--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At a banquet Caligula was suddenly seized…" description: "\"At a banquet Caligula was suddenly seized with a fit of helpless laughter. The consuls reclining next to him asked if they might share in the imperial ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/suetonius-25582_banquets_at-a-banquet-caligula-was-suddenly-seize_1574275.jpg" --- # At a banquet Caligula was suddenly seized with a fit of… ![“At a banquet Caligula was suddenly seized with a fit of helpless laughter. The consuls reclining next to him asked if they might share in the imperial merriment. Caligula, wiping the tears from his eyes, managed to gasp, "You'll never guess! It suddenly occurred to me that I had only to give a…” quote by Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/suetonius-25582_banquets_at-a-banquet-caligula-was-suddenly-seize_1574275.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/suetonius-25582_banquets_at-a-banquet-caligula-was-suddenly-seize_1574275.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/suetonius-25582_banquets_at-a-banquet-caligula-was-suddenly-seize_1574275.jpg) > “At a banquet Caligula was suddenly seized with a fit of helpless laughter. The consuls reclining next to him asked if they might share in the imperial merriment. Caligula, wiping the tears from his eyes, managed to gasp, "You'll never guess! It suddenly occurred to me that I had only to give a single nod, and both your throats would be cut on the spot."” [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Caligula's sudden, dark humor reveals his cruel power and the terror he wielded over his senators. **In simple terms:** Caligula joked that a nod could kill his senators. Key Takeaway Beware of power that hides behind humor. Themes power violence psychology history politics Mood dark cynical foreboding Type historical anecdotal cautionary When to use this quote - court intrigue - political meetings - authoritarian regimes - historical analysis Key Concepts despotism fear authoritarianism Questions to Reflect On - What does this story tell about the use of humor in tyranny? - How might such fear tactics affect governance? A Different Perspective The anecdote may be exaggerated or apocryphal, limiting its factual reliability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caligula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caligula/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Merriment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merriment/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) ## Related quotes > [“So much for the Emperor; the rest of this history must deal with the Monster. —IV:22”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/so-much-for-the-emperor-the-rest-of-this-history-must-deal-with-the/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [“-We live in Rome, he says, turning his face to the room again, -Caligula's Rome, with a new circus of vulgar bestialized suffering in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gaddis/we-live-in-rome-he-says-turning-his-face-to-the-room-again-caligula-s/) [William Gaddis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gaddis/) > [Never were abilities so much below mediocrity so well rewarded; no, not when Caligula's horse was made Consul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-randolph/never-were-abilities-so-much-below-mediocrity-so-well-rewarded-no-not/) [John Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-randolph/) > [Mister Cameron - I have read the unexpurgated Ovid, the love poems of Sappho, the Decameron in the original, and a great many texts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-lackey/mister-cameron-i-have-read-the-unexpurgated-ovid-the-love-poems-of/) [Mercedes Lackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-lackey/) > [“Animals fattened for your for your arena suffered less than you in dying-yours the lawlessness of something simple that has lost its law, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/animals-fattened-for-your-for-your-arena-suffered-less-than-you-in/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) > [“I'm the only true artist Rome has known - the only one, believe me - to match his inspiration with his deeds. CHEREA: That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-m-the-only-true-artist-rome-has-known-the-only-one-believe-me-to/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“The Roman emperor Caligula allegedly planned to appoint his favourite horse, Incitatus, to the consulship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-roman-emperor-caligula-allegedly-planned-to-appoint-his-favourite/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I certainly don't see myself as Caligula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-certainly-don-t-see-myself-as-caligula/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [“Let them hate, so long as they fear. Caligula”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-carella/let-them-hate-so-long-as-they-fear-caligula/) [C.J. Carella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-carella/) > [“What can be salvaged from your life? A pain that gently darkens over heart and brain, a fairy's touch, a cobweb's weight of pain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/what-can-be-salvaged-from-your-life-a-pain-that-gently-darkens-over/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) > [“I fell in love with Caligula and now I'm married to Calvin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-stafford/i-fell-in-love-with-caligula-and-now-i-m-married-to-calvin/) [Jean Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-stafford/) > [“Please stop trifling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/please-stop-trifling/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I'd quite like to be in Caligula's court - living in the back room somewhere and just being able to observe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-d-quite-like-to-be-in-caligula-s-court-living-in-the-back-room/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [“Most people imagine that a man suffers because out of the blue, Death snatches away the woman he loves. But his real suffering is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/most-people-imagine-that-a-man-suffers-because-out-of-the-blue-death/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Caligula wished that the Roman people had but one neck that he might cut it off, and as I read this letter I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bellamy/caligula-wished-that-the-roman-people-had-but-one-neck-that-he-might/) [Edward Bellamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bellamy/) ## More by Suetonius > [ Punishment \[by Nero\] was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/punishment-by-nero-was-inflicted-on-the-christians-a-class-of-men/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [Alea iacta est (The die is cast)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/alea-iacta-est-the-die-is-cast/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [ He \[Caesar Augustus\] found a city built of brick; he left it built of marble. \[Lat., Urbem lateritiam accepit, mamoream relinquit.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/he-caesar-augustus-found-a-city-built-of-brick-he-left-it-built-of/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [If you did not know at age five that the gods are made up beings and the myths made up stories, you are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/if-you-did-not-know-at-age-five-that-the-gods-are-made-up-beings-and/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [General Quotations about Evenings Let us add this one more night to our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/general-quotations-about-evenings-let-us-add-this-one-more-night-to/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [Suetonius, in holding up a mirror to those Caesars of diverting legend, reflects not only them but ourselves: half-tamed creatures, whose great moral task…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/suetonius-in-holding-up-a-mirror-to-those-caesars-of-diverting-legend/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [“Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/nothing-is-more-unpredictable-than-the-mob-nothing-more-obscure-than/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [The fox changes his skin but not his habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/the-fox-changes-his-skin-but-not-his-habits/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [“The titles of his books are recorded as follows: The Twelve Caesars; Royal Biographies; Lives of Famous Whores; Roman Manners and Customs; The Roman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/the-titles-of-his-books-are-recorded-as-follows-the-twelve-caesars/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [“On reflecting at dinner that he had done nothing to help anybody all day, he uttered these memorable and praiseworthy words: "Friends, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/on-reflecting-at-dinner-that-he-had-done-nothing-to-help-anybody-all/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [These things by reason of our friendship I have not hesitated glo to communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/these-things-by-reason-of-our-friendship-i-have-not-hesitated-glo-to/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [Hail, Caesar, those who are about to die salute thee. -](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/hail-caesar-those-who-are-about-to-die-salute-thee/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [Again, during a sacrifice, the augur Spurinna warned Caesar that the danger threatening him would not come later than the Ides of March.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/again-during-a-sacrifice-the-augur-spurinna-warned-caesar-that-the/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [“So much for the Emperor; the rest of this history must deal with the Monster. —IV:22”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/so-much-for-the-emperor-the-rest-of-this-history-must-deal-with-the/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [ A good shepherd shears his flock, not flays them. \[Lat., Boni pastoris est tondere pecus non deglubere.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/a-good-shepherd-shears-his-flock-not-flays-them-lat-boni-pastoris-est/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) [Explore all 23 Suetonius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) ## More Banquets quotes > [Some minds corrode and grow inactive under the loss of personal liberty; others grow morbid and irritable; but it is the nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/some-minds-corrode-and-grow-inactive-under-the-loss-of-personal/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [My dinners have never interfered with my business. 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I was merely a disinterested spectator at the Banquet of Life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-dundy/i-was-merely-a-disinterested-spectator-at-the-banquet-of-life/) [Elaine Dundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-dundy/) > [At banquets surfeit not, but fill; partake, and retire; and eat not again till you crave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/at-banquets-surfeit-not-but-fill-partake-and-retire-and-eat-not-again/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Unlike conventional jocks, who tend to sell aluminum siding and give canned speeches to parochial-school athletic banquets in the off-season, race drivers never shuck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-yates/unlike-conventional-jocks-who-tend-to-sell-aluminum-siding-and-give/) [Brock Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-yates/) > [We must admit that the divine banquet of the brain was, and still is, a feast with dishes that remain elusive in the blending,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macdonald-critchley/we-must-admit-that-the-divine-banquet-of-the-brain-was-and-still-is-a/) Macdonald Critchley > [Avoid banquets which are given by strangers an ignorant persons. 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