Gratefully built with ACNLPatternTool
Caligula is represented here as a victorious general—the triumphant “imperator,” but in fact, he did not win any wars for Rome. His lack of military success and prowess alienated him from the army, and without its support, his rule became increasingly insecure. He was assassinated in Rome when aged only twenty-eight.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item
Title: Onyx cameo of the emperor Gaius (Caligula)
Period: Early Imperial, Julio-Claudian
Date: ca. 37–43 CE
Culture: Roman
Medium: Onyx
Dimensions: Overall: 1 11/16 x 1 1/4 x 9/16in. (4.3 x 3.1 x 1.5cm)
Classification: Gems
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1911
Accession Number: 11.195.7
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
