Final answer:
Those likely to be accused of being a vampire were individuals on the margins of society or perceived as outsiders, such as foreigners or the impoverished, with the accusations coming from their local communities or authorities. These stemmed from fear, ignorance, and xenophobia throughout history, as seen in Eastern European folklore and Roman tales.
Step-by-step explanation:
Throughout history, accusations of being a vampire often targeted individuals who were seen as outsiders or different, such as foreigners, the impoverished, or those with unusual appearance or behaviors. In folklore, a vampire was usually accused by members of their local community or by those in power who wanted to explain away unexplained deaths or phenomena.
During times of ignorance and fear, especially in the absence of scientific explanations for events, myths, and superstitions held significant sway. For example, the Eastern European folklore that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula talks about a human attaining immortality by drinking the blood of others, highlighting the fear of the unknown and the outsiders. Similarly, the Romans had fears about night-hags and werewolves, as depicted in the Satyricon by Petronius. Individuals perceived as 'less Roman', like the Greek freedman Chresimus mentioned by Pliny the Elder, could be accused of witchcraft or other supernatural misdeeds.
These accusations of vampirism and similar monstrous associations with individuals stemmed from a deeper social fabric often rooted in xenophobia, distrust of the marginalized, and a lack of understanding of certain medical conditions that could mimic symptoms associated with the mythical creatures.