The Life of Caligula, 52

Suetonius  translated by J. C. Rolfe

« Suet. Cal. 51 | Suet. Cal. 52 | Suet. Cal. 53 | About This Work »

52In his clothing, his shoes, and the rest of his attire he did not follow the usage of his country and his fellow-citizens; not always even that of his sex; or in fact, that of an ordinary mortal. He often appeared in public in embroidered cloaks covered with precious stones, with a long-sleeved tunic and bracelets; sometimes in silk and in a woman’s robe; now in slippers or buskins, again in boots, such as the emperor’s body-guard wear, and at times in the low shoes which are used by females. But oftentimes he exhibited himself with a golden beard, holding in his hand a thunderbolt, a trident, or a caduceus, emblems of the gods, and even in the garb of Venus. He frequently wore the dress of a triumphing general, even before his campaign, and sometimes the breastplate of Alexander the Great, which he had taken from his sarcophagus.

« Suet. Cal. 51 | Suet. Cal. 52 | Suet. Cal. 53 | About This Work »