Cassius Chaerea was disturbed by the increasingly unbalanced Caligula, and was angered at the Emperor's mocking of his voice and of his supposed or real effeminacy.
10 Facts About Cassius Chaerea
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Cassius Chaerea was made to use degrading watch-words at night, including "Venus" and "Priapus".
3.
Caligula was despised by many people and Cassius Chaerea's plot was one of several that formed around the same time, eventually coalescing into one broad conspiracy involving a number of Praetorians, Senators, and Equestrians.
4.
Cassius Chaerea was sympathetic to his fellow conspirators in the Senate, and sought the destruction of the Principate.
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Shortly afterwards, Cassius Chaerea was sentenced to death, one of the few assassins to be actually condemned.
6.
Cassius Chaerea requested to be executed with his personal sword, and this soon was granted.
7.
Cassius Chaerea is portrayed sympathetically in Robert Graves' I, Claudius novels as having had a long and distinguished career in the service of Rome, including being the only surviving officer of the massacre at Teutoburg Forest.
8.
Cassius Chaerea later serves under Caligula, whom he protected in his youth.
9.
Cassius Chaerea insists that he killed Caligula for the Republic's sake, and Claudius sympathizes with him.
10.
Cassius Chaerea is foretold in the Sibyl's prophecy to be "the horse" that will kill Caligula, as Caligula rode on Cassius Chaerea's shoulders as a child.