Julius Caesar was once captured and held for ransom by pirates when he was very young. After they received payment, they let him go but left him for dead on some deserted beach far from Italia. He had only a few companions with him, but bit by bit he created a small legion by going from town to town and recruiting men from their villages. Finally, when he had large enough numbers, he hunted down the pirates who abducted him (along with many others) and crucified them.
Later in life, he also punished one of his legions that performed badly in battle by having every tenth man crucified. He then proceeded to name the legion "The Tenth," so they would always remember their blunder. They became one of his best legions.
Cruel dude. And a total fuckin' badass.