Incitatus
Sign in to savethumb|Caligula and Incitatus, drawing by Victor Adam|Jean Victor Adam Incitatus (; meaning "swift" or "at full gallop") was the favourite horse of Roman Emperor Caligula (). According to legend, Caligula planned to make the horse a consul, although ancient sources are clear that this did not occur. Supposedly, Incitatus had 18 servants for himself, he lived in a marble stable, walked in a harness decorated with rare and special stones/jewels, dressed in purple (the colour of royalty) and ate from an ivory manger. ==Legend== According to Suetonius in the Lives of the Twelve Caesars (121 AD), Ca
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Legend
- Historical accuracy
- In art and metaphor
- See also
- References
thumb|Caligula and Incitatus, drawing by Victor Adam|Jean Victor Adam Incitatus (; meaning "swift" or "at full gallop") was the favourite horse of Roman Emperor Caligula (). According to legend, Caligula planned to make the horse a consul, although ancient sources are clear that this did not occur. Supposedly, Incitatus had 18 servants for himself, he lived in a marble stable, walked in a harness decorated with rare and special stones/jewels, dressed in purple (the colour of royalty) and ate from an ivory manger. ==Legend== According to Suetonius in the Lives of the Twelve Caesars (121 AD), Caligula planned to make Incitatus a consul, and the horse would "invite" dignitaries to dine with him in a house outfitted with servants there to entertain such events. Suetonius also wrote that the horse had a stable of marble, with an ivory manger, purple blankets and a collar of precious stones.
Cassius Dio (165–235 AD) indicated that the horse was attended by servants and was fed oats mixed with gold flake. He also notes that Caligula consecrated "his horse" as a priest in his service, although this horse is not named but is often assumed to be Incitatus.