Sadism Throughout History

A sadist is defined as someone who derives sexual pleasure from inflicting pain on others.

A dark desire for power and suffering. An impulse as old as humanity itself. Sadism. A word that stirs strong emotions—and yet… how much do we truly know about it?
Join us on a journey through history, as we uncover the roots, expressions, and transformations of this controversial phenomenon.
Let's dive into the fascinating and unsettling history of sadism and together unveil the hidden truths behind some of the more and less known figures who became infamous for their sadistic tendencies and the cruelty that followed.

Caligula – "Little Boot" (12–41 AD) was the son of the renowned Roman general Germanicus. He was proclaimed emperor with the Senate's approval following the death of Emperor Tiberius. In the beginning, he was immensely popular—possibly thanks in part to his famous father. What is certain is that the early days of his reign were met with admiration from senators, the Praetorian Guard, and the common people alike. He won over the masses with lavish games and secured the loyalty of the Praetorians with prestigious positions. The senators, in particular, felt a great sense of relief at the death of the much-hated Tiberius, who had suffered from paranoid delusions and ordered the executions of many.

Roughly six months after Caligula's ascent to the imperial throne, everything changed. To this day, the true reason why his short rule suddenly turned into a reign of terror remains unknown—nor do we know why Caligula began to behave like a madman and a psychopath. Several theories exist. Some historians claim he suffered from meningitis, while others believe he developed paranoia, much like Tiberius. What is almost certain is that his reign was marked by pronounced tendencies toward sadism, homosexuality, and allegedly incestuous relations with his own sisters.

The sexual nature of his behavior is further evidenced by reports that he would summon high-ranking men and, in front of their powerless gaze, lead their wives away to his chambers for sexual games. Caligula reveled in torture—he enjoyed watching it and often took part in it himself. In his delusional state, he declared himself a god and had a marble stable built for his favorite horse, Incitatus, complete with furniture. He even planned to appoint the horse as a Roman consul.

After a reign of terror lasting just under four years, Caligula was assassinated—stabbed to death by members of the Praetorian Guard.

Gilles de Rais (Retz) – "Bluebeard" (1404–1440) fought in the Hundred Years' War alongside Joan of Arc, whom he protected. For his bravery, he was appointed Marshal of France by the king. After Joan's death, he was utterly devastated by her loss. The blow was so profound that he abandoned his military career and withdrew entirely from public life. At first, he devoted himself to the arts, science, and alchemy.

It is unclear when exactly Rais's deviance began to manifest, but it is said that the pain of losing his beloved Joan may have sparked the darkness that would later consume him. He eventually renounced God, which likely led him into the practices of black magic and necromancy. He is known to have invoked demons and called upon Lucifer. In that era, turning away from God was considered heresy.

History remembers him as a pedophilic necrosadist, largely due to the heinous murders he committed against young boys. Allegedly, he saw the image of Joan in their innocent eyes and sought to avenge her death—a theory, however, unsupported by historical evidence. The sadistic atrocities he inflicted—often with sexual undertones—on innocent children are too horrific to describe here, even in passing.

It is believed that the number of boys who fell victim to his monstrous perversions reaches into the hundreds. The exact number remains unknown. For his gruesome crimes—including the murder of children, witchcraft, demon summoning, heresy, and the worship of the Devil—he was sentenced to death by hanging and executed.

History regards Gilles de Rais as one of the earliest satanists and serial killers.

Vlad III – "The Impaler" (Ţepeş) 1431–1476/77 was an extraordinarily cruel Wallachian prince. He was a skilled military commander and a relentless fighter against the Ottoman Turks. Author Bram Stoker used Vlad III as inspiration for the character of Count Dracula in his novel Dracula. Yet the real Vlad Ţepeş far surpassed even that bloodthirsty monster in brutality.

He derived pleasure from cruelty and particularly favored one especially horrific and gruesome method of execution: impalement. But the merciless prince indulged in other methods of killing and torture as well. He reportedly gouged out his victims' eyes, flayed them alive, cut off their noses or ears, roasted them over fires, disemboweled them or sliced off their genitals while they were still alive, and boiled their organs in cauldrons. He was also said to mutilate women—cutting off their breasts or removing unborn children from their wombs.

These twisted practices were allegedly performed during his meals, when he had food served to him while he attentively watched the immense suffering of those being tortured. Some accounts even suggest he experienced sexual gratification from these depraved acts.

The number of victims tortured and killed by Vlad the Impaler is estimated to be in the tens of thousands.

Kateřina Bechyňová of Lažany – "Bloody Kateřina", also known as the Czech Báthory (d. 1534), adopted the name Bechyňová of Lažany after her marriage. Her husband, Jan Bechyně, was appointed the burgrave of Karlštejn Castle and was thus required to perform his duties there. At first, Kateřina accompanied him on his travels, but eventually chose to remain alone at their estate in Pičín, where she managed the domain during his absences.

There, Kateřina ruled with an iron hand and imposed severe punishments on her subjects, as she began to exhibit clear sadistic tendencies. She took pleasure in torturing animals, but especially people. She was particularly fond of abusing servant girls. She ordered them to beat each other until they bled, cut into their skin with knives, poured salt into open wounds, whipped them, had their skin flayed, and scalded them with boiling water or hot butter. She even ordered skinning alive. It is said that she experienced sexual arousal during these atrocities.

Many of her victims did not survive the torture. Fourteen intentional killings were proven against her, though it is likely the actual number was significantly higher. The exact count remains unknown.

Prompted by chronicler Václav Hájek of Libočany, legal proceedings were launched against Kateřina. She was ultimately sentenced to death by starvation. She was imprisoned in the Mihulka Tower at Prague Castle, where she died after fourteen days of suffering.

Elizabeth Báthory – "The Blood Countess, Lady of Čachtice" (1560–1614)

There are various theories about the horrific acts committed by this Hungarian noblewoman. However, historical sources note that traits of cruelty and sadism were present throughout the Báthory family. Violent behavior and pathological patterns, likely exacerbated by close kinship ties, were a recurring characteristic passed down through the lineage. Because of these hereditary predispositions, Elizabeth was by no means alone in her tendencies.

She became the most infamous member of this powerful noble family precisely because of the crimes for which she was convicted. Some sources suggest she was merely a victim of political intrigue among Transylvanian princes or that her downfall was driven by a desire to seize her vast estates. Nonetheless, it is clear that she suffered from sadistic tendencies and sexual deviance.

She brutally tortured her subjects—especially young girls. In winter, she poured cold water over them, pricked needles beneath their fingernails, burned them with candles, or inserted red-hot irons into their genitals. However, the widespread belief that she bathed in virgin blood is considered highly unlikely.

Young girls were brought into her service under the pretext of employment and education, often through her servants. Some were even abducted from their homes or captured along the roads. Not all came from impoverished families—some were daughters of minor nobility. Many of the girls are believed to have been tortured to death at Čachtice and Sárvár (in present-day Hungary), as well as in Pressburg (now Bratislava) and Vienna.

The estimated number of her victims varies widely, ranging from 80 to as many as 650. For her crimes, she was sentenced to lifelong confinement at Čachtice Castle, where she died in complete isolation after three years.

Julio Caesar, Marquis of Austria (1584–1609) was the illegitimate son of Emperor Rudolf II. During his adolescence, Julio indulged heavily in alcohol, frequently visited brothels, and exhibited extremely violent behavior. The emperor eventually designated Český Krumlov as his son's residence. It was there that the marquis most clearly revealed his brutal nature, becoming a source of fear and dread for the local inhabitants. Brawls, assaults, and robberies became part of everyday life.

Despite Julio's escalating aggression, the emperor continued to turn a blind eye to his behavior. He eventually ordered him confined to a monastery—though Julio soon escaped and returned to Krumlov. There, he viciously beat and stabbed his young lover, Markéta. Believing she was dead, he threw her out of a window. Miraculously, she survived the fall and, with immense effort, managed to make it home.

After her recovery, Julio demanded that she visit him again, despite the clear objections of her parents. To force her compliance, he had her father imprisoned. Under the threat that her father would be executed, she ultimately gave in and returned to her tormentor after several weeks of hesitation. That decision cost her her life.

In a drunken and deranged state, Julio first attacked a guard, stabbing him, and then unleashed his fury on the defenseless girl. He assaulted her with unimaginable brutality. According to reports, she lost her teeth, ears, and an eye. He then dismembered her body.

After this horrific act, Emperor Rudolf II ordered his son to be imprisoned for life in Český Krumlov Castle. Julio's mental state, likely deteriorating due to full-blown schizophrenia, worsened by the day. He ceased caring for his hygiene and experienced uncontrollable fits of rage during which he destroyed everything around him. He smeared himself with his own excrement and the blood from self-inflicted wounds. He never left his chamber, which emitted such a stench that the servants were too frightened to approach.

He died of suffocation less than sixteen months after his confinement.

Anna Rozina Listiusová – "The Witch of Šintava" (1583–1643) was a contemporary of Elizabeth Báthory. Not only were they close acquaintances, but for some time they were also imprisoned together in the dungeons of Čachtice Castle, accused of nearly identical crimes committed against their subjects.

In the early 17th century, Anna Rozina committed the same atrocities as Báthory. She found joy in torturing her servants and subjects, spreading fear and terror throughout the region. She showed no regard for age or gender—her victims included women, men, the elderly, and even children, whom she is said to have beaten to death with a shovel or a hammer. According to testimony, she once killed her servant's infant in its cradle simply because its crying disturbed her.

It is said that she would fall into a trance—perhaps even a sexual one—when she saw blood and inflicted pain. She surrounded herself with individuals who practiced witchcraft and worshipped demons. There are even allegations that she had a role in the death of her first husband, whom she is believed to have poisoned.

Twelve murders by torture were officially proven against her, but estimates suggest the true number was far higher. Having allegedly been warned by Báthory during their shared imprisonment, Anna Rozina became more cautious upon her release. She deliberately chose poor peasants and unregistered servants—those whom no one would search for. The bodies were buried in secret, and if anyone did inquire, she spread rumors that they had succumbed to infectious diseases to avoid suspicion.

This strategy worked for a while—until it didn't. Her fatal mistake came when she tortured a girl of minor noble birth who miraculously managed to escape. Though the girl ultimately succumbed to the severe consequences of the abuse, she had given testimony before her death that exposed Anna Rozina's horrific deeds to both the public and the nobility.

She was sentenced to death by beheading and the confiscation of her property. However, thanks to the influence of her powerful relatives at the imperial court, Emperor Ferdinand III granted her clemency and ordered her isolated at Šintava Castle, where she lived out the remainder of her depraved life in complete obscurity.

Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) was a French aristocrat shrouded in legend, "famed" for a long series of scandals. His life was marked by contempt, physical and psychological abuse, and a brutal hedonism. He took pleasure in inflicting pain and torment on both women and men, deriving sexual gratification from their suffering.

The objects of his depraved desires were usually hired prostitutes, whom he savagely whipped and tortured. One washerwoman agreed to his proposal lured by the promise of quick money—only to be tied to a bed, severely beaten, and have hot wax poured into her wounds. At his estate, he kept young girls for his twisted practices, with the active assistance of a servant who would sexually satisfy the marquis during the ensuing orgies.

Both men faced the death penalty for sodomy, but managed to escape justice at the time. The marquis was convicted multiple times and imprisoned in various jails for his unorthodox sexual behavior and sadistic treatment of both prostitutes and casual lovers. On his estate, he seduced young maids and lured them into his trap. Once again, whips, ropes, hooks, and various torture devices came into play. These girls, too, were abused and forced into extreme sexual perversities.

His time in freedom alternated with repeated incarcerations, during which he began to write literary works that projected his sadistic urges and twisted fantasies. While imprisoned in the Bastille, he wrote the notorious novel The 120 Days of Sodom. After his release, he briefly appeared to reintegrate into society, but soon faced the guillotine for his involvement with the royal guard—narrowly escaping execution thanks to the uprising against Robespierre.

Shortly after, he was arrested once more for publishing Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue and Juliette, or The Prosperity of Vice, and this time he was placed in an asylum for the insane, where he ultimately died at the age of 74. In total, he spent nearly thirty years of his life behind bars.

In Conclusion

Today, it is difficult to determine to what extent these human monsters were shaped by the brutal and violent times in which they lived. One thing is certain: many of them lost control entirely. They gave in to their most primal instincts—those that brought them pleasure through the suffering of others.

And conscience? In their twisted souls and deranged minds, there was no room for it…

Bibliographic References – ISO 690

Caligula

• SUETONIUS. Životopisy dvanácti císařů. Překlad Bohumil Ryba. Praha: Svoboda, 1974.
• DIO CASSIUS. Římské dějiny. Překlad Petr Vavroušek. Praha: Arista, 2013.
• SENECA, Lucius Annaeus. O hněvu (De Ira). Překlad Jan Křesadlo. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2001.
• HOT HISTORY. Caligula: Decadence and Despotism. Hot History [online]. [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://hothistory.substack.com/p/caligula-decadence-and-despotism

Gilles de Rais

• BATAILLE, Georges. The Trial of Gilles de Rais. San Francisco: Amok Press, 1991. ISBN 1878923021.
• LESSONS FROM HISTORY. Gilles de Rais: A Sadistic Child Killer in 15th Century France. Medium [online]. 2021 [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/gilles-de-rais-a-sadistic-child-killer-in-15th-century-france-eda81a007c4e
• JONES, Shannon. The Lives and Crimes of Gilles de Rais and Elizabeth Bathory. California State University, 2018. [online]. Dostupné z: https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/00000262d

Vlad III. Ţepeş

• STOKER, Bram. Dracula. London: Archibald Constable & Co., 1897.
• WILKINSON, William. An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia. London: Longman, 1820.
• PBS FRONTLINE. The Real Dracula. PBS.org [online]. 2003 [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/romania/dracula1.html
• TOOLIFY. The Bloodthirsty Legacy of Vlad the Impaler. Toolify.ai [online]. 2024 [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://www.toolify.ai/ai-news/the-bloodthirsty-legacy-of-vlad-the-impaler-a-terrifying-tale-of-sadism-2115180

Kateřina Bechyňová z Lažan

• WIKIPEDIE. Kateřina z Komárova. In: Wikipedie: Otevřená encyklopedie [online]. [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate%C5%99ina_z_Kom%C3%A1rova
• APFEL, Vladimír. Ďábel v brokátu: Bestiální zločiny urozené Kateřiny z Komárova. Stoplusjednička [online]. Extra Publishing, 2022 [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://www.stoplusjednicka.cz/dabel-v-brokatu-bestialni-zlociny-urozene-kateriny-z-komarova
• REFLEX. Největší česká sadistická vražedkyně Kateřina z Komárova. Reflex.cz [online]. CNC, 2021 [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://www.reflex.cz/clanek/fotogalerie/105645/nejvetsi-ceska-sadisticka-vrazedkyne-katerina-z-komarova-za-brutalni-vrazdy-cekala-slechticnu-smrt-hladem.html
• DVOJKA – Český rozhlas. Kateřina z Komárova. Česká "Čachtická paní". Dvojka.rozhlas.cz [online]. [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://dvojka.rozhlas.cz/katerina-z-komarova-ceska-cachticka-pani-8939187
• DOTYK. Karlštejnská bestie: Sadistickou šlechtičnu zazdili. Dotyk.cz [online]. [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://www.dotyk.cz/magazin/katerina-z-komarova-30000518.html
• SVĚT ŽENY. Kateřina z Komárova: Krutá šlechtična řádila na tvrzi v Pičíně. Svetzeny.cz [online]. [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://www.svetzeny.cz/pribehy/katerina-z-komarova-kruta-slechticna-radila-na-tvrzi-v-picine-poddane-nechavala-stahovat-z

Alžběta Báthoryová

• KOČIŠ, Jozef. Alžbeta Báthoryová a palatín Thurzo: Pravda o čachtickej panej. Bratislava: Perfekt, 1993. ISBN 978-80-8046-019-2.
• HISTORY EXTRA. Elizabeth Báthory: a 17th-century 'serial killer'. Historyextra.com [online]. [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://www.historyextra.com/period/early-modern/elizabeth-bathory-who-crimes-serial-killer/
• JONES, Shannon. The Lives and Crimes of Gilles de Rais and Elizabeth Bathory.

Don Julius Caesar d'Austria

• TINDERPARK. Don Julius Caesar d'Austria. Tinderspark.weebly.com [online]. 2023 [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://tinderspark.weebly.com/blog/great-maniacs-of-17th-c-history-1-don-julius-daustria
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Anna Rozina Listiusová

• HRADY-ZÁMKY.SK. Anna Rosina Listhius. In: Panovníci a osobnosti – Hrady a zámky na Slovensku [online]. [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://www.hrady-zamky.sk/panovnici/42-anna-rosina-listhius/
• SLOVANDER.SK. Šintavská bosorka Anna Listhiusová. Horšia ako Báthoryčka? In: Slovander – Tajomnô [online]. 9. 7. 2021 [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://slovander.sk/tajomno/sintavska-bosorka-anna-listhiusova-horsia-ako-bathorycka/

Markýz de Sade

• DE SADE, Donatien Alphonse François. 120 dní Sodomy. Praha: Volvox Globator, 2001.
• GAYARD, Laurence. Marquis de Sade. Paris: Gallimard, 1994.
• SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE. Who Was the Marquis de Sade? Smithsonianmag.com [online]. 2011 [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-marquis-de-sade-180953980/
• BRITANNICA. Marquis de Sade. Encyclopaedia Britannica [online]. [cit. 18. 4. 2025]. Dostupné z: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marquis-de-Sade