What was Caligula's horse called, that he made Consul?

Question

The Roman Emperor Caligula was mad and this is one of the barmier things he did, The Praetorian Guard (his bodyguards) finally murdered him and installed Claudius as emperor.

Answer 1

Incitatus

Wikipedia writes:

Some have indicated that the horse was attended to by eighteen servants, and was fed oats mixed with gold flake; according to Suetonius, Incitatus had a stable of marble, with an ivory manger, purple blankets (purple was the colour reserved for emperors to wear) and a collar of precious stones. Suetonius wrote also that Caligula planned to make Incitatus a Consul. Caligula even procured him a wife, a mare named Penelope. It has also been said Caligula claimed his horse to be a 'combination of all the gods' and to be worshipped as such.

I looked up Suetonius. Suetonius writes in The Twelve Caesars as follows:

"The day before the Circensian games, he used to send his soldiers to enjoin silence in the neighbourhood, that the repose of his horse Incitatus might not be disturbed. For this favourite animal, besides a marble stable, an ivory manger, purple housings, and a
jewelled frontlet, he appointed a house, with a retinue of slaves, and fine furniture, for the reception of such as were invited in the horse's
name to sup with him. It is even said that he intended to make him consul."

This suggests it was an intention rather than an accomplished fact.

(taken from the Project Gutenberg text)

Answer 2

It's worth noting that no historical proof exists that Caligula actually made Incitatus consul; if he did so, it was more as a political statement that even a horse could do the job of consul (or that the recent consuls had been so bad that a horse would be an improvement) and not, in fact, a completely insane action.

Answer 3

Incitatus

Answer 4

Incitatus

Answer 5

Caligula's horse, named "Incitatus":

Answer 6

Incitatus; for further information, please see: