Before Trump supporters freak out, try to understand that the historical legacy of the Roman Emperor Caligula is much more complicated than it is often portrayed as.
The simplistic, grade school version of history paints him as a debauched, insane monster with no redeeming qualities. But more nuanced interpretations of Caligula portray him as a populist who routinely defied and enraged the Roman aristocracy. Incidentally, it is the members of that very aristocracy who typically serve as the historical sources painting Caligula as a deranged madman.
For example, one of the more well-known examples of Caligula's alleged madness is his triumphal crossing over the Bay of Baiae.
It is offered up as proof of his madness because of how frivolous and ostentatious it was. Building a giant crossing in order to celebrate some imaginary victory. Indeed, on first blush, this appears quite insane.
But if one enlarges the context, we can see that this location has particular relevance to the Roman aristocrats that Caligula was in the habit of defying and humiliating. That is, the Bay of Baiae was where much of the Roman aristocracy lived, and crossing it in such a manner would have served at least two purposes: (1) A populist nod to the Roman people and (2) a demonstration of his power to the elites.
Now, I don't presume to know if Caligula was mad or if he was just a shrewd populist, but it is an interesting parallel to consider given the modern elite's utter disdain for Trump and his often times ostentatious mockery of them.
Thoughts?