During the Roman Empire (c. 27 B.C – 476 A.D.), there were several generally “good” monarchs such as Augustus, Vespasian, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and Antonius Pius.  Terms often associated with their reigns are “peace,” “stability,” and “social welfare.”  In contrast, there were the not-so-good emperors whose legacies are characterized by cruelty, murder, fiscal mismanagement, extremism, spectacle and narcissism.  Two of the worst were Caligula, who reigned from 37 to 41 A.D, and Nero, who reigned from 54 to 68 A.D.  They offer an interesting comparison to Donald John Trump 2,000 years later, keeping in mind the differences in government structure and the similarities that are metaphorical.

Caligula, who has been dubbed the “Mad” ruler, started out well; however, it is believed that a severe illness left him brain damaged, paranoid, and erratic.  He ordered arbitrary executions of senators and insulted the Roman Senate by threatening to make his horse, Incitatus, a Roman consul.  He declared himself a living god, built temples in his honor, appeared in public dressed as various deities, and demanded to be worshipped.  He also drained the treasury with lavish projects.  Fortunately, his reign was limited to four short but terrifying years.

Nero’s atrocities were more calculated and extensive.  Over his14-year reign, the “Malignant” ruler murdered his own family members, including his mother and his pregnant wife.  He also executed political rivals and philosophers.  After the Great Fire of Rome in 64 A.D., Nero seized public land to build his Domus Aurea (Golden Palace), which featured a massive statue of himself.  This gilded Colossus of Nero stood taller than 100 feet (more than 30 meters) and depicted Nero as the Roman sun god, Sol.  To deflect blame and create distraction, he brutally persecuted Christians, using them as human torches.  Like Caligula, he bankrupted the treasury and completely alienated the senatorial class.

Although there is no evidence that Trump directly killed anyone, his failed policies most certainly did and still do.  According to a report by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, his mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the unnecessary deaths of more than 100,000 Americans.  A study by The Lancet medical journal estimated that about 40% of COVID-19 deaths in the first year of the pandemic could have been averted if U.S. death rates had matched the averages of other G7 nations.  Moreover, Trump’s aggressive stance on immigration enforcement contributed to the deaths of 52 people so far in ICE custody, along with immeasurable cruelty and suffering for countless others. Let’s not forget Alex Pretti and Renée Nicole Good, who were killed during the ICE protests in Minneapolis in January 2026. Finally, lives are being lost in the ill-advised War with Iran, launched without foreseeing consequences and only to try to prove that Trump is a tough guy.

Trump shares the two emperors’ obsession with spectacle and vanity.  He holds pumped-up rallies and tawdry public events, such as combat entertainment events on government grounds, and frequently brags about his gold-adorned fixtures and architecture.  He tries to build monuments to himself, put his name on the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, and continuously stamps his brand on other self-glorifying projects.  He planned to televise a public firing-squad execution as if it were a Roman Colosseum circus.  Like Caligula, he seemingly enjoys humiliating people.

But these pale in comparison to his systematic dismantling of democracy.  He attacks norms and institutions with impunity—targeting co-equal branches of government, universities, law firms, the media, international allies, and any business or person who obstructs his grasp for unbridled power.  Too often fear leads to institutional capitulation as he chips away at the constitution, the rule of law, and civil behavior.  Furthermore, the grifting and corruption know no bounds.  Countless examples exist of schemes designed to defraud citizens, monetize his name, manipulate markets, and forge deals with foreign leaders to the distinct disadvantage of the American people.

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What happens to tyrants like these?  See part 2 next week.