th ren ▁were ▁not ▁found ▁until ▁ 2 4 ▁May ▁ 3 8 . ▁He ▁goes ▁on ▁to ▁explain ▁that ▁Gem ell us ▁waited ▁for ▁a ▁chance ▁to ▁benefit ▁from ▁Cal ig ula ' s ▁ill ness . ▁According ▁to ▁Phil o , ▁Cal ig ula ' s ▁pret ended ▁reason ▁was ▁a ▁consp i racy . ▁Su eton ius ▁says ▁that ▁Gem ell us ▁took ▁medicine ▁for ▁a ▁chron ic ▁c ough , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁sm ell ▁was ▁detected ; ▁leading ▁to ▁accus ations ▁of ▁taking ▁an ▁ant id ote ▁for ▁poison . ▁He ▁was ▁ordered ▁by ▁Cal ig ula ▁to ▁commit ▁suic ide ▁for ▁which ▁soldiers ▁gave ▁him ▁a ▁sword , ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁help ▁him ▁because ▁he ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁not ▁known ▁how ▁to ▁kill ▁himself ▁with ▁it . ▁ ▁D io ▁notes ▁that ▁Gem ell us ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁pray ing ▁for ▁and ▁anticip ating ▁Cal ig ula ' s ▁death . ▁Histor ian ▁Anthony ▁Bar rett ▁obser ves ▁that ▁Gem ell us ▁would ▁have ▁represented ▁Cal ig ula ▁during ▁his ▁ill ness ▁at ▁non - polit ical ▁events ▁with ▁his ▁uncle ▁Claud ius ▁representing ▁the ▁em peror ▁at ▁games . ▁He ▁suggests ▁that ▁Cal ig ula ▁viewed ▁anything ▁Gem ell us ▁did ▁in ▁his ▁name ▁with ▁par ano ia , ▁although ▁Gem ell us ' ▁only ▁named ▁supp orter ▁( to ▁the ▁extent ▁that ▁he ▁should ▁co - rule ▁with ▁Cal ig ula ) ▁was ▁A ulus ▁Av il ius ▁F la cc us , ▁the