The Horse Incitatus (AD 37–⁠41)

Incitatus was Caligula’s favorite horse. Suetonius describes a marble stable, an ivory manger, purple blankets, a collar of gems and a house with slaves; he also writes that there was talk of an intention to make him consul (Caligula 55). Dio adds that the emperor invited the horse to dinner, swore by his life, promised him the consulship and made him his fellow priest (59.14, 59.28).

There is no evidence that the horse became consul. Winterling sees in this a mockery of the Senate, Woods supposes that the joke grew out of a misreading of the name of the senator Asinius Celer, and van Nispen recalls an old tradition of honors paid to horses.