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The Ancient Era

Founders of faiths, first philosophers, and empire builders, from the earliest records to the fall of Rome.

Ancient era

Cleopatra

69 BCE – 30 BCE

Last pharaoh of Egypt, diplomat and strategist of the ancient world

Ancient era

Augustus

63 BCE – August 19, 1914 CE

First emperor of the Roman Empire and founder of the Julio-Claudian dynasty

Ancient era

Cato the Younger

95 BCE – 46 BCE

Roman statesman, general and writer (95–46 BC)

Ancient era

Cincinnatus

519 BCE – c. 430 BCE

Two time Roman dictator

Ancient era

Nero

December 15, 1937 CE – June 9, 1968 CE

Fifth and last Roman Emperor of Julio-Claudian dynasty (54–68)

Ancient era

Caligula

August 31, 1912 CE – January 24, 1941 CE

Third Roman emperor (37–41)

Ancient era

Claudius

10 BCE – October 13, 1954 CE

Mayor of the Palace of Burgundy from 607 to 610

Ancient era

Trajan

53 CE – 117 CE

13th Roman Emperor (98–117)

Ancient era

Hadrian

January 24, 1976 CE – July 10, 138 CE

14th Roman Emperor (117–138)

Ancient era

Marcus Aurelius

April 26, 121 CE – March 17, 180 CE

16th Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 and Stoic philosopher

Ancient era

Commodus

August 31, 161 CE – December 31, 192 CE

17th Roman Emperor (180–192)

Ancient era

Diocletian

December 22, 244 CE – December 3, 316 CE

Augustus of the Eastern Roman Empire (244-311)

Ancient era

Constantine the Great

February 27, 272 CE – May 22, 337 CE

Roman emperor from 306 to 337 and first to convert to Christianity (272–337)

Ancient era

Justinian I

May 11, 482 CE – November 14, 565 CE

Eastern Roman Emperor who ruled from 527 to 565 (482-565)

Ancient era

Attila the Hun

395 CE – 453 CE

5th-century ruler of the Hunnic Empire

Ancient era

Boudicca

30 CE – 61 CE

Queen of the British Iceni tribe

Ancient era

Vercingetorix

80 BCE – 46 BCE

Protohistoric chieftain of the Arverni tribe, defeated by Julius Caesar during the Gallic wars

Ancient era

Zenobia

240 CE – 274 CE

3rd-century Queen of the Palmyrene Empire

Ancient era

Sun Tzu

544 BCE – 496 BCE

6th century BCE Chinese general and military strategist

Ancient era

Mencius

372 BCE – 289 BCE

Chinese Confucian philosopher (372–289 BC)

Ancient era

Qin Shi Huang

259 BCE – 210 BCE

First Emperor of unified China, builder of the Great Wall's foundation

Ancient era

Liu Bang

256 BCE – 195 BCE

Founding emperor of the Han dynasty (256–195 BC)

Ancient era

Emperor Wu of Han

156 BCE – 87 BCE

Seventh emperor of the Han dynasty of China (157 BC–87 BC)

Ancient era

Cao Cao

155 CE – 220 CE

Chinese warlord and statesman (155–220)

Ancient era

Zhuge Liang

181 CE – August 23, 234 CE

Chinese statesman and military strategist (181–234)

Ancient era

Ashoka

304 BCE – 232 BCE

Mauryan emperor who renounced conquest and spread Buddhist values

Ancient era

Chandragupta Maurya

340 BCE – 297 BCE

Founder of the Maurya Empire (350–295 BCE)

Ancient era

Chanakya

375 BCE – 283 BCE

Ancient Indian teacher and strategist who authored the foundational manual on political economy

Ancient era

Aryabhata

476 CE – 550 CE

Pioneer astronomer who formulated zero, quadratic rules, and earth's rotation.

Ancient era

Seneca the Younger

c. 4 BCE – April 12, 1965 CE

Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman and dramatist (c. 4 BCE–65 CE)

Ancient era

Epictetus

50 CE – 138 CE

Greek Stoic philosopher (c. 50–c. 138)

Ancient era

Homer

c. 900 BCE – c. 800 BCE

Ancient Greek poet credited with the Iliad and the Odyssey

Ancient era

Sappho

c. 650 BCE – c. 550 BCE

Ancient Greek poet from Lesbos (c. 630-c. 570 BC)

Ancient era

Aesop

620 BCE – 564 BCE

Ancient Greek storyteller (619 BC–563 BC)

Ancient era

Aeschylus

525 BCE – 456 BCE

Ancient Athenian playwright

Ancient era

Sophocles

496 BCE – 406 BCE

Ancient Greek playwright

Ancient era

Euripides

c. 480 BCE – c. 406 BCE

Classical Athenian playwright

Ancient era

Aristophanes

448 BCE – 386 BCE

Classical Athenian comic playwright (c. 446 – c. 386 BC)

Ancient era

Virgil

70 BCE – 19 BCE

Roman poet (1st century BC)

Ancient era

Ovid

43 BCE – 17 CE

Roman poet (43 BC – 17/18 AD)

Ancient era

Plutarch

c. 40 CE – c. 120 CE

Greek philosopher and historian (c. AD 46 – after AD 119)

Ancient era

Sima Qian

145 BCE – 86 BCE

Chinese historian (c. 145 – c. 86 BCE)

Ancient era

Wang Xizhi

321 CE – 361 CE

Chinese calligrapher (c. 321 – c. 361)

Ancient era

Gwanggaeto the Great

374 CE – 413 CE

King of the Goguryeo dynasty of Korea (374–413) (r. 391–413)

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Ancient era

Trung Trac

September 13, 1914 CE – March 5, 1943 CE

Vietnamese military leader, first queen

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Ancient era

Trung Nhi

12 CE – March 5, 1943 CE

Vietnamese military leader

Ancient era

Tigranes the Great

140 BCE – 55 BCE

King of Armenia

Ancient era

Mesrop Mashtots

362 CE – February 17, 440 CE

Armenian theologian and linguist (362–440)

Ancient era

Brendan the Navigator

486 CE – 577 CE

Irish monastic saint

Ancient era

Clovis I

466 CE – November 27, 511 CE

First king of the Franks (c. 466-511)

Ancient era

Theodoric the Great

May 12, 454 CE – August 30, 526 CE

King of the Germanic Ostrogoths and ruler of Italy (493–526)

Ancient era

Narses

478 CE – 574 CE

Byzantine general

Ancient era

Pope Leo I

390 CE – November 11, 461 CE

Pope from 440 to 461 (390–461)

Ancient era

Gratian

April 18, 359 CE – August 25, 383 CE

Roman emperor from 367 to 383

Ancient era

Clotilde

474 CE – June 3, 545 CE

Saint and second wife of the Frankish king Clovis I

Ancient era

Odoacer

433 CE – March 15, 493 CE

5th-century Germanic soldier and monarch of Italy (476–493)

Ancient era

Genseric

389 CE – 477 CE

King of the Vandals and Alans

Ancient era

Flavius Aetius

c. 390 CE – September 21, 454 CE

Roman general and statesman ( c. 390 – 454)

Ancient era

Romulus Augustulus

462 CE – c. 510 CE

Last emperor of the Western Roman Empire (475–476)

Ancient era

Amalasuntha

498 CE – April 30, 535 CE

Queen of the Ostrogoths (495-535)