View source for Tyrannicide

{{Short description|Killing of a tyrant or unjust ruler}}
{{About||the ships|Massachusetts ship Tyrannicide (1776)|and|French ship Tyrannicide (1793)}}
[[File:Die_Ermordung_des_Hipparchos.JPG|thumb|The tyrant [[Hipparchus (brother of Hippias)|Hipparchus of Athens]] (center) is assassinated by [[Harmodius and Aristogeiton]] (illustration from a Greek vase).]]
{{wiktionary | tyrannicide}}
{{Homicide}}
'''Tyrannicide''' is the killing or [[assassination]] of a political leader seen as a [[tyrant]] or unjust ruler, purportedly for the [[common good]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Louis |first=chevalier de Jaucourt (biography) |date=2009-11-06 |title=Tyrannicide |url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/d/did/did2222.0001.682?view=text;rgn=main |journal=Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert - Collaborative Translation Project}}</ref> and usually by one of the tyrant's subjects.<ref name=ce>{{Cite Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle= Tyrannicide}}</ref> Tyrannicide was legally permitted and encouraged in [[Classical Athens]]. Often, the term "tyrant" was a justification for political murders by rivals, but in some exceptional cases students of [[Platonic philosophy]] risked their lives against tyrants. The killing of [[Clearchus of Heraclea]] in 353 BC by a cohort led by his own court philosopher is considered a sincere tyrannicide. A person who carries out a tyrannicide is also called a "tyrannicide".<ref>{{cite web |title= Tyrannicide |website= Britannica |url= https://www.britannica.com/topic/tyrannicide |quote=the killer or would-be killer of a tyrant}}</ref>

The term originally denoted the action of [[Harmodius and Aristogeiton]], who are often called the '''Tyrannicides''', in killing [[Hipparchus (brother of Hippias)|Hipparchus of Athens]] in 514 BC.<ref name=harmodius>{{cite web |url= http://www.brynmawr.edu/archaeology/guesswho/webb.html | title= The Athenian Tyrannicides: Icons of a Democratic Society | first= E. Kent |last= Webb |work= [[University of Washington]] |date= October 18, 1997 |access-date= 2008-10-30 |archive-date= 2018-12-25 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181225071600/https://www.brynmawr.edu/archaeology/guesswho/webb.html%20 |url-status= dead }} </ref> 

==Political theory==
{{See also|Right of revolution}}

Tyrannicide can also be a political theory and, as an allegedly [[Justification (jurisprudence)|justified]] form of the [[crime]] of [[murder]], a dilemmatic case in the [[philosophy of law]], and as such dates from antiquity.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OIVDAAAAIAAJ |title= The recognition policy of the United States |first= Julius Ludwig |last= Goebel |year= 1915 |publisher= [[Columbia University]] |pages= [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OIVDAAAAIAAJ/page/n23 24]–29 |access-date= October 30, 2008}}</ref> 

===Classical antiquity===
[[Plato]] describes a violent tyrant as the opposite of a good and "true king" in the ''[[Statesman (dialogue)|Statesman]]'',<ref name=nyt/> and while [[Aristotle]] in the ''[[Politics (Aristotle)|Politics]]'' sees it as opposed to all other beneficial forms of government, he also described tyrannicide mainly as an act by those wishing to gain personally from the tyrant's death, while those who act without hope of personal gain or to make a name for themselves are rare.<ref>Aristotle, ''Politics'' X</ref>

Support for tyrannicide can be found in [[Cicero]]'s ''[[De Officiis]]''.<ref name=Saddam>{{citation|volume=19|publisher=Denv. J. Int'l L. & Pol'y|pages=613|date=1990–1991|title=Assassinating Saddam: A Post-War View from International Law|author=Beres, Louis Rene|url=http://heinonlinebackup.com/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/denilp19&section=31}}</ref> Cicero presents a philosophical stance that in certain extreme circumstances, tyrannicide can be considered a moral duty. Cicero argues that when a ruler becomes a tyrant, violating the laws and oppressing the people, it is the duty of citizens to protect the state and restore justice, even if it means taking drastic measures such as killing the tyrant. He believed that the welfare of the state and the protection of its citizens should take precedence over the life of a tyrant who endangers these principles.<ref>Cicero. (1913). De Officiis. Translated by Walter Miller. Harvard University Press.</ref><ref>Wirszubski, C. (1950). Libertas as a Political Idea at Rome during the Late Republic and Early Principate. Cambridge University Press.</ref>

Support for tyrannicide can also be found in [[Seneca the Younger|Seneca]]'s ''Hercules Furens'',<ref name=nyt>{{cite news |url= http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/in-syria-and-beyond-the-tyrant-as-target/ |title= In Syria and Beyond, the Tyrant as Target |first= Feisal G. |last= Mohamed |work= [[The New York Times]] |date= May 11, 2013 |access-date= May 16, 2013}}</ref> Seneca delves into the complex and often tragic nature of resisting tyranny. Through his dramatic narratives, Seneca portrays the psychological and ethical struggles faced by those who stand against oppressive rulers. In ''Hercules Furens'', the titular hero grapples with madness and the burdens of his immense strength, ultimately exploring themes of resistance against unjust authority. Seneca uses his characters to illustrate the moral complexities and the potential justifications for tyrannicide, highlighting the internal and external conflicts that arise when confronting tyranny.<ref>Seneca. (2002). Hercules Furens. Translated by John G. Fitch. Harvard University Press.</ref><ref>Schiesaro, A. (2003). The Passions in Play: Thyestes and the Dynamics of Senecan Drama. Cambridge University Press.</ref> 

Plutarch, in his biographical works, notably in ''[[Parallel Lives]]'', presented tyrannicide as a defense of liberty and justice. He highlighted the moral dimensions of such acts through figures like [[Brutus]], who [[Assassination of Julius Caesar|assassinated Julius Caesar]] to protect the [[Roman Republic]], and [[Timoleon of Corinth]], who killed his tyrannical brother to save [[Corinth]]. Plutarch praised these actions as noble sacrifices made for the greater good, underscoring the idea that tyrannicide, when motivated by a selfless commitment to civic virtue, can be a legitimate and necessary act to preserve collective freedom and justice.<ref>Plutarch's ''Lives'', Dryden's translation, revised by Clough, 1859; "Life of Timoleon" in ''Parallel Lives''.</ref> This perspective aligns with earlier philosophical views, such as Aristotle's, which justified the removal of a tyrant if it served the common good.<ref>''Politics'', Aristotle, translated by Jowett, 1885.</ref><ref>Nyquist, M. (2022). "Tyrannicide, Law, and Sacrifice in Julius Caesar". ''ELH'' 89(4), 893-926. https://doi.org/10.1353/elh.2022.0031.</ref>

===Medieval thought===
[[Augustine of Hippo]] debated the moral and ethical implications of tyrannicide within a Christian framework. Augustine argued that while resisting tyranny could be morally justified, it was essential to weigh such actions against the broader principles of Christian ethics and the potential for violence and disorder. His writings reflect a nuanced view, acknowledging the tension between the necessity of opposing unjust rulers and the dangers of inciting greater harm through violent resistance.<ref>Augustine. (1998). The City of God against the Pagans. Edited and translated by R.W. Dyson. Cambridge University Press.</ref> As R. A. Markus notes, Augustine’s approach to tyrannicide was heavily influenced by his overarching concern for maintaining social order and preventing anarchy, even while recognizing the moral repugnance of tyranny.<ref>Markus, R. A. (1994). ''Saeculum: History and Society in the Theology of St. Augustine''. Cambridge University Press.</ref> In contrast, [[Gregory of Nazianzus]]<ref>Gregory of Nazianzus, Orations. (Translation by Charles Gordon Browne and James Edward Swallow, 1929).</ref> and [[John Chrysostom]]<ref>John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Statues. (Translation by W.R.W. Stephens, 1889).</ref> framed the death of Emperor [[Julian the Apostate]] as a divine judgment rather than explicitly addressing the concept of tyrannicide. They emphasized Julian's demise as evidence of the triumph of Christianity over paganism.<ref>Wilken, Robert Louis. The Christians as the Romans Saw Them. Yale University Press, 1984.</ref>

During the [[Middle Ages]], most theologians were influenced on the subject by Augustine's ''[[The City of God]]'', which said that Christians should obey secular authority.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Routledge history of terrorism|date=2015|others=Randall David Law|isbn=978-0-415-53577-9|location=Abingdon, Oxon|oclc=892804140}}</ref> The [[Scholasticism|scholastic]] philosopher [[John of Salisbury]] was the first medieval Christian scholar to defend tyrannicide,<ref name=jf>{{Cite journal |volume=46 |issue=2 |pages=271–288 |last=Fine |first=Jonathan |title=Political and Philological Origins of the Term 'Terrorism' from the Ancient Near East to Our Times |journal=Middle Eastern Studies |year=2010 |jstor=20720662|doi=10.1080/00263201003619927 |s2cid=143268246 }}</ref> under specific conditions, in the ''[[Policraticus]]'', circa 1159.{{sfn|Voegelin|Von Sivers|1989|pp=122–123}} His theory was derived from his idea of the state as a political organism in which all the members cooperate actively in the realization of the common utility and justice. He held that when the ruler of this [[body politic]] behaves tyrannically, failing to perform his characteristic responsibilities, the other limbs and organs are bound by their duty to the public welfare and God to correct and, ultimately, to slay the tyrant.<ref>{{citation|year=1988|volume=50|issue=3|pages=365–389|publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/S0034670500036305|title=A Duty to Kill: John of Salisbury's Theory of Tyrannicide|journal=The Review of Politics|last1=Nederman|first1=Cary J.|s2cid=145277381 }}</ref>

In [[Thomas Aquinas]]'s commentary on the ''[[Sentences]]'' of [[Peter Lombard]], Aquinas gave a defense not only of disobedience to an unjust authority, using as an example [[Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire|Christian martyrs in the Roman Empire]], but also of "one who liberates his country by killing a tyrant." For Aquinas, "when what is ordered by an authority is opposed to the object for which that authority was constituted ... not only is there no obligation to obey the authority, but one is obliged to disobey it, as did the holy martyrs who suffered death rather than obey the impious commands of tyrants."<ref>Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, trans. J.G. Dawson (Oxford, 1959), 44, 2 in O’Donovan, pp. 329–330.</ref>

===Renaissance to Enlightenment===
In 1408, the theologian [[Jean Petit (theologian)|Jean Petit]] used biblical examples to justify tyrannicide following the murder of [[Louis I, Duke of Orleans]], by Petit's patron [[John the Fearless]], Duke of Burgundy. Petit argued that tyrannicide was not only permissible but commendable when the ruler in question posed a threat to the public good. This justification was based on interpretations of biblical figures who had acted against tyrants in defense of divine and moral laws. Petit's thesis sparked significant controversy and was extensively discussed in ecclesiastical and political circles. Ultimately, the Church [[anathema]]tized Petit's views at the [[Council of Constance]], condemning them as contrary to Christian teachings on legitimate authority and the sanctity of rulers.<ref>Rollo-Koster, Joëlle. "The Great Western Schism, Legitimacy, and Tyrannicide: The Murder of Louis of Orléans (1407)". Inventing Modernity in Medieval European Thought, ca. 1100–ca. 1550, edited by Cary J. Nedermann and Bettina Koch, Berlin, Boston: Medieval Institute Publications, 2019, pp. 193-212. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781580443500-012</ref><ref>Provvidente, S. (2019). Stylus theologicus et iuridicus : la causa Jean Petit à Constance (1414-1418) et les débats sur le tyrannicide. Médiévales, 77, 129-151. https://doi.org/10.4000/medievales.10527 </ref>

''A Shorte Treatise of Politike Power'', written by [[John Ponet]] in 1556, argued that the people are custodians of natural and divine law, and that if governors and kings violated their trust, then they forfeited their power, whether they relinquished their positions voluntarily or whether they had to be removed forcefully.<ref>{{citation|title="Oh, Ye Are For Anarchy!": Consent Theory in the Radical Libertarian Tradition|author=C Watner|publisher=Journal of Libertarian Studies|year=1986|url=https://www.mises.org/journals/jls/8_1/8_1_9.pdf}}</ref> The [[Monarchomachs]] in particular developed a theory of tyrannicide, with [[Juan de Mariana]] describing their views in the 1598 work ''De rege et regis institutione,''<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=uOrg3lNOTbkC&pg=PA313 |title= Power and Secret of the Jesuits |first= René |last= Fülöp-Miller |author-link=René Fülöp-Miller |publisher= Kessinger Publishing |year= 1997 |isbn= 0-7661-0056-1 |access-date= October 30, 2008 |pages= 313–318}}</ref> in which he wrote, {{nowrap|"[B]oth}} the philosophers and theologians agree, that the prince who seizes the state with force and arms, and with no legal right, no public, civic approval, may be killed by anyone and deprived of his life..."<ref name="Saddam" /> The [[Jesuit|Jesuistic]] [[casuistry]] developed a similar theory, criticized by [[Blaise Pascal]] in the ''[[Provincial Letters]]''.<ref>Ganns, H. G. [https://archive.org/stream/americancatholic27philuoft#page/334/mode/2up ''"The Jesuits and Tyrannicide,"''] The American Catholic Quarterly Review, Vol. XXVII, 1902.</ref> ''[[The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates]]'' by [[John Milton]] in 1649 also described the history of tyrannicide, and a defense of it when appropriate.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/tenure/ |title= Milton: The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates |editor-last= Luxon |editor-first= Thomas H. |work= The Milton Reading Room |publisher= [[Dartmouth College]] |date= March 2008 |access-date= 2008-10-30}}</ref> 

In his book [[Leviathan (Hobbes book)|''Leviathan'']] (1651), [[Thomas Hobbes]] identified the idea that tyrannicide is justified and praiseworthy as one of several harmful doctrines that must be suppressed for the good of civil society. In Hobbes's view, this doctrine was equivalent to asserting that men may kill their rulers as long as they label them as tyrants first.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Berns |first=Laurence |title=History of Political Philosophy |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=1987 |isbn=9780226924717 |editor-last=Strauss |editor-first=Leo |edition=3rd |pages=414–415 |chapter=Thomas Hobbes |orig-date=First ed. published 1963 |editor-last2=Cropsey |editor-first2=Joseph}}</ref>

[[John Locke]], in his ''[[Second Treatise of Government]]'' (1689), argued that people have the right to overthrow a government that fails to protect their natural rights, which includes tyrannicide as a form of legitimate resistance. Locke posited that a tyrant, by definition, acts against the interest of the people and forfeits the right to rule. In such cases, it becomes the moral duty of the citizens to remove the tyrant to restore natural law and order. Locke's political theory profoundly influenced the development of modern democratic thought, emphasizing the protection of life, liberty, and property as fundamental rights.<ref>Locke, John. ''Two Treatises of Government''. Edited by Peter Laslett, Cambridge University Press, 1988.</ref><ref>Dunn, John. ''Locke: A Very Short Introduction''. Oxford University Press, 2003.</ref>

[[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]], in ''[[The Social Contract]]'' (1762), touches on the idea of the general will and the right of the people to overthrow a tyrant who acts against it. Rousseau argued that sovereignty belongs to the people, and any government that does not act in accordance with the general will is illegitimate. This perspective supports the notion that the people have the right to depose a tyrant who violates the social contract. Rousseau's work laid the philosophical foundation for the French Revolution and continues to be a critical text in discussions of political legitimacy and popular sovereignty.<ref>Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. ''The Social Contract''. Translated by Maurice Cranston, Penguin Books, 1968.</ref><ref>Bertram, Christopher. ''Rousseau and The Social Contract''. Routledge, 2004.</ref>

===Modern perspectives===
[[File:FirstCommitteeGreatSealReverseLossingDrawing.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Benjamin Franklin]]'s suggestion for the [[Great Seal of the United States]] included the phrase "Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God."]]

[[Abraham Lincoln]] believed that assassinating a leader is morally justified when a people has suffered under a tyrant for an extended period of time and has exhausted all legal and peaceful means of ouster.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1289&context=cilj|title=Executive Order 12,333: The Permissibility of an American Assassination of a Foreign Leader|last=Johnson III|first=Boyd M.|date=Spring 1992|website=Scholarship@Cornell Law: A Digital Repository |publisher=Cornell University Law School Research|access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref> He saw tyrannicide as a necessary last resort to protect liberty and justice. Lincoln's views, shaped by the [[American Civil War]], reflect the ethical debate on violent resistance against tyranny, emphasizing that removing a despot can be a moral imperative to restore democratic governance and human rights.<ref>{{cite book |last=White |first=Ronald C. A. |title=Lincoln: A Biography |publisher=Random House |year=2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Dirck |first=Brian R. |title=Lincoln and the Constitution |publisher=Southern Illinois University Press |year=2012}}</ref> Lincoln was himself assassinated in 1865—with the assailant shouting "[[sic semper tyrannis]]" ("thus always to tyrants") during the act—as part of an unsuccessful conspiracy to overthrow the government.<!-- Unprintable remark: "Lincoln's opinion on the morality of this act was, unfortunately, not recorded."--><ref name="Heritage">{{cite journal |author=Fraser |first=Richard A. R. |date=February–March 1995 |title=How Did Lincoln Die? |url=http://www.americanheritage.com/content/how-did-lincoln-die?page=show |journal=American Heritage |volume=46 |issue=1}}</ref>

[[Carl Schmitt]], in ''Political Theology'' (1922) and ''The Concept of the Political'' (1932), addresses the nature of sovereignty and the state of exception. Schmitt argues that in extreme situations, the normal legal order can be suspended to address existential threats, which can include justifications for extreme measures like tyrannicide. His ideas have been influential and controversial in discussions about the limits of legal and political authority.<ref>Schmitt, Carl. ''Political Theology: Four Chapters on the Concept of Sovereignty''. University of Chicago Press, 1985.</ref><ref>McCormick, John P. ''Carl Schmitt's Critique of Liberalism: Against Politics as Technology''. Cambridge University Press, 1997.</ref>

[[Leo Strauss]], in ''On Tyranny'' (1956), engages deeply with classical and modern discussions on tyranny. Strauss analyzes the philosophical implications of opposing tyrannical rule and the potential justification for tyrannicide, drawing on historical examples and philosophical arguments to explore the moral complexities of resisting despotism.<ref>Strauss, Leo. ''On Tyranny: Corrected and Expanded Edition, Including the Strauss-Kojeve Correspondence''. University of Chicago Press, 1968.</ref><ref>Drury, Shadia B. ''The Political Ideas of Leo Strauss''. Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.</ref>

[[Hannah Arendt]], in her work ''On Violence'' (1970), explores the nature of power, violence, and authority. Arendt argues that violence can be justified in certain circumstances, particularly when it is used to combat oppressive regimes and restore political freedom. While she does not focus exclusively on tyrannicide, her analysis provides a framework for understanding the ethical justifications for violent resistance against tyranny.<ref>Arendt, Hannah. ''On Violence''. Harcourt, 1970.</ref><ref>Villa, Dana. ''The Cambridge Companion to Hannah Arendt''. Cambridge University Press, 1999.</ref>

[[John Rawls]], although primarily known for his theories of justice, touches on the conditions under which civil disobedience and resistance to unjust authority can be morally justified in ''A Theory of Justice'' (1971). Rawls argues that when a government acts tyrannically, violating the principles of justice and fairness, citizens have the right to resist, which may include tyrannicide under extreme circumstances.<ref>Rawls, John. ''A Theory of Justice''. Harvard University Press, 1999.</ref><ref>Freeman, Samuel. ''Rawls''. Routledge, 2007.</ref>

[[Michael Walzer]], in ''Just and Unjust Wars'' (1977), examines the ethics of war and resistance, including the moral considerations surrounding the assassination of tyrants. Walzer discusses tyrannicide within the broader context of just war theory, arguing that in some cases, killing a tyrant may be necessary to protect innocent lives and restore justice.<ref>Walzer, Michael. ''Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations''. Basic Books, 2006.</ref><ref>Bellamy, Alex J. ''Just Wars: From Cicero to Iraq''. Polity Press, 2006.</ref>

David George, in ''Distinguishing Classical Tyrannicide from Modern Terrorism'' (1988), has argued that [[terrorism]] is a form of tyranny of which tyrannicide is a negation.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Distinguishing Classical Tyrannicide from Modern Terrorism|journal=The Review of Politics|year=1988|volume=50|issue=3|pages=390–419|publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/S0034670500036317|last1=George|first1=David|s2cid=146523905 }}</ref> He posits that tyrannicide serves as a countermeasure to terrorism, which uses fear and violence to subjugate populations. In George's view, the assassination of tyrants can be an act of liberation, dismantling oppressive structures and restoring autonomy. This situates tyrannicide within a broader discourse on the ethics of political violence, suggesting it aims to eliminate tyranny and restore justice.<ref>{{cite book |last=Coady |first=C. A. J. |title=Morality and Political Violence |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2008}}</ref>

Aoife O'Donoghue explores the concept of tyranny and tyrannicide within the broader context of the global legal order in her book ''On Tyranny and the Global Legal Order'' (2021). O'Donoghue delves into the historical and philosophical foundations of tyrannicide, examining its evolution and relevance in contemporary political thought. Her analysis highlights the intersection of tyrannicide with issues of global justice, sovereignty, and international law, providing a nuanced understanding of how the act of resisting tyranny through violence is viewed in modern legal and ethical frameworks.<ref>O'Donoghue, Aoife. ''On Tyranny and the Global Legal Order''. Cambridge University Press, 2021.</ref>

==History==
{{See also|List of regicides}}
[[File:Tiranicidas 04.JPG|thumb|upright|Statue of Harmodius and Aristogeiton]]

Throughout history, many leaders have died under the pretext of tyrannicide. [[Hipparchus (brother of Hippias)|Hipparchus]], one of the last Greek leaders to use the title of "tyrant", was assassinated in 514 BC by Harmodius and Aristogeiton, the original tyrannicides.{{sfn|Law|2009|p=18}}<ref name=harmodius/> Since then "tyrant" has been a pejorative term lacking objective criteria. Many rulers and heads of state have been considered tyrannical by their enemies but they have not been considered tyrannical by their supporters. For example, when [[John Wilkes Booth]] assassinated Abraham Lincoln in 1865, he wrote that he considered Lincoln a tyrant and he compared himself to Marcus Junius Brutus,{{sfn|Booth|2000|p=17}} who stabbed the Roman dictator Julius Caesar in 44 BC.{{sfn|Law|2009|p=23}} Booth famously shouted "sic semper tyrannis" during the assassination.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=86RH6NNCl0QC&dq=booth%20sic%20semper%20tyrannis&pg=PA14 | title=American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies | isbn=978-0-307-43061-8 | last1=Kauffman | first1=Michael W. | date=18 December 2007 | publisher=Random House Publishing }}</ref>

Tyrannicides have a poor record of achieving their intended outcome. Caesar's death, for example, failed to bring a return to republican power, and instead led to the [[Roman Empire]], but it galvanized later assassins. Several of Caesar's successors came to their demise by assassinations, including [[Caligula]], who was stabbed in 41 by [[Cassius Chaerea]] and other [[Praetorian Guard]]s,<ref name=montefiore/> and [[Domitian]], stabbed in 96 by a steward of [[Flavia Domitilla (wife of Clemens)|Flavia Domitilla]] named Stephanus.{{sfn|Law|2009|p=26}} Many attempts on [[Commodus]]'s life in the late 2nd century failed, including the one instigated by his own sister [[Lucilla]], but he ultimately fell victim to his own excess by a successful murderous coup.<ref>[[Cassius Dio]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/71*.html Roman History], 71.1, 3; 73.4.4–5.</ref> Other emperors assassinated from within include [[Claudius]], [[Caracalla]], [[Elagabalus]], [[Marcus Aurelius Marius]], and [[Severus Alexander]]. After the [[fall of the Western Roman Empire]], tyrannicide continued in the [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern Roman Empire]] when Emperor [[Andronikos I Komnenos]] was tied to a pillar, beaten, and dismembered by a mob in 1185.<ref name="montefiore" />

Tyrannicide has also been connected to revolutions, because many tyrannicides have occurred during successful revolutions, and other tyrannicides have sparked revolutionary upheavals. In the midst of the [[French Revolution]], [[Maximilien Robespierre]] took power as the [[List of Presidents of the National Convention|President of the National Convention]], but after he led the [[Reign of Terror]] from 1793 to 1794, he was executed by beheading by the [[National Convention]]. Russian Tsar [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]] was executed by the [[Bolsheviks]] as an enemy of the people in 1918, following the [[October Revolution|1917 October Revolution]]. The [[Romanian Revolution of 1989|Romanian Revolution]], one of the [[revolutions of 1989]], enabled a group of disaffected [[Army of the Socialist Republic of Romania|Romanian People's Army]] soldiers to capture [[Nicolae Ceauşescu]], the country's communist leader, and [[Trial and execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu|stage a trial after which he and his wife were executed]] by a firing squad of paratroopers.{{sfn|Graubard|1999|pp=72–73}}

Many assassins have been killed in the act, such as [[Rigoberto López Pérez]], who shot Nicaraguan dictator [[Anastasio Somoza García]] in 1956.{{sfn|Borge|1982|p=54}} [[Claus von Stauffenberg]] tried to kill [[Adolf Hitler]] on [[20 July plot|20 July 1944]], was sentenced to death by an impromptu [[court martial]] and executed a few hours after the attempted murder. Others were prosecuted for the killing: [[Antonio de la Maza]] and his conspirators were executed after their shooting of [[Rafael Trujillo]], dictator of the [[Dominican Republic]] in 1961,{{sfn|Diederich|1990|p=20}} as was [[Kim Jaegyu]], who [[Assassination of Park Chung-hee|shot]] South Korean dictator [[Park Chung Hee]] in 1979.<ref>{{cite news |title= Hearts and Minds; Without Kim Jae-kyu? The Morality of Tyrannicide |work= [[Korea Times]] |date= July 18, 2000}}</ref> Five of the members of [[Young Bosnia]] who were involved with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo were sentenced to death by hanging, while eleven were sentenced to various years in prison, including [[Gavrilo Princip]] who fired the fatal shot. [[Khalid Islambouli]] was one of three members of [[Egyptian Islamic Jihad]] executed for the [[assassination of Anwar Sadat]], the autocratic [[President of Egypt]] in 1981.<ref>{{cite journal |title= The Sorrows of Egypt: A Tale of Two Men |journal= [[Foreign Affairs]] |publisher= [[Council on Foreign Relations]] |date=September–October 1995 |first= Fouad |last= Ajami|doi= 10.2307/20047301 |jstor= 20047301 }}</ref> Both Hipparchus's assassins were themselves killed, Harmodius on the spot and Aristogeiton after being tortured, and the [[Assassination of Julius Caesar#List of conspirators|major conspirators]] in the plot to kill Caesar were likewise killed or forced to commit suicide.

Outright revolt was the context for other tyrannicides and it allowed individual killers to escape or remain anonymous. During [[World War II]] and the insurgency of the [[Italian resistance movement]], [[Walter Audisio]] claimed to have led his team of partisans in the [[Death of Benito Mussolini|abduction and execution by firing squad]] of [[Benito Mussolini]] in 1945.<ref name=montefiore/><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,804084,00.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110203124640/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,804084,00.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= February 3, 2011 |title= What Price Brutus? |work= [[Time Magazine]] |date= April 7, 1947 |access-date= October 31, 2011}}</ref> The circumstances remain clouded, though Audisio was later elected to both the [[Italian Chamber of Deputies]] and the [[Italian Senate]]. In 1990, [[Samuel Doe]], the President of Liberia, was tortured to his death. In 1996, during their takeover of Afghanistan, [[Taliban]] soldiers captured [[Mohammad Najibullah]], the President of the Soviet-backed [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]] and dragged him to death. During the [[2011 Libyan civil war]], Libyan leader [[Muammar Gaddafi]] was killed in the [[Battle of Sirte (2011)|Battle of Sirte]], in unclear circumstances.<ref name=montefiore>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/opinion/qaddafi-and-the-lives-of-tyrants.html |title= Dictators Get the Deaths They Deserve |first= Simon Sebag |last= Montefiore |work= [[The New York Times]] |date= October 26, 2011 |access-date= October 31, 2011}}</ref>

==Literature==
Tyrannicide is a popular [[Trope (literature)|literary trope]]. Many works of fiction deal with the struggle of an individual or group of individuals to overthrow and kill an unjust tyrant. Often the tyranny is caused by a usurper to a royal throne, where the conclusion restores the proper heir. [[Children's literature]] frequently deals with the subject. [[Folklore|Folk tales]] like ''[[The Nutcracker]]'' include the act, as do some video games series, like ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' and ''[[Star Fox]]''. Examples in Disney animation include ''[[The Lion King]]'' and ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'' which both involve the tyrannical takeover of a monarchy and its overhaul. Fantasy works like ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]'', ''[[The Brothers Lionheart]]'', ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' and science-fiction series like ''[[Star Wars]]'' and ''[[Doctor Who]]'' all deal with the killing of tyrants. Besides ''[[Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar]]'', a number of [[William Shakespeare]]'s plays deal with the subject, including ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''[[Macbeth]]'', and ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://rmmla.wsu.edu/ereview/60.2/reviews/rasmussen.asp |title= Tyranny in Shakespeare |first= Mary Ann |last= McGrail |work= Utah Valley State College |year= 2001 |access-date= 2008-09-18 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120802123506/http://rmmla.wsu.edu/ereview/60.2/reviews/rasmussen.asp |archive-date= 2012-08-02 }}</ref> [[Friedrich Schiller]] based the play [[William Tell (play)|''William Tell'']] and the ballad ''[[Die Bürgschaft]]'' on existing legends of tyrannicide. The Italian dramatist, poet and philosopher [[Vittorio Alfieri]] devoted much of his work to this issue.<ref>Gérard Chalian, Arnaud Blin, ''The History of Terrorism: From Antiquity to Al Qaeda'', p.82, 2007.</ref>

==See also==
* {{anli|Assassination}}
* {{anli|Regicide}}
* {{anli|Sic semper tyrannis|''Sic semper tyrannis''}} meaning "thus always to tyrants"

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |title= Sandinistas Speak |first= Tomás |last= Borge |publisher= Pathfinder Press |year= 1982 |isbn= 0-87348-619-6 |url= https://archive.org/details/sandinistasspeak00borg|url-access= registration }}
* {{cite book |title= Right Or Wrong, God Judge Me: The Writings of John Wilkes Booth |first= John Wilkes |last= Booth |author-link= John Wilkes Booth |year= 2000 |publisher= [[University of Illinois Press]] |isbn= 0-252-06967-6 }}
* {{cite book |title= Trujillo: The Death of The Goat |first= Bernard |last= Diederich |publisher= Waterfront Press |year= 1990 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qbfrAAAAMAAJ |isbn= 0-943862-44-2}}
* {{cite book |title= A new Europe for the old? |volume= 126 |first= Stephen Richards |last= Graubard |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=omTot25fpkcC&pg=PA72 |publisher= Transaction Publishers |year= 1999 |isbn= 0-7658-0465-4 }}
* {{cite book|last=Law |first=Randall David |year=2009 |title=Terrorism: a history |edition=illustrated |publisher=Polity |isbn=978-0-7456-4038-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/terrorismhistory0000lawr/page/18 18] |url=https://archive.org/details/terrorismhistory0000lawr|url-access=registration }}
* {{cite book |last1= Voegelin  |first1= Eric |first2= Peter |last2= Von Sivers |title= The collected works of Eric Voegelin |publisher= University of Missouri Press |year= 1989 |isbn= 0-8262-1142-9 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=crABzpz_2xgC&pg=PA122 }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
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{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Murder]]
[[Category:Dictatorship]]
[[Category:Killings by type]]