Any Saddam-esque Coups in Ancient History?

Tjakari

Tjakari

I mean specifically the part of Saddam's coup where he forcefully implicated the ruling elite in the takeover by making them personally execute the purged.* For the life of me, I couldn't think of any examples in anyway like that. At least not from actual history.

If anyone here had read Romulus Augustus' TL then you might remember when Justinian purged the Eastern Senate and made all the sons of the senators kill their fathers. And after that I could think of nothing else.
I should add that large conspiracies don't count, the sort of coup I'm referring to is coerced by the dictator/usurper rather than spearheaded.
So if there any examples could you please shed some light on them.



*When Saddam took over he had one of his tortured/imprisoned former colleagues come read off a list of names from members of the party in the Iraqi Parliament. Those people were then taken out and line up and after all had been called, everyone left was made to go out and shoot one personally.
 
LSCatilina

LSCatilina

The Amirid dictatorship in late Umayyad Spain comes in mind, especially from the point the previous hajib is executed after a kangaroo court, and the political clash with Subh in 996 which ends, and a Clue-esque management of bureaucratic and aristocratic dissenssion.
That said, it's not "personal" exacution, rather use of institutions and personal power.

Depending on what exactly you're describing there, you might have other exemples of bloody coups : in Ancient Greece, in the late archaic period for exemple.
 

Falecius

The Thirty in Athens were pretty big about implicating their support base in their crimes directly so that they would back them to the hilt (the massacre of Eleusians is particularly egregious). According to Xenophon (eyewitness of the entire thing and likely deeply implicated himself), this was planned and outspoken.
 

Byzantion

Tjakari said:
I mean specifically the part of Saddam's coup where he forcefully implicated the ruling elite in the takeover by making them personally execute the purged.* For the life of me, I couldn't think of any examples in anyway like that. At least not from actual history.

If anyone here had read Romulus Augustus' TL then you might remember when Justinian purged the Eastern Senate and made all the sons of the senators kill their fathers. And after that I could think of nothing else.
I should add that large conspiracies don't count, the sort of coup I'm referring to is coerced by the dictator/usurper rather than spearheaded.
So if there any examples could you please shed some light on them.



*When Saddam took over he had one of his tortured/imprisoned former colleagues come read off a list of names from members of the party in the Iraqi Parliament. Those people were then taken out and line up and after all had been called, everyone left was made to go out and shoot one personally.
Click to expand...

Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix ?
 
Karolus Rex

Karolus Rex

Tjakari said:
I'm not gonna lie, my understanding of the Republic's history is a bit limited.
Click to expand...

Sulla lead the Optimates during the Civil War against Marius and Cinna and during the "Reign of Terror" names of traitors would be placed on the public forum and sons would kill fathers and fathers sons just because they were on the list. Also given that he was a Optimate his dictatorship had the blessing of the ruling elite.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top