10 Worst Dads Ever

Top 10 Worst Fathers in History

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for 10 of the Worst Fathers in History.

For this list, we’ll be looking at bad dads throughout history, ranging from Biblical times to last century.

Who do you think is the worst father in history? Be sure to share in the comments below.

Emperor Constantine the Great

Despite his moniker of “The Great,” the first Christian Roman emperor was not exactly a great father. His eldest son Flavius ​​Julius Crispus was a beloved and faithful heir, even earning the title of Caesar from his father. According to some historians, rumors spread that Constantine the Great’s second wife and Crispus’ stepmother Empress Fausta and Crispus were involved in an affair. Because of the rumors, Constantine had his son murdered in a fit of rage. Shortly thereafter, he ordered that the royal baths be heated to such a temperature that Empress Fausta was boiled alive, making him a contender for the Top 10 Worst Husbands list as well.

Peter the Great

During his reign, Peter I ushered Russia into the modern age, even updating the Russian alphabet and calendar. However, his eldest son tsarevich Alexei was more old-fashioned and conservative in his beliefs. When Peter threatened to strip Alexei of his succession, his son volunteered to give up his claim, but Peter believed his political adversaries would rally around his son. Peter told his son to fight for the throne or become a monk, but Alexei elected to flee to Austria instead. When Alexei returned to Russia in hopes of reconciling with his father, he was publicly disinherited. Months later, Alexei was tortured to death under his father’s orders.

Frederick William I of Prussia

Unfortunately, the vile actions of this father aren’t unheard of in some families today. Also known as the Soldier King, Frederick I tried to force his heir and eldest son Frederick II, also known as Fritz, to conform to his militaristic lifestyle. When Fritz was a child, the king woke him up with cannon fire every morning and forbade him from pursuing music and reading books. Frederick I even beat his son for wearing gloves in cold weather. When Fritz tried to flee Prussia with his rumored lover Hans Hermann von Katte, the two men were imprisoned. The cruel king threatened to execute the prince and forced his son to watch as Katte was beheaded. Despite the actions of his father, Fritz eventually became king and was styled as Frederick the Great.

Genghis Khan

If you ever find yourself in a large crowd, there’s a good chance you might be brushing shoulders with at least one descendent of the founder of the Mongol Empire. In fact, it’s estimated that approximately 1 in 200 men living today is directly descended from Genghis Khan. While Khan no doubt fathered almost countless children, making him a majorly absent parent, his acknowledged children had to follow in his footsteps. After Khan’s passing, his heirs continued his conquering ways. His last known ruling descendent was still in power in 1920, nearly 700 years after his death.

Joseph Stalin

As we have discussed on this channel, Stalin was not exactly a kind person, and that even extended to his own son Yakov. After Yakov’s mother and Stalin’s first wife Kato Svanidze passed away, Yakov lived with his aunts. Stalin moved Yakov to Moscow when his son turned 14. Their relationship quickly deteriorated, with Stalin making Yakov sleep in the dining room and even forbidding his son from taking his last name. Yakov suffered from depression and attempted to take his life several times. After one attempt, Stalin allegedly said, "He can't even shoot straight." When Yakov was captured by Nazis during World War II, Stalin refused to make moves to get him released from prison, where Yakov ultimately perished.

Ptolemy VIII Physcon

Often regarded as one of the worst rulers in Egypt’s history, Ptolemy VIII, nicknamed Physcon, was a cruel pharaoh and even worse family member. As was the norm amongst the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, Physcon married his sister Cleopatra II, but as was definitely not the norm, some historians believe he murdered his sister’s son on their wedding night. In 136 BC, Cleopatra II and Physcon declared war against each other, and in retaliation, Physcon murdered their only son Memphites. The cruel tyrant sent the butchered remains of the child to his wife and sister on her birthday. We know this list is about horrible fathers, but Physcon is also definitely in the running for both the worst spouse and worst sibling in history. Speaking of terrible spouses…

Henry VIII

Considering there’s an entire Broadway musical based on how terribly he treated his wives, it should come as no surprise that Henry VIII was a horrible father to his daughters. He caused religious upheaval to divorce his first wife and the mother of his daughter Mary, Catherine of Aragon. Mary was subsequently declared illegitimate, stripped of her succession and was not allowed to see her mother, even when the former queen was on her deathbed. The king’s second wife Anne Boleyn also bore a daughter, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth wasn’t even three years old, Henry had her mother beheaded and stripped Elizabeth of her succession and declared her illegitimate. Of course, both Mary and Elizabeth eventually ruled England as queens, but their childhoods were full of trauma.

Ivan the Terrible

Finally, we have someone whose title reflects the kind of father he was. Although historians’ opinions on Ivan’s personality differ, many agree the tsar was mentally unstable and prone to episodes of rage. He and his eldest son and heir, also named Ivan, had a rocky relationship, and the younger’s wife was unfortunately dragged in the middle. The tsar attacked his pregnant daughter-in-law for wearing clothing he deemed inappropriate, causing her to miscarry. When the younger Ivan confronted the tsar for attacking his wife, the elder Ivan attacked his son with a scepter, killing him. Although he immediately regretted the action, the deed was done and ultimately led to Russia’s Time of Troubles.

Lot

Accounts of Lot’s relationship with his children differ from religion to religion and translation to translation, but across the board, his treatment of his daughters is pretty atrocious. In the Book of Genesis, Lot played host to two angels when they visited the city of Sodom. His vile neighbors surrounded Lot’s house and asked him to hand over the angels so they could know them. Yeah, in the Biblical sense. Instead of simply telling the mob to get lost, Lot threw out his two virgin daughters as sacrifices to the mob, telling the mob to know them instead. While there are some other incredibly questionable interactions between Lot and his daughters, this one alone lands Lot at the number two spot.

Herod the Great

Considering the fact that this king had his wife Mariamne executed because of his own paranoia, it comes as no great surprise that he was a bad dad. More than two decades after Mariamne’s murder, her and Herod’s sons Alexander and Aristobulus were charged with treason. Because Herod believed his sons would avenge their mother, they were executed without trial, leaving the line to succession to another one of Herod’s sons, Antipater. As Herod entered his final days, his paranoia grew, and he charged Antipater with attempting to murder him. Antipater was executed, and Herod passed away shortly after, ending his campaign of filicide once and for all.