Caligula's ships - giant floating palaces that ended up at the bottom of the lake (5 photos)

Emperor Caligula's ships, built in the 1st century AD, were not intended for sea battles or travel. These were magnificent houses of pleasure, decorated with gold and precious stones.





Caligula's ships

The largest ships of Antiquity sailed on a small mountain lake and sank under unclear circumstances.

What did breathtaking luxury look like two thousand years ago, and what do the cold waters of Lake Nemi hide?

Master of Pleasures

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus is a man better known in history by his nickname “Caligula” - “boot”.

Caligula ruled the Roman Empire from 37 to 41 AD. and during 4 years of power he was remembered by posterity as one of the most odious rulers of a great power.



Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus

The mad tyrant, as his contemporaries considered him, was greedy for physical pleasures, staged grandiose theatrical and gladiatorial performances, and also erected large-scale architectural structures.

As if trying to find the limits of human capabilities and test the strength of the empire's budget, the monarch carried out the most incredible and expensive projects.

Huge ships launched in the volcanic caldera of Lake Nemi became one of these fantastic creations.

What did luxury look like in the 1st century?

We are talking about two rowing galleys. One of them served as a temple to the forest goddess Diana, the other was supposedly a pleasure palace.

The largest ship reached 73 meters in length and 24 meters in width. The oars were located not in the sides of the ship, but in special extensions along the edges of the ship - apostiks.





The smaller vessel, 70 meters long and 20 meters wide, was not equipped with oars, but was towed.

For comparison, the British steamer Titanic, famous for the largest ship of the early 19th century, reached 270 meters in length and 28 meters in width.

Caligula's galleys were inferior in parameters to the Titanic, but they sailed on a lake with a diameter of no more than 1000 meters. For their time, these were giants splashing in a puddle.

But something else struck. Flowering gardens were laid out on the ships, with branching fruit trees, fragrant flowers and hanging grapes. There were also baths, swimming pools, a revolving stage and palaces with rooms for slaves and guests.

Communications included running water with cold and hot water, as well as... heated floors. Of course, the entire interior was skillfully decorated with heads of wild animals, patterns and noble metal.



Excavation of Caligula's ships

Precious stones sparkled on the oars. The roofs of the palace and temple shone gold in the sun, stood on marble columns and covered an amazingly beautiful mosaic floor. There were statues here and there, and bas-reliefs and paintings adorned the walls.

The stage, which consisted of rotating platforms, was of amazing beauty and functionality. Their design used a ball bearing system, which was only reinvented towards the end of the 19th century.

And all this splendor existed 2000 years ago. One can only guess and envy what holidays Caligula threw there.

What happened to the ships?

The ships sank within 20 years of Caligula's death, during the reign of Emperor Nero. At that time, the empire was rocked by wars and uprisings. No one cared about the floating palaces.

In any case, this is just one of the versions, since no one left written sources regarding the fate of the floating palaces. Most likely, they were simply abandoned, over time they took on water and sank.



Since the 15th century, ships, or rather their wealth, have been repeatedly tried to be obtained. Benito Mussolini managed to achieve this by draining the lake.

The wrecks of the ships, which were remarkably preserved thanks to the thoroughness of the ancient Romans, were exhibited in the museum. The museum was destroyed in 1944 either by the Germans or the Americans. Historians disagree.

However, all is not lost. According to researchers, there is most likely another vessel resting at the bottom of the lake, reaching a length of 122 meters! It looks like the main sensations are still ahead of us!