Cassius Chaerea - Definition and Overview

Cassius Chaerea (fl. 1st Century AD) was a centurion in the army of Germanicus. After the death of Tiberius and the execution of Macro, Caligula made him Prefect (commander) of the Praetorian Guard.

Disturbed by the increasingly-unbalanced emperor, and angered at Caligula's mocking of his voice, Chaerea plotted with several senators to assassinate Caligula, and on January 15, 41, they did just that, killing the emperor, his empress, and their infant daughter.

Shortly afterwards, he was sentenced to death by the new emperor, Claudius and executed.

Robert Graves, in I, Claudius, invented the story that he was among the few survivors of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.

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