Interesting anecdotes. Edgar Rice Burroughs (author of Tarzan) wrote a historical novel about a Gallic slave who served the emperor’s household, and through that character expressed the view that Tiberius was the among the best and Caligula among the worst. Probably not far off.
Thanks for the reference to the ERB Novel “I Am a Barbarian.” It has rave reviews on Amazon. I added it to my Wish List.
Tiberius may have been at least partially responsible for Caligula becoming the man he was. After all, Tiberius pretty much wiped out Caligula’s mother and five siblings and then Caligula had to live on Capri with the old creep. “Good night, Gaius. Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.” Try living with that for a few years!