It is argued that when Suetonius describes (Calig. 25.3) how Caligula used to display Caesonia riding in armour by his side to the soldiers, he is generalizing on the basis of one incident only, when Caligula had disguised her as Venus Victrix in order to accompany him in his imitation military expedition across the bridge at Baiae in the same way that Venus Victrix was believed to have once accompanied the commander whose exploits he was commemorating. Similarly, his description of how Caligula used to display Caesonia naked to his friends is another generalization, but one resting this time on the misinterpretation of a text originally describing how, after she had discarded the weapons and armour which she had worn while playing the part of Venus Victrix in the imitation military expedition, she had then accompanied her husband 'naked', that is, unarmed, to see his friends.