One of their most infamous children was born within this army community—Gaius Caesar Germanicus. As a child, Gaius was known to dress up in a soldier's attire like his father. Because of this, he got dubbed Caligula, meaning “Little Boots.” Caligula was destined to become the future emperor of Rome, and one of the most notorious at that. Ironically, his own military career did not nearly live up to the accomplishments of his father. Caligula's so-called Victory over the Sea, for instance, adds weight to the idea that he wasn't mentally unstable. He would make a name for himself, but not in an honorable way.

In 14 BCE, Emperor Augustus died, leaving Tiberius as his immediate successor. On receiving word of the former's demise, the men under Germanicus started an uprising. Some of the more western legions viewed him with esteem, saying they would follow Germanicus over Tiberius if given the chance. But Germanicus turned down their proposal. Meanwhile, he had to make a move to appease the collective body of legions.

Germanicus tried several ploys in an attempt to persuade the legionaries to reunite themselves to the Emperor's cause. One idea he put to the test was the forging of a document from Tiberius himself meeting the criteria raised by the soldiers. This included payment. With the promise of this settlement, Germanicus regained rapport with his men. But the solution was short-lived.

Once envoys from Rome appeared on the scene, the legions found out that the previous message from Tiberius had been nothing but a ruse. Indignant from this news, the soldiers stormed right into Germanicus’s dwelling, while Agrippina and Caligula watched. They resorted to threatening Agrippina and the boy. At this, Germanicus passionately implored his soldiers to let his spouse and child leave untouched.

The plea that ensued touched its listeners and won over the hearts of the irritated legionaries. Germanicus was able to worm his way out of a massive rebellion through the use of his rhetoric and reason. His political mindset was far from wasted in the army. A personality such as Germanicus’s is that of a natural leader, an individual who can accumulate great power under his control. Nevertheless, his activities—like those of so many of the ancient Romans—were often two-faced.

After the mutiny had been suppressed, the notion of executing rabble-rousers was raised and brought before Germanicus. In this matter, he gave no order, nor did he influence those under his command in what they should do with the instigators.

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