Tyrannicide

Tyrannicide

Tyrannicide literally means the killing of a tyrant. Typically, the term is taken to mean the killing or assassination of tyrants for the common good. The term "tyrannicide" does not apply to tyrants killed in battle or killed by an enemy in an armed conflict. It is rarely applied when a tyrant is killed by a person acting for selfish reasons, such as to take power for themselves. Sometimes, the term is restricted to killings undertaken by people who are actually subject to the tyrant. The term is also used to denote those who actually commit the act of killing a king: ie, Harmodius and Aristogeiton are called 'the tyrannicides'.

Tyrannicide can also be a political theory. The Monarchomachs in particular developed a theory of tyrannicide, as did the Jesuistic casuistry, criticized by Pascal in the "Provincial Letters". Before them, the scholastic philosopher John of Salisbury also legitimised tyrannicide, under specific conditions, in the "Policraticus" (circa 1159).

Notable tyrannicides

Examples of some of those who died by tyrannicide include:
* Hipparchus, ruler of Athens, murdered in 514 BC by Harmodius and Aristogeiton, the original tyrannicides.
* Julius Caesar, a Roman, was murdered by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, who considered the assassination tyrannicide.
* Anastasio Somoza García, dictator of Nicaragua, assassinated in 1956 by Rigoberto López Pérez.
* Park Chung-hee, dictator of South Korea, assassinated in 1979 by Kim Jaegyu.
* Nicolae Ceauşescu, Communist dictator of Romania, executed Christmas Day, 1989.

Tyrannicides in fiction

Tyrannicide is a popular 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 an usurper to a royal throne, where the conclusion often restores the balance. Children's literature frequently deals with the subject. Folk tales like The Nutcracker include the act, as do some video games series, like The Legend of Zelda. Classical examples in Disney animation include "The Lion King" or "The Little Mermaid" which both involve the tyrannical takeover of a monarchy. Fantasy works like "The Lord of the Rings", "The Chronicles of Narnia", or Star Wars also deal with killing tyrants. "V for Vendetta" is a popular comic to deal with tyrannicide. Besides "Julius Caesar", a number of William Shakespeare's play deal with the subject, including "Hamlet", "Macbeth", and "The Tempest". [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 |accessdate= 2008-09-18]

ee also

*Liberatores
*Regicide
*Sic semper tyrannis
*French ship Tyrannicide (1793)
*Seal of Virginia
*Selective Assassination

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • TYRANNICIDE — Désignant le meurtre d’un tyran accompli en dehors de toute procédure régulière par une personne privée, le terme «tyrannicide» s’applique aussi parfois au meurtrier du tyran. Dans l’Antiquité grecque, le tyrannicide apparaît comme… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Tyrannicide — • The killing of a tyrant, and usually is taken to mean the killing of a tyrant by a private person for the common good Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Tyrannicide     Tyrannicide …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • tyrannicide — 1. (ti ra nni si d ) s. m. Meurtre d un tyran. •   Arcadius et Honorius publièrent une loi contre le tyrannicide, DIDER. Princ. de polit. 142. HISTORIQUE    XVIe s. •   Le tyrannicide que firent Brutus, Cassius et leurz adherentz, BONIVARD de… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • tyrannicide — [tə ran′ə sīd΄, tiran′ə sīd΄, tīran′ə sīd΄] n. [ TYRANNICIDE sense 1 < L tyrannicidium; TYRANNICIDE sense 2 < L tyrannicida: see TYRANT & CIDE] 1. the act of killing a tyrant 2. a person who kills a tyrant tyrannicidal adj …   English World dictionary

  • Tyrannicide — Ty*ran ni*ci de, n. [L. tyrannicidium the killing of a tyrant, tyrannicida the killer of a tyrant; tyrannus a tyrant + caedere to kill: cf. F. tyrannicide.] 1. The act of killing a tyrant. Hume. [1913 Webster] 2. One who kills a tyrant. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tyrannicide — noun Etymology: in sense 1, from French, from Latin tyrannicidium, from tyrannus + i + cidium cide (killing); in sense 2, from French, from Latin tyrannicida, from tyrannus + i + cida cide (killer) Date: 1650 1. the act of killing a tyrant 2. the …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • TYRANNICIDE — n. m. Meurtrier d’un tyran. Les Grecs honoraient les tyrannicides …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 8eme edition (1935)

  • tyrannicide — tyrannicidal, adj. /ti ran euh suyd , tuy /, n. 1. the act of killing a tyrant. 2. a person who kills a tyrant. [1640 50; < L tyrrannicidium (def. 1), tyrannicida (def. 2). See TYRANT, I CIDE] * * * …   Universalium

  • tyrannicide — noun The killing of a tyrant …   Wiktionary

  • tyrannicide — killing or killer of a tyrant Killing and Killers …   Phrontistery dictionary

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