crazy despot anecdotes

**nokhor** · 05-31-2005, 03:49

this is meant to be a repository of stories about megalomaniac dictators. the stories have to be about real historical figures, but the stories don't neccessarily have to be true, but the stories must be what people believed to be true and what the despot was certainly capable of.

my favorite caligula anecdote is that he supposedly had a whole bunch of ships lashed together, and then rode across the bay of naples on horseback.

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 05-31-2005, 03:59

Caligula was a good man! (sarcasm)

Stalin's son was captured by the Nazis while fighting as a colonel in the Red Army. The Soviets had captured a German general and the Nazis proposed a trade, Stalin's son for the general. Stalin asked why he would trade a general for a colonel. His son died while in captivity.

Oh during/before a sea battle at the Coloseum didn't some gladiators approach Caligula and salute him with the famous words: "All hail Caesar, we who are about to die salute you!" He thought they were mocking him and ordered the Praetorians to kill them, they decided to enter the sea battle rather than face his guards and presumably died.

**Krusader** · 05-31-2005, 04:41

Emperor Bokassa of the Central African Empire (Central African Republic).

Believed to do many things, like serving prisoners as steak to European dignitaries during banquets.

Jean-Bedel Bokassa