Caligula’s Little Boot Nickname

Roman emperor Caligula’s real name was Gaius, but he picked up his famous nickname as a small child. When he was about 2 or 3 years old, he accompanied his father Germanicus on a military campaign while wearing a miniature uniform made by his mother, Agrippina the Elder. The outfit included tiny army boots, so the soldiers nicknamed him "Caligula," meaning "little boot." Gaius grew to dislike the nickname.

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