This is a list of regicides, the killing of monarchs by others.
Definitions
The etymology of the term regicide is from the Latin noun ('king') and the Latin verb ('to kill'); thus, a regicide is literally a 'king-killing'. Different cultures and authors in history have used different definitions for what constitutes the crime of regicide. is usually but not always understood to refer to not just kings, but any type of monarch, which leads to semantic problems of scope. Some monarchs, such as Nicholas II and Haile Selassie, had already ceased to be de facto rulers at the time of their deaths due to forced or voluntary abdication, but especially after forced abdications (depositions), these monarchs (and their supporters) often still saw themselves as the de jure rulers; therefore, whether a current monarch or former monarch had been killed could be a point of view on their legitimacy. A well-known controversy in historiography is the 1793 Execution of Louis XVI: Legitimists might say it was a "regicide" of the legitimate "King Louis XVI" by "the rabble", but French Revolutionaries could have regarded it as the "lawful execution" of "citizen Louis Capet" after a "fair trial" that had found him guilty. Other killings, such as the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, are generally disqualified as "regicides", because this crown prince had not yet taken the throne. Suicide is generally discounted as well, as are the killings of monarchs' consorts or other relatives, such as that of Empress Elisabeth of Austria in 1898, or Earl Mountbatten in 1979. As such, it is difficult to make a universally accepted list of what constitutes a regicide. The following is a list of cases of monarchs in history who were deliberately killed by someone else in some fashion, according to reliable sources.
2000 – 1000 BC 1962 BC Amenemhat I, of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt by his own bodyguards 1526 BC Mursili I, King of the Hittites by his brother-in-law Hantili I Unknown date in late 2nd millennium BC, Eglon of Moab by Ehud 1155 BC Ramesses III of New Kingdom of Egypt from a neck wound inflicted by conspirators 11th century BC Agag of Amalek by the prophet Samuel 1005 BC Ish-bosheth of Israel, slain by his own captains
900 – 500 BC 900 BC Nadab of Israel, slain by his own captain Baasha 885 BC King Elah of Israel, murdered by his chariot commander Zimri 841 BC Jehoram of Israel, murdered by Jehu 836 BC Athaliah, Queen of Judah, by rebels that placed Jehoash on the throne 797 BC Jehoash of Judah by his own servants at Miloh 771 BC King You of Zhou by the Marquess of Shen 767 BC Amaziah of Judah assassinated at Lachish 752 BC Zechariah of Israel murdered by Shallum 740 or 737 BC Pekahiah, King of Israel, assassinated by Pekah, son of Remaliah 732 BC Pekah, King of Israel, by Hoshea 681 BC Sennacherib, King of Assyria, assassinated in obscure circumstances 641 BC Amon of Judah, assassinated by own servants 578 BC Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, King of Rome, by two shepherds 514 BC Hipparchus of Athens, assassinated by two lovers, Harmodius and Aristogeiton
5th century BC 465 BC Xerxes I of Persia by his chief bodyguard Artabanus 424 BC Xerxes II of Persia by his brother Sogdianus
4th century BC 336 BC Philip II of Macedon, assassinated by his own bodyguard. 330 BC Darius III of Persia, assassinated by his general Bessus 323 BC Alexander III of Macedon, Died of an unknown illness, though many speculate that he was poisoned 317 BC Philip III of Macedon, executed by his stepmother Olympias 315 BC, Porus the Elder, king of Pauravas, present day India, assassinated by one of Alexander's generals 309 BC Alexander IV of Macedon, assassinated at the age of 14 by the regent Cassander
3rd century BC 294 BC Alexander V of Macedon, assassinated by Demetrius Poliorcetes 281 BC Seleucus I Nicator, assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus 249 BC Demetrius of Cyrene, assassinated by his wife Berenice II 246 BC Antiochus II Theos, poisoned by his wife Laodice I 241 BC Agis IV of Sparta, executed by ephors without a regular trial 233 BC Deidamia II of Epirus, assassinated during a republican revolt 227 BC Archidamus V of Sparta, assassinated possibly by orders of his co-ruler Cleomenes III 223 BC Seleucus III Ceraunus, assassinated in Anatolia by members of his army 223 BC Diodotus II of Bactria, killed by the usurper Euthydemus I 214 BC Hieronymus of Syracuse, assassinated by conspirators 207 BC Qin Er Shi through forced suicide put on him by his eunuch Zhao Gao 206 BC Ziying executed by Xiang Yu
2nd century BC 185 BC Brihadratha Maurya of India, assassinated by Pushyamitra Shunga during a military parade 149 BC Prusias II of Bithynia, assassinated by supporters of his son 120 BC Mithridates V of Pontus, poisoned at a banquet 116/111 BC Ariarathes VI of Cappadocia murdered by Gordius for Mithridates VI of Pontus 104 BC Jugurtha, King of Numidia, captured by Roman army, paraded in Rome and starved to death in prison
1st century BC 100 BC Ariarathes VII of Cappadocia murdered by Mithridates VI of Pontus 80 BC Ptolemy XI Alexander II, lynched by the citizens of Alexandria 51 BC Ariobarzanes II of Cappadocia, assassinated by Parthian favorites 44 BC Burebista, Great King (Emperor) of Dacia was assassinated by the indigenous nobles and his advisors. 44 BC Ptolemy XIV of Egypt, widely suspected to have been poisoned by Cleopatra VII 42 BC Ariobarzanes III of Cappadocia, executed by Gaius Cassius Longinus 36 BC Ariarathes X of Cappadocia, executed by Mark Antony 30 BC Caesarion of Egypt, executed by Octavian 29 BC Antiochus II of Commagene, executed by Octavian
1st century 25 AD the Gengshi Emperor by strangulation from Xie Lu 41 Caligula, the Emperor of Rome by a praetorian guard and a group of conspirators supported by the Roman senate 69 Galba of Rome by the praetorian guard 69 Vitellius of Rome by troops of an indigenous commander of eastern provinces 96 Domitian of Rome by a group of court officials
2nd century 146 Emperor Zhi of Han, poisoned by Liang Ji 190 Emperor Shao of Han forced to drink poison by rebels 192 Commodus of Rome strangled by his wrestling partner supported by a group of conspirators 193 Pertinax of Rome murdered by Praetorian guard 193 Didius Julianus of Rome executed on orders by the senate
3rd century 217 Caracalla murdered by a soldier 218 Macrinus, executed by Elagabalus 222 Elagabalus murdered by Praetorian guard 235 Severus Alexander murdered by the army 238 Maximinus I murdered by Praetorian guard 238 Pupienus murdered by Praetorian guard 238 Balbinus murdered by Praetorian guard 253 Trebonianus Gallus by his own troops 253 Aemilian by his own troops 260 Cao Mao by Cheng Ji under the order of Sima Zhao 268 Gallienus murdered by his own commanders 275 Aurelian assassinated by Praetorian guard 276 Florianus assassinated by his own troops 282 Marcus Aurelius Probus assassinated by his own troops
4th century 307 Severus II forced to commit suicide by Maxentius 310 Maximian forced to commit suicide by Constantine I 325 Licinius executed on orders by Constantine I 350 Constans killed by supporters of Magnentius 383 Gratian murdered by army faction 385 Emperor Xuanzhao of Former Qin, strangled to death by Yao Chang
5th century 419 Emperor An of Jin, assassinated by Wang Shaozhi under the order of Liu Yu 421 Emperor Gong of Jin, assassinated by soldiers under the order of Liu Yu 422 Theodomer, king of the Franks, executed along with his mother by the Romans 423 Joannes captured and executed by eastern Roman army 451 Theodoric I, king of the Visigoths, killed in the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains 453 Emperor Wen of Liu Song by Crown Prince Liu Shao 455 Valentinian III assassinated 456 Emperor Ankō of Japan, by Prince Mayowa
6th century 507 Alaric II, King of the Visigoths, at the Battle of Vouillé after 507 Chararic, Frankish king, killed by Clovis I after the former had abdicated and become a monk 509 Sigobert the Lame, Frankish king, reportedly murdered by his son Chlodoric under the instigation of Clovis I 509 Chlodoric, Frankish king, assassinated by followers of Clovis I 509 Ragnachar, Frankish king, executed by Clovis I 524 Sigismund of Burgundy, King of the Burgundians, by Chlodomer, King of Orleans 524 Chlodomer, Frankish king, killed at the Battle of Vézeronce 534 Godomar, King of Burgundy, killed by the Franks 551 Emperor Jianwen of Liang, by Hou Jing 555 Gubazes II of Lazica, King of Lazica, by two Byzantine generals 565 Diarmait mac Cerbaill, King of Tara, by Áed Dub mac Suibni 572 Alboin, King of the Lombards, poisoned by his wife 575 Sigebert I, King of Austrasia, assassinated by slaves sent by his sister-in-law 584 Chilperic I, King of Neustria, assassinated by an unknown assailant during a hunting expedition 585 Gundoald, Merovingian usurper king, killed by a stone thrown by a follower of King Guntram 592 Emperor Sushun of Japan, by Soga no Umako 596 Childebert II, King of Austrasia, poisoned
7th century 602 Maurice, Byzantine Emperor, beheaded 610 Phocas, Byzantine Emperor, executed 618 Emperor Yang of Sui, strangled by soldier in coup 656 Uthman ibn Affan, Caliph of Islamic Caliphate, assassinated by rebels 661 Ali ibn Abi Talib, Caliph of Islamic Caliphate, assassinated by Ibn Muljam 668 Constans II, Byzantine Emperor, assassinated
8th century 710 Emperor Zhongzong of Tang poisoned by his wife Empress Wei
9th century
c. 865 Ragnar Lodbrok, legendary King of Sweden & Denmark was killed after being thrown into a pit of snakes by Ælla II of Northumbria 867 Ælle II of Northumbria, was killed by way of blood eagle by Ragnar Lodbrok's sons, Björn, Ubba, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar 882 Pope John VIII of the Papal States, assassinated by other clerics via poisoning and clubbing 897 Pope Stephen VI of the Papal States, imprisoned and strangled
10th century 904 Pope Leo V of the Papal States, either murdered by Antipope Christopher or executed on the orders of either Pope Sergius III or Theophylact I of Tusculum 904 Emperor Zhaozong of Tang by soldiers sent by Zhu Quanzhong 908 Emperor Ai of Tang poisoned on orders by Zhu Quanzhong 912 Emperor Taizu of Later Liang, stabbed by Zhu Yougui 928, Pope John X of the Papal States, killed by Guy of Tuscany either by smothering him with a pillow or by poor prison conditions 935 Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia killed by his younger brother Boleslaus the Cruel 964 Pope John XII of the Papal States, allegedly murdered by a man whose wife he had committed adultery with. 974 Pope Benedict VI of the Papal States, assassinated via strangulation by a priest on the orders of Antipope Boniface VII 978 Edward the martyr killed in unclear circumstances 984 Pope John XIV of the Papal States, killed by unknown means after being taken captive by Antipope Boniface VII
11th century 1014 Brian Boru killed in unclear circumstances 1015 Gavril Radomir, Tsar of Bulgaria, assassinated by his cousin Ivan Vladislav who usurped the throne 1040 Duncan I of Scotland, killed at the Battle of Pitgaveny by forces led by Macbeth 1046 Pope Clement II of the Papal States, rumored to have been poisoned, which was later corroborated by toxicology tests on his remains. 1057 Macbeth, King of Scotland, killed at the Battle of Lumphanan 1066 Harold Godwinson, King of England, killed at the Battle of Hastings 1072 Sancho II of Castile and León assassinated by Vellido Dolfos 1084 Saw Lu of Pagan killed by Yanmankan
12th century 1100 William II of England was shot with an arrow on August 2nd in New Forest possibly by Walter Tirel 1156 Sverker I of Sweden assassinated by his servant possibly on the orders of Magnus Henriksson 1157 Eystein II of Norway was killed by his captors after being defeated in battle by Inge I Haraldsson