He was famed for his brutal four-year reign and love of wild orgies.
Now a wild party boat used by Emperor Caligula for sex parties is to be recovered after 2,000 years.
Researchers are planning to dive to the bottom of Lake Nemi in Italy to find the famed ruler's 400-feet-long vessel.
They hope that the boat - described as 'the world's first luxury cruise ship' - will give more of an insight into Caligula's depraved lifestyle.
Wreck of Emperor Caligula's party boat where he hosted wild ORGIES to be recovered after 2,000 years
The famous Emperor Caligula had a four year reign from AD 37 to 41
He was known for throwing wild parties on board his 400-feet-long boat
In the 1920s, two other boats were discovered in Lake Nemi
Divers are now using sonar technology to search for the third boat
By Shivali Best For Mailonline
4 April 2017
He was famed for his brutal four-year reign and love of wild orgies.
Now a wild party boat used by Emperor Caligula for sex parties is to be recovered after 2,000 years.
Researchers are planning to dive to the bottom of Lake Nemi in Italy to find the famed ruler's 400-feet-long vessel.
They hope that the boat - described as 'the world's first luxury cruise ship' - will give more of an insight into Caligula's depraved lifestyle.
Researchers are planning to dive to the bottom of Lake Nemi, Italy, to recover the famed ruler's 2,000-year-old party boat (artist's impression pictured)
Emperor Caligula had a wild four year reign from AD37 to 41, in which he killed for pleasure, tried to appoint his horse a consul, and slept with his own sister, before being assassinated by his successors.
The unruly Caligula was famed for his enormous boat parties that included orgies, but researchers have struggled to find his boat.
Now, divers from Nemi are planning to use scanners to scour the bottom of Lake Nemi in the hunt for the 400ft vessel.
Two smaller ships have previously been discovered in the volcanic lake, but researchers suspect that Caligula's boat may still linger in the depths.
Alberto Bertucci, mayor of Nemi, told The Times: 'If it's down there, and it's that long, then we are talking about the world's first luxury cruise ship.
'Every emperor had a villa — but Caligula demanded floating villas complete with columns, hot water, gold and mosaics.'
The two smaller ships, which were brought to the surface in the 1920s, were very advanced for their time. They were fitted with modern naval technology, including piston pumps and an anchor with a folding timber stock – which was only reinvented by the Royal Navy in 1841
The team of researchers arrived at the lake yesterday, armed with a sonar to search the waters for lost objects, and a scanner that uses ground-penetrating sound waves to spot objects buried up to nine feet below the bottom.
Mr Bertucci said: 'Divers have tried to find the boat in the lake but the mud means visibility is only 15 cm.'
In the 16th century, Francesco de Marchi, an Italian nobleman, discovered two smaller ships in Lake Nemi.
Mr Bertucci said: 'He reported bringing up relics on the far side of the lake from where the two other boats were found, and talked of a boat measuring up to 400ft long.
'Since then we have oral testimony from fishermen bringing up items in the nets at that spot.'
In a book called 'The Lives of the Twelve Caesars', Roman historian Suetonius described Caligula's huge boats.
He wrote: 'Ten banks of oars . . . the poops of which blazed with jewels . . . filled with ample baths, galleries and saloons, and supplied with a great variety of vines and fruit trees.'
When Caligula was assassinated in AD41, it is believed that his boats may have been sunk in an attempt to remove his legacy.
The boats discovered in the 1920s also had ornate bronze lion heads, although these were removed and are now housed in the National Roman Museum in Rome
The two smaller ships, which were brought to the surface in the 1920s, were very advanced for their time.
They were fitted with modern naval technology, including piston pumps and an anchor with a folding timber stock – which was only reinvented by the Royal Navy in 1841.
They also had ornate bronze lion heads, although these were removed and are now housed in the National Roman Museum in Rome.
Researchers will now scan the lake, which sits at the bottom of the town of Nemi, for ten days, on the hunt for the party boat
The ships themselves were kept in a museum beside the lake, which unfortunately burned down in 1944.
Researchers will now scan the lake for ten days on the hunt for the party boat.
Mr Bertucci added: 'Now, 2,000 years on, we can finally discover if there is a third boat down there.'
Divers from Nemi are planning to use scanners to scour the bottom of Lake Nemi in the hunt for the 400 foot vessel
CALIGULA, THE ORGY ENTHUSIAST
Emperor Caligula (which means "little boot"), whose real name was Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, was the third Roman emperor, in succession to Tiberius.
The 24-year-old emperor was initially hugely popular, providing lavish games for the Romans to enjoy, and abolished the sales tax.
But seven months into his reign he fell ill, and he emerged from this as a tyrannical ruler.
He went out of his way to humiliate the Senate by trying to make his horse consul, and encouraged treason trials for his own financial benefit.
He also insisted on being treated as a god.
Caligula had three sisters, who he allegedly forced to have sex with him.
He also particularly offended the Jews, intending to place a statue of himself in the Temple at Jerusalem.
In 41 AD, the Praetorian Guard assassinated Gaius, together with his wife Caesonia and his daughter.
Only the common people, who benefited from his extravagant spending, lamented his death.
THE PARTY BOAT
Emperor Caligula was famed for his boat parties that included wild orgies, but researchers have struggled to find his boat.
Two smaller ships have previously been discovered in the volcanic lake, but researchers suspect that Caligula's boat may still linger in the depths.
In a book called 'The Lives of the Twelve Caesars', Roman historian, Suetonius, described Caligula's huge boat.
He wrote: 'Ten banks of oars . . . the poops of which blazed with jewels . . . filled with ample baths, galleries, and saloons, and supplied with a great variety of vines and fruit trees.'
When Caligula was assassinated in AD41, it is believed that his boat may have been sunk in an attempt to remove his legacy.
Now a wild party boat used by Emperor Caligula for sex parties is to be recovered after 2,000 years.
Researchers are planning to dive to the bottom of Lake Nemi in Italy to find the famed ruler's 400-feet-long vessel.
They hope that the boat - described as 'the world's first luxury cruise ship' - will give more of an insight into Caligula's depraved lifestyle.
Wreck of Emperor Caligula's party boat where he hosted wild ORGIES to be recovered after 2,000 years
The famous Emperor Caligula had a four year reign from AD 37 to 41
He was known for throwing wild parties on board his 400-feet-long boat
In the 1920s, two other boats were discovered in Lake Nemi
Divers are now using sonar technology to search for the third boat
By Shivali Best For Mailonline
4 April 2017
He was famed for his brutal four-year reign and love of wild orgies.
Now a wild party boat used by Emperor Caligula for sex parties is to be recovered after 2,000 years.
Researchers are planning to dive to the bottom of Lake Nemi in Italy to find the famed ruler's 400-feet-long vessel.
They hope that the boat - described as 'the world's first luxury cruise ship' - will give more of an insight into Caligula's depraved lifestyle.
Researchers are planning to dive to the bottom of Lake Nemi, Italy, to recover the famed ruler's 2,000-year-old party boat (artist's impression pictured)
Emperor Caligula had a wild four year reign from AD37 to 41, in which he killed for pleasure, tried to appoint his horse a consul, and slept with his own sister, before being assassinated by his successors.
The unruly Caligula was famed for his enormous boat parties that included orgies, but researchers have struggled to find his boat.
Now, divers from Nemi are planning to use scanners to scour the bottom of Lake Nemi in the hunt for the 400ft vessel.
Two smaller ships have previously been discovered in the volcanic lake, but researchers suspect that Caligula's boat may still linger in the depths.
Alberto Bertucci, mayor of Nemi, told The Times: 'If it's down there, and it's that long, then we are talking about the world's first luxury cruise ship.
'Every emperor had a villa — but Caligula demanded floating villas complete with columns, hot water, gold and mosaics.'
The two smaller ships, which were brought to the surface in the 1920s, were very advanced for their time. They were fitted with modern naval technology, including piston pumps and an anchor with a folding timber stock – which was only reinvented by the Royal Navy in 1841
The team of researchers arrived at the lake yesterday, armed with a sonar to search the waters for lost objects, and a scanner that uses ground-penetrating sound waves to spot objects buried up to nine feet below the bottom.
Mr Bertucci said: 'Divers have tried to find the boat in the lake but the mud means visibility is only 15 cm.'
In the 16th century, Francesco de Marchi, an Italian nobleman, discovered two smaller ships in Lake Nemi.
Mr Bertucci said: 'He reported bringing up relics on the far side of the lake from where the two other boats were found, and talked of a boat measuring up to 400ft long.
'Since then we have oral testimony from fishermen bringing up items in the nets at that spot.'
In a book called 'The Lives of the Twelve Caesars', Roman historian Suetonius described Caligula's huge boats.
He wrote: 'Ten banks of oars . . . the poops of which blazed with jewels . . . filled with ample baths, galleries and saloons, and supplied with a great variety of vines and fruit trees.'
When Caligula was assassinated in AD41, it is believed that his boats may have been sunk in an attempt to remove his legacy.
The boats discovered in the 1920s also had ornate bronze lion heads, although these were removed and are now housed in the National Roman Museum in Rome
The two smaller ships, which were brought to the surface in the 1920s, were very advanced for their time.
They were fitted with modern naval technology, including piston pumps and an anchor with a folding timber stock – which was only reinvented by the Royal Navy in 1841.
They also had ornate bronze lion heads, although these were removed and are now housed in the National Roman Museum in Rome.
Researchers will now scan the lake, which sits at the bottom of the town of Nemi, for ten days, on the hunt for the party boat
The ships themselves were kept in a museum beside the lake, which unfortunately burned down in 1944.
Researchers will now scan the lake for ten days on the hunt for the party boat.
Mr Bertucci added: 'Now, 2,000 years on, we can finally discover if there is a third boat down there.'
Divers from Nemi are planning to use scanners to scour the bottom of Lake Nemi in the hunt for the 400 foot vessel
CALIGULA, THE ORGY ENTHUSIAST
Emperor Caligula (which means "little boot"), whose real name was Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, was the third Roman emperor, in succession to Tiberius.
The 24-year-old emperor was initially hugely popular, providing lavish games for the Romans to enjoy, and abolished the sales tax.
But seven months into his reign he fell ill, and he emerged from this as a tyrannical ruler.
He went out of his way to humiliate the Senate by trying to make his horse consul, and encouraged treason trials for his own financial benefit.
He also insisted on being treated as a god.
Caligula had three sisters, who he allegedly forced to have sex with him.
He also particularly offended the Jews, intending to place a statue of himself in the Temple at Jerusalem.
In 41 AD, the Praetorian Guard assassinated Gaius, together with his wife Caesonia and his daughter.
Only the common people, who benefited from his extravagant spending, lamented his death.
THE PARTY BOAT
Emperor Caligula was famed for his boat parties that included wild orgies, but researchers have struggled to find his boat.
Two smaller ships have previously been discovered in the volcanic lake, but researchers suspect that Caligula's boat may still linger in the depths.
In a book called 'The Lives of the Twelve Caesars', Roman historian, Suetonius, described Caligula's huge boat.
He wrote: 'Ten banks of oars . . . the poops of which blazed with jewels . . . filled with ample baths, galleries, and saloons, and supplied with a great variety of vines and fruit trees.'
When Caligula was assassinated in AD41, it is believed that his boat may have been sunk in an attempt to remove his legacy.
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