Do you have a favorite tyrant

[Quagmire]

You do wield the banhammer!

*As I sit here on my dark throne, steeped to the knees in the entrails of vanquished trolls*

Sorry, been reading Robert E. Howard again.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

" the man known as Alexander the Great was also one of history’s worst monsters. He was a murderous, rage-filled, paranoid, alcoholic, religious fanatic who, on at least one occasion, showed a fondness for what today might be considered necrophilia. He murdered often, at times indiscriminately. He assassinated rivals a dozen at a time, slaughtered innocents by the thousands, and exterminated entire tribes of people. It’s no exaggeration to say that Alexander killed off a generation of Macedonian officers—veterans he needed to run the army he inherited from his father, Philip. Nor were friends and family spared; within days of taking the throne, he killed Philip’s most recent wife and her new infant.

Recent scholarship has added detail to many of Alexander’s atrocities. But there’s still little to explain them. Some historians write the horrors off as the excesses of a megalomaniac and alcoholic. Indeed, he was drunk when he ordered the burning of the Persian capital, Persepolis, in 330."
http://www.historynet.com/alexander-the-monster.htm

He was a drunk narcissistic A$$hole and possibly a necrophiliac!

Well, that's disappointing if true.

 

[Revoltingest]

I voted for...

 

[Spiderman]

I bought a Socotra Blue Baboon tarantula today. I named it Napoleon. I love it, it spins webs all over the place and it makes tunnels and digs all the time! It runs really fast and delivers a painful bite when p*ssed, but I've had worse.

What sucks about it is I have to ruin it's tunnels and spider web that he worked so hard on, every time I hold him.

 

[Spiderman]

Well, that's disappointing if true.

Were you fond of him?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Were you fond of him?

I had a positive opinion, yes. My impression is that most people do.

 

[sayak83]

I didn't have enough options on the poll to add Bloody Mary, Franco, Muhammad, Nero, Augusto Pinocet, Chiang Kai-shek, Japanese Imperial Oppression/Emperor Hirohito,Hideiki Tojo, and other autocrats, Young Turk's Ottoman Holocaust/Ismail Enver Pasha, Tsardom of Nicholas the II...and Donald Trump

I've always had a disturbing interest and fascination with these bloodthirsty tyrants. I believe that may have been their destiny. I try to love God, but I believe that he is omnipotent, therefore he saw all this in advance and formed these people in the womb with these inclinations and this sinister destiny.

I'm quite fond of Napoleon. I've watched the PBS documentary on him like five times. He was born in Corsica, was made fun of in school, and was a nobody and rose out of nothing to be one of the most powerful Emperors in History. The battle of Austerlitz was ingenious. He gave the Russians the pratzens heights and got them to do everything he wanted them to do on the battlefield. There was no sign that anyone could defeat him on the battlefield. It was the Russian winter that defeated Napoleon. He rose from exile to Emperor a second time and then finally met his demise at his largest battle, the battle of waterloo.

I believe the souls of these people still live on in Heaven, Hell, and purgatory, and they can be contacted and benefit from our prayers and sacrifices. I believe their spirits still influence the world.

Constantine really changed the world by making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. It caused Christianity to spread throughout the world and become the dominant Religion...It's was a bit ugly how that was accomplished.

Cortes was quite a an interesting figure though. He went into an Aztec Empire of roughly 25,000,000 million people with a few hundred men and conquered it. How do a few hundred men conquer an empire of 25 million people?? Sounds miraculous to me.

Charlemagne is called the Father of Europe. In the European union, the headquarters is called "the Charlemagne building", they give out the "Charlemagne prize" (to the Pope) for those who contribute to European unity. Charlemagne united and Christianized most of western Europe. His Methods were a bit extreme, but all Holy Roman Emperors considered themselves his descendants, and his ghost still seems to be influencing Europe.

There are many prophesies from Christians, that before the return of Christ there will be a reign of the Antichrist. Of course, there are many antichrists out there, but many Christians prophecy that there will be an Antichrist who rules the world for a time, and he will a establish a New World Order, One World Government. There are some prophecies that he will work great signs and wonders, and be Christ-like in many ways to fool and deceive even the elect.

If such a person rises to power it is totally God's will (If God is the omnipotent all-knowing God Christians claim him to be). God saw it all in advance, and did nothing to stop it from happening, therefore God is asking for it (if it indeed happens as so many prophecy it will). If a person ever gets control of the world and exalted as a "Messiah", that person will be extremely intelligent, charismatic, ingenious, and whatever else is needed...those gifts and powers are given from God.

That is what Christians are forgetting. God creates evil. Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

If there is ever a "new world order", "one world Government", reign of the Antichrist over the world and a worldwide persecution of Christians, God totally wants it to happen.

The people they persecute are victim souls, sacrificial lambs, and they share in the crucifixion of Christ to atone for sin and share in a glorious Resurrection. It was God's will that Jesus be crucified...yes, I'm saying the people that crucified Christ were doing God's will.

It was God's will that the Pagan Roman Empire fed Christians to wild animals, beheaded them, used them as torches at the Olympic games, crucified them, and god only knows what else...

So, I think these bloodthirsty Emperors and Dictators were given that vocation by God. I simply don't agree with God's decision, but maybe if I saw the eternal reward that the victims of those regimes received, I'd be more accepting of God's ways.

Are there any tyrants or regimes you find particularly interesting?

Would any absolutist ruler do, or just the despicable ones?
If the former then it would be Augustus Caesar. If only horrible ones, then Ghenghis Khan. Both achieved unparalleled things, lived undefeated and left behind a lasting (and despite the bloodshed, ultimately constructive)legacy spanning centuries.

 

[Jumi]

I have no love for tyrants, but some of them were better than others.

Of the top of my head Peter the Great commands some respect, as do Cyrus the Great and Ramesses the Great.

 

[Sunstone]

The thing about tyrants is that's precisely what most people would be if given the opportunity. Far rarer is the person who, if given the opportunity, would decline it.

 

[Jumi]

Would any absolutist ruler do, or just the despicable ones?
If the former then it would be Augustus Caesar. If only horrible ones, then Ghenghis Khan. Both achieved unparalleled things, lived undefeated and left behind a lasting (and despite the bloodshed, ultimately constructive)legacy spanning centuries.

I've read that Genghis was a skilled propagandist, spreading tales of massacres ahead of his advance having cities surrender before him without bloodshed. According to historians, some of the famous massacres would not have happened especially not on the scale as are sometimes quoted.

 

[Sunstone]

I've read that Genghis was a skilled propagandist, spreading tales of massacres ahead of his advance having cities surrender before him without bloodshed. According to historians, some of the famous massacres would not have happened especially not on the scale as are sometimes quoted.

I've heard much the same.

 

[SomeRandom]

Surely not an utter *******. For instance, early in his career as an ******* tyrant, he made it illegal to kill slaves without legitimate cause. Quite an improvement over "Kill at whim!"

Fine he's just an almost complete and utter tosser, then.

 

[Jumi]

I had a positive opinion, yes. My impression is that most people do.

His sacking of Persepolis is probably the thing that left the most negative feeling about the man. My history teacher in high school made a point that we should remember that Alexander was young when he made history and had spent most of his life by the spear, dying at 33.

 

[Jumi]

The thing about tyrants is that's precisely what most people would be if given the opportunity. Far rarer is the person who, if given the opportunity, would decline it.

I would be one of those who would refuse to be a tyrant. I faintly remember some Greek ruler who was elected in a time of distress and gave up his rule when things got solved. I believe this happened twice in his life, they chose him because they knew he only thought of the best for the polis and wasn't into power for it's own sake. It's long time ago though that I read of him and it might be legend, but I think that is the approach I would try to take. Of course no country would elect me as leader.

 

[Sunstone]

I would be one of those who would refuse to be a tyrant. I faintly remember some Greek ruler who was elected in a time of distress and gave up his rule when things got solved. I believe this happened twice in his life, they chose him because they knew he only thought of the best for the polis and wasn't into power for it's own sake. It's long time ago though that I read of him and it might be legend, but I think that is the approach I would try to take. Of course no country would elect me as leader.

I believe you're thinking about Cincinnatis, the Roman. Quite a remarkable person.

 

[Jumi]

I believe you're thinking about Cincinnatis, the Roman. Quite a remarkable person.

My mistake on the Greek part, thanks!

 

[josip123]

A few short months after Caligula became Emperor, he became seriously ill. It was believed that he may have been poisoned. Although he recovered from his illness, it is said that at this point Caligula went mad. He began killing those close to him, or sending them to exile. He had Tiberius Gemellus, his cousin and adopted son, executed. Caligula’s grandmother was outraged by this, and died soon thereafter. There is disagreement as to how she died, with some saying she committed suicide, and others insisting she was poisoned by Caligula.

One of Caligula’s most egregious acts was in declaring that he was a living God. He ordered the construction of a bridge between his palace and the Temple of Jupiter, so that he could meet with the deity. He began appearing in public dressed as various gods and demigods such as Hercules, Mercury, Venus and Apollo. Reportedly, he began referring to himself as a god when meeting with politicians and he was referred to as Jupiter on occasion in public documents. Caligula had the heads removed from various statues of gods and replaced with his own in various temples.

As Caligula’s actions became more outrageous, the people of Rome began to hate him, and wished to rid him as their leader. At one point, Caligula declared to the Senate that he would be leaving Rome and moving to Egypt, where he would be worshipped as a living God. Cassius Chaerea of the Praetorian Guards began to plot towards Caligula’s demise. On January 24, 41 AD, a group of guards attacked Caligula after a sporting event. He was stabbed more than 30 times, and upon his death, he was buried in a shallow grave. Chaerea was said to have been the first to stab Caligula, with others joining in afterwards. His wife and daughter were also stabbed and killed. After his death, the Senate pushed to have him erased from Roman history, ordering destruction of his statues, and moving quickly to restore the Republic. The people of Rome were angry, and demanded revenge against those who murdered their Emperor. Caligula’s uncle, Claudius, became the next Emperor, and ordered the deaths of Chaerea and anyone who was involved in Caligula’s death.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

Caligula.....Make a horse a Senator!

An improvement on some US senators one could name! At least, when faced with bad legislation, one could rely on him voting nay.