Mental illness is defined as “Any of various conditions characterized by the deterioration of an individual's normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning. It can be caused by social, psychological, biochemical or genetic factors. Infections or head trauma can also contribute." (7) Historical sources give us information about Caligula's family history, actions, and state of mental health. The information I have gathered supports the theory that Caligula likely suffered from one or more mental illnesses. However, please note that most of the information I am using has been documented by very biased people. There are actually no surviving accounts of Caligula written during his lifetime. The earliest surviving documents were written by Gaius Seutonius Tranquilis, a century after Caligula's death. (2) Although Caligula has been dead for centuries, he has never been completely forgotten. He occasionally appears in various films and documentaries. It's strange how the most twisted minds are rarely forgotten; one might imagine that even the memory of the existence of such people (e.g. Nero, Attila the Hun) is avoided. But it isn't. Maybe because people are both fascinated and disgusted by the very idea of ​​these people and what they have done. The same goes for Caligula. On August 1, 12 AD, Gaius Caesar Germanicus (who at a young age was nicknamed Caligula or Boots) was born to Agrippina the Elder and Germanicus. (1) Germanicus was both a highly successful military commander and an immensely popular public figure. He was part of the Julio-Claudiens, the most illustrious family in Rome. Caligula's lineage could not have been more imperial, his great-great-grandfather was Julius Caesar...... middle of paper...... August 6, 2012?http://voices.yahoo.com/narcissistic- personality- disorder-personal-story-11639516.html?cat=54) Caligula: historical contextBarbara F. McManusJune, 1999, The College of New Rochelle?http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/caligula.html5) “Caligula” Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (12 AD - 41 AD)???http://www.roman-empire.net/emperors/caligula.html6) Caligula's phobias and philias: fear of convulsions?D. Th 211030243878737) The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mental+illness 8) MedlinePlus February 3, 2014 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002473.htm