The following list contains ten of the worst tyrants and dictators in history who, in many cases, are remembered only for that reason.
Throughout the history of mankind, there have been many cruel people that use terror to gain control over the public.
They lord over others with an iron fist and an unrelenting thirst for power and recognition.
10. Nero, the 5th Roman Emperor
Nero ruled Rome from 54-68 AD and is known as the Emperor that ruined the Roman Empire.
He was responsible for the deaths of thousands and thousands, including members of his own family, which he systematically murdered.
He liked to burn cities to the ground. He liked to kill in different ways such as searing hot baths, stabbing, crucifying, poisoning, and beheading.
He was known to have raped many women and enjoyed defacing their bodies.
A fire tore through Rome which killed many and left thousands homeless; Nero blamed it on the Christians.
Thousands of Christians were tortured and killed in horrific ways, such as being fed to lions or used as living torches.
Many Christians at the time believed Nero was the Antichrist.
His behavior sparked a rebellion that he soon realized he was losing; at this point, he killed himself.
9. Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China
The first Emperor of China from 221 BC to 210 BC, Qin Shi Huang was not a nice man.
In his first year of power alone he made 120,000 families relocate elsewhere.
He was known for his paranoia, and this made him cruel, sadistic, and brutal towards his subjects.
His people grew poorer under his reign as he kept raising taxes.
Nearly all writings and books were destroyed, and scholars became his target; many died from being buried alive or beheaded.
He had 4,700 roads built using forced labor, and thousands were worked to death.
He wanted to be immortal and set his fearful scientists and scholars to the task; 480 of them were buried alive when they failed.
Even paranoid about his safety in his death, he created a 3-mile-wide mausoleum.
Nearly 700,000 people were needed to build it, and most of them died during the construction.