We all know that the ancient world was a violent place, but we often don’t appreciate just how violent it was. The world was in a near-constant state of bloodshed and warfare. Massacres and mass slaughter were practically a part of daily life. The numbers killed in these ancient conflicts, and the reasons given for them, can boggle the mind. Here are seven of the worst massacres carried out in ancient history.
1. The Extermination of the Jie and Wu Hu in Ancient China
In fourth-century AD China, a war broke out when the Jie and Wu Hu peoples rebelled against the rule of General Ran Min. The war did not go well for the Jie or Wu Hu, and Ran Min ensured an example was made of them.
Things came to a head with Ran Min’s victory at the Battle of Xiangguo. At the beginning of the war, Ran Min had ordered that all Jie people be exterminated. For attempting to help the Jie, the Wu Hu were given the same fate. Ran Min declared that all Jie and Wu Hu must be killed indiscriminately, regardless of they were male, female, young, or old.
