The traditional view of the Roman emperor Caligula as a cruel and insane tyrant has been challenged by some modern historians
They point out that little documentation of Caligula' s alleged cruelty or outrageous behavior survives from the time of his reign and that the histories that have come down to us were written by his enemies
People who have lived under someone regarded as a cruel tyrant are more likely to view that person unfavorably than favorably.