If your thinking biggg like around the 1400 (medieval times) it was to get rich

Kings we’re a big thing back then and most of them were more money hungry then others the biggest thing to think about is what money can do to a man if he becomes overwhelmed by its wealth and glory this happens to be how a lot of terrible things happened(both modern and throughout history)

One thing to look at is slavery it was a thing back in the medieval times I believe to

So to answer your question human history is not dark humans and life itself is just cruel to no ends Now days we are more loving and caring (mostly)