Historical Who Am I Riddles

[Kilo11]

I got the era, but I didn't realize you had hinted at nationality in there. I will have to think about the lines and see if I can't divine something about that.

[Sar1n]

I got the era, but I didn't realize you had hinted at nationality in there. I will have to think about the lines and see if I can't divine something about that.

Don't dwell too much on it. It's subtle, and you'll probably only realize it in hindsight.

[Sar1n]

Still nothing?

He proved that he was no statesman when given title of Viceroy of a domain, which he ran like an army camp. Also, he had a battleship named after him, and its fate was quite ironical in light of his career.

[Abdülmecid I]

Ah you probably mean Radetzky. I suspected a Czech marshal in Hapsburg service, but the early modern hint threw me off. If that's indeed the correct answer, I will post the next scoundrel in the following days, as I am travelling today.

[Sar1n]

Ah you probably mean Radetzky. I suspected a Czech marshal in Hapsburg service, but the early modern hint threw me off. If that's indeed the correct answer, I will post the next scoundrel in the following days, as I am travelling today.

"Early modern" usually refers to the era between Renaissance and industrial revolution IIRC.

And yeah, it's Jan Jozef Václav Antonín František Karel Radecký. Although he made his career during Napoleonic wars, he is most known for his part in First Italian War of Independence, where he commanded Austrian forces despite being over 80 years old at the time. Afterwards, he was named Viceroy of the Lombardy-Venetia, which he ruled with iron fist until resigning, and shortly after dying.

Thus it's ironic that the SMS Radetzky ended up being transferred to Italy after WWI and then scrapped.

Oh, and he was also known for his fondness of opulent banquets. Thus the "few beers" line that also served as hint about nationality.

[Abdülmecid I]

A little boy and an old lady they have me called,
so I had them all mauled.
Little Adel took my ball,
so for his nephew a crown of lead I had it mold
and his uncle's skeleton I robbed.
A country divided,
under my house I united,
only to be done by my butler,
like in a cheap story of Mrs Marple.

Alright, time for some hints. We're in the 18th century and the old lady/little boy in question is not a European historical figure.

[Sar1n]

18th c., not Europe, killed by a butler? Going by that, since I don't have time to check the rest, Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar?

[Abdülmecid I]

Correct! He's the founder of the Qajar royal house. Having been castrated by the Afsharid Adel Shah, his hairless face made him, in a time when long beards were very fashionable in Iran, the butt of numerous jokes. However, Agha Muhammad Khan proved a very capable commander, succeeding in uniting most of Iran and in exterminating his opponents. One of his last victims was the last Afsharid claimant, Sharokh Khan, whom the Qajar ruler brutally tortured, in order to rob him of his alleged riches.

[Kilo11]

So Sar1n, are you going to make a new riddle for our perusal?

[Søren]

A long gap, so I'll start us off again. Might be a bit easy though, as around 12 clues in here.


Remembering myself:
first breath formed softly in
this Eternal City

Weak by nature, blessed in aspect
A young child, driven to correct
The outcome of the sad pretence
by my father to take offence
at injustice, and try to fight
for what by God's grace is our right

So when grown up, I set my course
over the sea, keen to enforce
my principles in a new place,
but my efforts meet with disgrace

A new low, my plans in tatters
hopes butchered and all that matters
is my need for new direction
and can I win the affection
of a woman ready to hide
me from them all until the tide

Identity recalled,
my last breath flows from me,
between these seven hills

[Søren]

Well not sure whether this has not been guessed due to lack of interest or difficulty! But in case of the latter I will offer two further clues: 1. The character is post-Medieval & 2. The first and last stanza are accurate but may mislead, as they are not very obviously associated with this person.

[Septentrionalis]

Just letting you know that I am technically playing, but post-classical history is not my strongest suite and online research is difficult in this particular case because quite a few historical figures' biographies connect with the Eternal City.

[Kilo11]

Hmm... this one is tricky. The "Eternal City" thing seems to be a trap. Not in that you are trying to mislead us, but that I think researching along those lines will lead one more astray than toward the truth. I've been focusing more on the content of the second and third stanzas, and it has me thinking of people like the Spanish missionaries who fought for Native rights in Central and South America. People like las Casas and such. But so far I have not found a clean match. I'll have to dig a bit more when I have time.

[Søren]

I'll add a third clue, as this is proving tricky:

1. The character is post-Medieval
2. The first and last stanza are accurate but may mislead, as they are not very obviously associated with this person.
3. This character never left Europe.*

*It's obviously harder to research a negative than a positive, but I am 99.9% sure this is the case.

There are a couple of word choices (probably the ones that would have been less likely to find their way there otherwise) that are also small clues.

[Septentrionalis]

Hmm... this one is tricky. The "Eternal City" thing seems to be a trap.

I think the the Eternal City and mentioning of seven hills makes unmistably Rome. But the person in question set his course over to sea to do something significant, but he never left Europe. That is a bit odd but narrows it down some.

[Kilo11]

I think the the Eternal City and mentioning of seven hills makes unmistably Rome. But the person in question set his course over to sea to do something significant, but he never left Europe. That is a bit odd but narrows it down some.

Yeah, I also think it has to be Rome, but I think that focusing on Rome will get one bogged down in a million other historical figures that don't fit. That's how I think it's a "trap".

The third clue is interesting, given the third stanza. From the latter, I figured we were looking for someone who was operating in the Americas, but I guess he only went over a narrower sea.

[Kilo11]

Hey Soren, I'm still trying to figure this one out, and was hoping I could check some thoughts for their validity.

Remembering myself:
first breath formed softly in
this Eternal City

...

Identity recalled,
my last breath flows from me,
between these seven hills

The first and last stanza seem to only possibly mean that our guy was born and died in Rome. Is that true?

And then this stanza:

...

So when grown up, I set my course
over the sea, keen to enforce
my principles in a new place,
but my efforts meet with disgrace

...

You said the guy never left Europe, but the "over the sea" thing then seems confusing. Does this mean the guy went to Iberia? Or to Greece? These seem to me to be the only ways he could be born in Rome, never leave Europe, yet still go over the sea. Is that right?

[Søren]

Apologies for the delayed response. I fear I may have made this one a little hard.

The first and last stanza seem to only possibly mean that our guy was born and died in Rome. Is that true?

That is true yeah, although as mentioned it may not be the most helpful fact as this person is less associated with Rome than some. Although it is a good way of eliminating false pretenders if they don't fit this fact.

You said the guy never left Europe, but the "over the sea" thing then seems confusing. Does this mean the guy went to Iberia? Or to Greece? These seem to me to be the only ways he could be born in Rome, never leave Europe, yet still go over the sea. Is that right?

For clarity, when I say Europe I'm referring to anything on this map (except the small parts of Asia and North Africa of course). So the definition also includes European islands such as Crete, Britain, Minorca etc etc.

[Søren]

I'll add that the despite the location of their birth and death - perhaps not one they may have preferred for this - this character is almost entirely associated with the history of the British Isles....

[Kilo11]

Hmm... Interesting. I still don't have a concrete guess (though I'm mulling things over), but in case it helps anyone else, I'm gonna round up all my thoughts and findings so far, and the hints Soren has given.

1. The guy was born and died in Rome.
2. The guy is however not so strongly associated with Rome.
3. The guy "is almost entirely associated with the history of the British Isles".
4. The guy is post-Medieval.
5. The guy never left Europe (this could be important for whittling things down, given how many critical post-Medieval people did leave Europe at some point).

Aside from these points, I don't have any really concrete things in mind (yet). Just to get it to the bottom of the page though, here is Soren's original riddle again as well:

Remembering myself:
first breath formed softly in
this Eternal City

Weak by nature, blessed in aspect
A young child, driven to correct
The outcome of the sad pretence
by my father to take offence
at injustice, and try to fight
for what by God's grace is our right

So when grown up, I set my course
over the sea, keen to enforce
my principles in a new place,
but my efforts meet with disgrace

A new low, my plans in tatters
hopes butchered and all that matters
is my need for new direction
and can I win the affection
of a woman ready to hide
me from them all until the tide

Identity recalled,
my last breath flows from me,
between these seven hills