Historical Slytherins Through the Ages

Slytherin is a House for those who are sly, cunning, ambitious, clever, determined, and shrewd. We tend to have a strong sense of self-preservation. Slytherins also have “a certain disregard for the rules.” We do not let anything get in the way of what we want. Everyone knows of famous Slytherins in the wizarding world, but what about the Slytherins who did not go to Hogwarts? Here are five famous figures in history who would have been sorted into Slytherin had they attended Hogwarts.

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1. Salvador Dalí

Source: Wikipedia

Salvador Dalí used symbolism in his art to show the world how he saw things. Dalí would make a perfect Slytherin because he made sure that people knew how he felt about issues through his art. When he ate out at a restaurant, he would often pay by a check that he would draw on. These checks of his would often not be cashed because he had turned them into a valuable piece of art. Only a true Slytherin would find such a great way to avoid paying for meals.

2. Queen Elizabeth I

Source: Wikipedia

Elizabeth I proved that you don’t need a husband to be a good queen. Pope Sixtus V once said, “She is only a woman, only mistress to half an island, and yet she makes herself feared by Spain, by France, by the Empire, by all.” Elizabeth I showed the world that she was a strong ruler and made them fear her. The time of her reign is called the Elizabethan Era, and it is often considered to be the golden age of English history. She used her cunning and determination to make England known as a fierce country not to be trifled with.

3. Niccolò Machiavelli

Source: Wikipedia

Niccolò Machiavelli is considered to be the father of modern political science. He wrote many important works, the most famous being The Prince. In this book, Machiavelli describes what is necessary for a new prince to gain power and keep it. The Prince uses an extreme example to teach rulers what is necessary and what isn’t. Machiavelli managed to criticize rulers without actually criticizing them, which shows that he was very cunning.

4. Hatshepsut

Source: Wikipedia

Hatshepsut was an Egyptian Pharaoh who rose to power after the death of her husband, Thutmose II. She ruled as co-regent with Thutmose III, because he was too young to do it alone, but ended up taking more power and declaring herself Pharaoh.  She ruled longer than any other Egyptian woman in the early Egyptian dynasty. During her reign, she established trade networks and started hundreds of building projects. She saw the chance to gain power, and she took it, which is why she is on this list.

5. Alexander Hamilton

Source: Wikipedia

Alexander Hamilton, our first Secretary of the Treasury, would have been a Slytherin. He came to America as a poor orphan and ended up being one of America’s Founding Fathers. How? Through determination, cunning, resourcefulness, and a strong sense of self-preservation. He was amazingly smart and used his shrewdness to better his station in life. Hamilton helped Thomas Jefferson, a man he hated, gain the Democratic-Republican nomination for President so that Aaron Burr wouldn’t get to be President. Hamilton was a Slytherin through and through.

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Which historical figures do you think would have been in Slytherin? Let us know in the comments.