of alliances, rivalries, intermarriages, and competitions for status.
Among them stood the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
Two already powerful families—
The Julii and Claudii—who merged through marriage to form one formidable lineage.
This union produced the first Roman Emperor—the princeps—who later adopted his successor—
A man from the same family who now rules the empire in 16 AD.
The Julio-Claudian dynasty—the reigning gens family, also known as the Imperial Family—had held enormous control since the empire's founding.
And their power, as of yet, had no sign of diminishing.
"And in this set-up, the future third Emperor of the Roman Empire, Gaius Germanicus, was born…"
He would later be known as Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus.
The two additional names came from his adoption into the Julio-Claudian dynasty via his grandfather.
Gaius was his praenomen, Julius Caesar was his nomen, and Germanicus was his cognomen.
With this, he became a part of the Imperial Family—an adoptive grandson of the current reigning Emperor.
And in the future, another name would be added when he rises to the throne.
A name especially reserved for those who held supreme power.
But that was a story for another time.
For now, he was Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus—
The third son of the famous Roman General—Germanicus—who at that time was waging a revenge campaign for Rome in Germania.
**
Agrippina, born Vipsania Julia Agrippina, was a petite woman of striking beauty and unshakable resolve.
She had a powerful lineage that backed her up.
Her father, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, had been the most trusted advisor—and very close friend—of the first princeps.
And her status?
Don't even get me started.
She was the daughter of Julia the Elder—the only child of the revered first Emperor of Rome—making Agrippina his direct granddaughter.
Or to put it simply, a Roman princess.
Her long, near-white blond hair was always immaculately styled, framing sharp hazel eyes that rarely held warmth.
But don't let her elegant features and enticing beauty fool you.
Though undeniably alluring, her greatest strength lay in her devotion to family.
She embodied the ideal of Roman motherhood—an idealized figure to all the women across the empire.
But much of her fame came through her husband, Germanicus Julius Caesar, who was cheered and adored by the people.
These connections made her proud, and rightfully so.
Yet that pride never eclipsed her unwavering loyalty.
She repeatedly braved the arduous journey to Germania in support of her husband's military campaign.
Thus making her a paragon of virtue and maternal commitment.
**
And now, Agrippina was diligently preparing for a long journey.
She and her son Gaius—whose fourth birthday was on the last day of August, in the height of summer—were expected to travel to Vetera Castrum, a major Roman military camp in Germania.
This was a direct request by Germanicus himself from her last visit.
A week before her son's birthday—once everything was set—they left their domus, entrusting her other children to her mother-in-law.
The caravan was small.
It consisted only of Agrippina and her youngest son, with a few selected slaves and Praetorian guards, courtesy of her mother-in-law and father.
Fortunately, they encountered no danger, and their small group allowed them to travel swiftly.
Vetera Castrum. First week of November, 16 AD.
By the time they arrived at Vetera Castrum, it was already mid-autumn.
Their journey to Germania had spanned three months, encompassing the last month of summer, the boy's birthday, and the first half of autumn.
Cold wind whipped at little Gaius' face.
The rough fabric of his miniature soldier's outfit—devised by his mother to please his father—scratched against his skin as he walked.
He glanced around, taking in the unfamiliar landscape of the camp.
The fortress was a key military camp established in 12 BC.
It housed two Roman Legions, and was an important hub for trade and cultural exchange.
It featured typical Roman architecture, with big defensive walls and gates—multiple barracks and administrative buildings—making it look like a small city in the middle of nowhere.
As they moved through the bustling military camp, a steady clang of metal and the thick scent of burning wood filled little Gaius' senses.
It was accompanied by the growing murmur of voices.
It made the little boy's head spin.
Soldiers and their families were everywhere.
The young Gaius trembled in the chilly weather.
His little boots trudged on the rough pavement.
As they neared his father's barracks, a heavy mix of smoke, food and sweat grew stronger.
It mingled with the crisp autumn air.
The endless sound of people chatting and soldiers training filled his eyes, ears and nose.
Soldiers bustled past him and his mother.
Their faces softened with recognition.
Some even offered to escort them to where his father was.
Some greeted them with nods, others openly gave them a glance.
Some ruffled his curly blond hair.
Once they stood outside Germanicus' tent, Agrippina suddenly crouched down.
She adjusted her son's clothes and hair.
Then she murmured almost to herself, "You have to look perfect, worthy of being your father's son…"
When she was done, she gave him a final once-over and smiled proudly.
"Let's go greet him…"
**
Germanicus welcomed them with delight.
He kissed Agrippina, then lifted and hugged his son.
The sight of the cute little boy in his tiny boots instantly brightened the camp's mood, restoring a sense of camaraderie.
Charmed, the soldiers and their family couldn't help but dote on him with playful affection and attention.
It was a welcome effect in times of war.
Germanicus, the general and temporary commander of Vetera Castrum, was also in high spirits—still holding Gaius in one arm and now his wife in the other.
He declared that they would open the camp's taberna—a shop where they sold wine—the usual drink of Romans.
As time passed, the sun set.
The temperature dropped, and darkness settled over the camp.
Once drunk, he claimed that his son—Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus—was just like him at that age.
It was a clear sign of his favoritism towards his sons.
The soldiers howled with drunken glee.
And as if to prove a point, he requested Agrippina to let his young son sing by the campfire.
Agrippina urged little Gaius, while gently laughing at her husband's antics.
The bright young boy, already wise beyond his years, bravely stepped forward.
He stood before the campfire.
With his miniature soldier's outfit, he surveyed the faces of the inebriated soldiers, like he was already old.
He mimicked the way his father stood.
Taking a deep breath, he started to sing.
"As long as you're alive…"
"...shine."
"Don't be sad at all…"
"...life is short."
"Time asks for its due…"
The voice was like nothing they had ever heard before.
It was ethereal—an angelic tone that seemed to match the haunting melody of Seikilos Epitaph.
A song written to mourn a loved one who had passed.
It was a fitting song to sing during the long war against the Germanic tribes.
The soldiers erupted into applause.
Some cheered and whistled.
Others simply sniffled.
All the while, Germanicus laughed heartily.
Gone was his formidable aura.
Only a proud father was there.
In admiration of his flawless performance—and the way he confidently stood in his miniature uniform and boots, even when pressured—the soldiers dubbed him—
"Caligula", or "Little Boots".
It was a nickname that stuck.
The nickname became a symbol of the audience's drunken affection for the little boy and their recognition of his resemblance to his illustrious father.
That night, exhausted and happy, the newly nicknamed Caligula slept soundly.
The gentle crackle of the fire and the soldiers' singing were his lullaby.
**
A few days had passed.
Agrippina was about to leave the camp to go back to Rome, for her husband was already preparing for his raid on the Weser River.
Germanicus embraced and kissed her, whispering in her ears, making her face flush as he watched her with a twinkle in his eyes.
Before departing, she fixed her son's hair once more and kissed him goodbye.
She left the young Caligula alone, in the care of a soldier or two.
Though, at first, he was a little shy, the boy was thrilled to have his father all to himself.
Yet, that was soon quickly forgotten, as his little adventure in the camp earned him the deep fondness of the soldiers.
It was then that he truly saw and felt how his father was perceived by the people.
His father was widely admired—for his virtuous character, his dashing physique that made women of all ages giggle, and made men praise his exceptional military prowess.
Germanicus was the embodiment of Roman ideals.
And it made Caligula's heart full.
He was proud.
To the little boy, his father was everything.
And in his young mind, he dreamed of growing up to be just like his father—and finding a woman to love, like his mother to his father.
Together, his parents were almost like celebrities—icons of love and honor.
Caligula's curly blond hair—sun-kissed blend of his mother and father's hues—deep blue eyes, and his little brown boots became a familiar sight throughout the Castrum during the day.
At night, he sat with his father, who told him story after story of his glorious battles.
He taught the young Caligula about the military, hoping to instill discipline, courage—and to bond with his son.
Caligula absorbed it all.
He was eager to please and eager to learn.
Then, as the raid got nearer, the time Germanicus spent with him began to lessen.
And before he left the Castrum, he told Caligula to practice swinging his wooden sword.
He promised that when he returned, he'd ask his son to show it to him.
A promise that would soon become meaningless.
**
INDEX:
Gentes(plural)/Gens(singular)—Noblest family of the nobility
Princeps—First citizen, title of the Emperor
Domus—Roman house
Vetera Castrum/Castrum—Roman Legion military camp/Camp
Taberna—Roman shop
Seikilos Epitaph—Oldest musical composition in the world from ancient Greece
Caligula—little boots