wing of the archive

The Ancient Era

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

Ancient era

Cambyses II

559 BCE – 522 BCE

The second Achaemenid emperor (530–522 BC)

Ancient era

Atossa

550 BCE – 475 BCE

Persian Achaemenid empress (550–475 BC)

Ancient era

Artaxerxes I

c. 500 BCE – 424 BCE

Sixth Achaemenid emperor (475–424 BC)

Ancient era

Artaxerxes II

453 BCE – 358 BCE

The 10th Achaemenid Emperor (404–358 BC)

Ancient era

Parysatis

440 BCE – 385 BCE

Persian Queen

Ancient era

Roxana

347 BCE – 310 BCE

Bactrian princess and wife of Alexander the Great

Ancient era

Tomyris

c. 600 BCE – c. 600 BCE

Queen of the Massagetae (fl. 6. century BCE)

Ancient era

Mausolus

410 BCE – 353 BCE

Satrap of Caria from 377 BCE to 353 BCE

Ancient era

Mithridates I of Parthia

195 BCE – 132 BCE

King of Parthian Empire from 165 to 132 BC

Ancient era

Orodes II

c. 70 BCE – 38 BCE

King of Kings, Arsaces, Great King

Ancient era

Surena

84 BCE – 52 BCE

Iranian general

Ancient era

Musa of Parthia

46 BCE – c. 100 CE

Italian consort of Phraates IV

Ancient era

Ardashir I

180 CE – 242 CE

Founder of the Sassanid Empire (r. 224–242)

Ancient era

Shapur I

c. 300 CE – 270 CE

Second Sassanid emperor (r. 241–272)

Ancient era

Shapur II

309 CE – 379 CE

Sasanian emperor

Ancient era

Bahram V

406 CE – 438 CE

The 15th Sassanid Emperor (421–438)

Ancient era

Mazdak

c. 450 CE – 529 CE

Iranian philosopher

Ancient era

Kartir

c. 300 CE – c. 300 CE

Zoroastrian high-priest of the late 3rd century

Ancient era

Bozorgmehr

c. 450 CE – c. 501 CE

6th-century Iranian sage and dignitary

Ancient era

Hattusili I

c. 1700 BCE – 1620 BCE

Hittite king

Ancient era

Mursili I

c. 1700 BCE – 1590 BCE

Hittite king

Ancient era

Suppiluliuma I

1375 BCE – 1335 BCE

Hittite king

Ancient era

Muwatalli II

c. 1300 BCE – c. 1300 BCE

Hittite king

Ancient era

Hattusili III

c. 1300 BCE – c. 1300 BCE

Hittite king

Ancient era

Puduhepa

1289 BCE – c. 1300 BCE

Hittite queen

Ancient era

Hanno the Navigator

c. 499 BCE – c. 401 BCE

5th century BC Carthaginian explorer

Ancient era

Hamilcar Barca

275 BCE – 228 BCE

Carthaginian general (c. 275 – 228 BC)

Ancient era

Hasdrubal Barca

245 BCE – 207 BCE

Carthaginian general

Ancient era

Masinissa

238 BCE – 148 BCE

First king of Numidia from 202 BC to 148 BC

Ancient era

Jugurtha

160 BCE – 104 BCE

King of Numidia

Ancient era

Juba II

52 BCE – 23 CE

Crown prince of Numidia and King of Mauretania (c. 48 BC - AD 23)

Ancient era

Ahab

918 BCE – 852 BCE

King of Israel, the son and successor of Omri, and the husband of Jezebel (1 Kings 16)

Ancient era

Jehu

876 BCE – 814 BCE

King of Israel

Ancient era

Judas Maccabeus

c. 500 BCE – 160 BCE

2nd century BCE Jewish priest and leader of Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucids

Ancient era

Salome Alexandra

140 BCE – 67 BCE

Queen regnant of Hasmonean Judaea from c.76 to 67 BCE

Ancient era

Herod Antipas

b. 20 BCE

1st century AD tetrarch of Galilee and Perea

Ancient era

Shammai

50 BCE – 30 CE

Jewish scholar and an important figure in Judaism's core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah (50 BCE-30 CE)

Ancient era

Yohanan ben Zakkai

c. 50 BCE – c. 70 CE

1st-century rabbi and an important Jewish sage

Ancient era

Rabbi Akiva

50 CE – September 28, 135 CE

Jewish scholar and sage (c. 50 – c.135)

Ancient era

Bar Kokhba

c. 50 CE – 135 CE

Jewish leader

Ancient era

Judah ha-Nasi

135 CE – 219 CE

2nd century rabbi and editor of the Mishnah

Ancient era

Odaenathus

c. 220 CE – 267 CE

King of Palmyra from 260 to 267

Ancient era

Philip the Arab

204 CE – 249 CE

Roman Emperor (204-249)

Ancient era

Elagabalus

March 20, 203 CE – March 11, 222 CE

Roman Emperor (218-222)

Ancient era

Julia Domna

c. 165 CE – 217 CE

Ancient Roman empress

Ancient era

Julia Maesa

160 CE – 224 CE

Grandmother of Roman emperors Elagabalus and Severus Alexander

Ancient era

Abgar V

c. 1 BCE – 50 CE

1st century AD King of Osroene

Ancient era

Aretas IV

c. 100 BCE – c. 60 BCE

King of the Nabataeans (ruled 9 BC-40 AD)

Ancient era

Mavia

c. 400 CE – 425 CE

Late 4th/early 5th century Arab warrior-queen

Ancient era

Seleucus I Nicator

358 BCE – 281 BCE

General of Alexander and founder of the Seleucid dynasty

Ancient era

Antiochus III the Great

242 BCE – 187 BCE

Sixth Seleucid emperor (223–187 BC)

Ancient era

Antiochus IV Epiphanes

215 BCE – 164 BCE

King of the Seleucid Empire (175–164 BC)

Ancient era

Ptolemy II Philadelphus

308 BCE – 246 BCE

King of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt (308–246 B.C.)

Ancient era

Callimachus

320 BCE – 243 BCE

3rd-century BC Greek poet, scholar and librarian

Ancient era

Herophilos

335 BCE – 280 BCE

Greek physician (335–280 BC)

Ancient era

Erasistratus

c. 305 BCE – 249 BCE

Ancient Greek physician

Ancient era

Ctesibius

284 BCE – 221 BCE

Greek inventor and mathematician

Ancient era

Hero of Alexandria

10 CE – 75 CE

Ancient Greek mathematician and engineer

Ancient era

Pappus of Alexandria

290 CE – 350 CE

4th century Greek mathematician

Ancient era

Diophantus

c. 201 CE – 284 CE

3rd century Alexandrian Greek mathematician

Medieval era Early Modern era Modern era Contemporary era