I’ve been listening Mike Duncan’s The History of Rome padcast and have just made it to the ascension of Caligula. Havingread most of Vox Day‘s comments on male hierarchy, I couldn’t help but consider the early Caesars in that light. I have only a passing familiarity with these characters, so this is based only on Duncan’s podcast and high school history classes.
Here are the ranks as Vox enumerates them:
- Alpha – Natural leaders. Confident, charismatic, and dominant. Usually run the show wherever they go.
- Beta – Natural semi-leaders. Confident, but maybe not as charismatic. They have to work at it and frequently play second-fiddle.
- Delta – The rank and file. Mostly passive. Stable, hard-working “family” men.
- Gamma – Weak, scared, passive-aggressive loners. Sycophants and complainers. They get little respect and usually don’t deserve it.
- Omega – Creepy losers. Sociopaths.
- Sigma – Confident, charismatic, dominant men who don’t naturally incline toward leading anything or even necessarily participating.
Julius Caesar was a Natural, a born Alpha. He was charismatic, reckless, brash, and stunningly successful in war, politics, and womanizing. People adored him or abhorred him, but everyone respected him.
Augustus Caesar (aka Octavius, etc.) was not an Alpha. As a young man, he was intelligent and thoughtful but sickly and possibly even a coward. Men didn’t gravitate toward him or respect him. At best he was a Beta, but it’s possible he was a Delta or even on the border of Gamma. Fortunately for him, he spent much of his teenage years at the side of Uncle Julius, absorbing some of his character and methods. By the time Julius died he had become a Beta, and over the following decade he transformed himself into an Alpha. His more timid roots kept him from becoming a complete clone of Julius, however. He didn’t rule or conquer with the reckless abandon of his uncle, but remained a thoughtful and careful administrator. He relied very heavily on his even more intelligent capable advisor, Agrippa, whom I would call a strong Alpha if it weren’t for his continual preference to remain in Augustus’ shadow.
Tiberius began life as a Delta. He never wanted to be a leader, let alone an emperor. Circumstances forced him to adopt the behavior of an Alpha, but he always hated the role. The conflict between who he wanted to be and who he felt he was forced to be eventually broke him. He died an Omega.
Caligula could have been another Julius. He was born an Alpha, but he was twisted into Omega behavior under the murderous, perverted tutelage of his adopted grandfather.
Draw what conclusions you will. I strongly believe that men can become something to which they were not born. That can be a good thing or a bad thing.