View Full Version : The Greatest among Greats...
Who do you think was the Greatest among the people who gained the title "The Great" in ancient history?
I voted Cyrus II of Persia for his achievements and philosophy ^^
Drunk Clown
09-12-2010, 12:43
Uhh.. where's Caligula?
Did he ever use the title magnus?
If so sorry, I didn't know...
Where's Constantine the Great? well i vote for him :)
It's near the end of the list...
BTW feel free to leave a little comment on why you chose to vote your pick ^^
Sargon! Because he was the first to acheive what no one before did : unifing and holding a multiethnic empire, at a time where mesopotamia was a meltingpot of come and go between races and nation, he came out of the turmoil and created a "stable" period where none have existed before...
Mulceber
09-12-2010, 16:49
To paraphrase Cuppy, "Alexander was called 'great' because he killed more people from more different places than anyone up until his time."
AVE ALEXANDER!!! -M
Basileus_ton_Basileon
09-12-2010, 21:35
Megas Alexandros. He conquered half the known world. In fact, if he didn't die, he would likely conquer the barbarians in Italy too.
Burebista
09-12-2010, 22:09
Cyrus. His legacy was not a superpower of its time , but THE only superpower of his time. Now to mention his philosophy.
gotta say Alexander. Of all those people, I find Alexanders achievements to be the greatest.
After all, he took on THE only super power of his time, and prevailed ;)
Unintended BM
09-13-2010, 00:33
Sargon all the way.
stratigos vasilios
09-13-2010, 03:08
Justinian, because my grandma is quite fond of him. In her own delirious Byzantine way.
Ashoka, A great miliatry leader and a philosopher, a brilliant emperor, held together a very diverse empire (bigger than the mughals and modern day india) unti his death in a gold age of the sub continent
Burebista
09-13-2010, 07:54
I don't get why Hanno 2 & 3 are present here. The 2nd probably caused Carthage's fall by refusing to send reinforcements to Hannibal. The same applies to Darius ....what a weak man he was. Fleeing from battle so easily. Cyrus would have wept.
And why is Caesar or Hannibal not in the list?
The list is for people who used the title "Great", AFAIK this didnt apply to Caesar or hannibal
And why is Caesar or Hannibal not in the list?
Even thought Hannibal deserved the title "Great" more than all those Hannos IMO, its was never "official" (shame)
BTW: Voted for Alexander.
Cyrus II of Persia. His humanistic philosophy is what makes him more appealing to me than, for example, Alexander.
Cute Wolf
09-13-2010, 15:22
Vote St Constantine of the Romans.... he was certainly far better than Alexandros, because the later was over-celebrated gay...
:clown:
although I must admit he was the second greatest
Cambyses
09-14-2010, 00:37
Voted Cyrus. What else could I do with this username?
Burebista
09-14-2010, 08:52
Nice to see cyrus so close to Alexander. i rly like the guy.
While Alexander was a great military leader he lacked in the statesman department.
Cyrus was the whole package. Great leader, great statesman. Along with his philosophy he really deserved to be called "the Great"
As a Buddhist, I should have said "Ashoka" (bad karma, eh). However, I think Cyrus really deserved the title. He was shown to be reasonably compassionate for rulers his age and he pretty much formed the first bond between east and west. Due to the rise of Persia, Babyloniand and Egyptian science managed to spread to all corners of the empire, including Greece.
I thought Ashoka would've obtained more votes ^^
It's Tigran the Great, not Tigranes II the Great.
anubis88
09-15-2010, 09:02
It's Tigran the Great, not Tigranes II the Great.
Wow, you are really touchy about this aren't you? :clown:
I voted for Mithridates IV, just because he has a cool name... Half of the listed guys were excellent rulers; it's impossible to pick the one that was excellentissimus :laugh4:
Atraphoenix
09-15-2010, 09:37
Cyrus, who created an empire that Alexander just swept her remnants......
It's Tigran the Great, not Tigranes II the Great.
For the names I check english sources, because I actually know them in italian...
Sorry :S
For the names I check english sources, because I actually know them in italian...
Sorry :S
LOL I'm just messing with y'all, sheesh. It sucks how there's no way to tell sarcasm or playfulness in text (no body language depicted in text). I was just pointing out the fact that most of the sources for antiquity's Armenia use Greek names for cities and dynasties while using Greek and Latin names for cities (e.g. Tigranocerta as opposed to Tigranakert). I mean, it doesn't mean we can't use the proper local names today. We know that the names are Artashesian, not Artaxiad, and Tigran, not Tigranes. Btw it is right that he is the '2nd', I didn't mean to take that out. He was named after either his father or his uncle (there's no verification either way which one was his father, but it doesn't matter since they co-ruled).
EDIT: Oh and all the Mithradates-named leaders have their native Persian name, and you can use the Armenian name as a model because it's identical (more or less).
Միհրդատ (transliterated: Mihrdat, a=AH and t unaspirated)
Where's the "barbarians"? I can't think any of them were ever atrributed the title "Great" but surely some must be worthy of being included; Vercingetorix, Brennus, Cunobeline, Viriathus, Diviciacus of the Suessiones (surely), Ariminius, Attila.
Where's the "barbarians"? I can't think any of them were ever atrributed the title "Great" but surely some must be worthy of being included; Vercingetorix, Brennus, Cunobeline, Viriathus, Diviciacus of the Suessiones (surely), Ariminius, Attila.
I agree with you brother, but the thread is only about those who had the name "the great" in their title. Brennus (my personal favourite!) was great, but wasn't named Brennus the Great... see what I mean?
Cyrus was the l33t hax.
No votes on Ashoka? Im confused...... He was a very similar package to Cyrus and Sargon
Conradus
09-24-2010, 20:42
Has to be Alex, none of the others managed to do what he did. And few have managed to do it since.
No votes on Ashoka? Im confused...... He was a very similar package to Cyrus and Sargon
On top of that, after the battle of Somethingy somewhat he was very remorseful about killing people, which gave rise to his famous edicts!
Basileus_ton_Basileon
09-25-2010, 04:36
oh good, I can see Alexander in the lead. All Hail Makedonia!
Olaf The Great
09-25-2010, 06:08
On top of that, after the battle of Somethingy somewhat he was very remorseful about killing people, which gave rise to his famous edicts!
I would change my vote to him now, if I could.
The problem with this poll is that many of these guys were great in different ways, Hanno was an explorer right? Cyrus and Alexander did mainly the same thing, but in different time periods with different tactics, so I respect both of them equally(voted for Alex though, didn't see Cyrus)
I agree with you brother, but the thread is only about those who had the name "the great" in their title. Brennus (my personal favourite!) was great, but wasn't named Brennus the Great... see what I mean?
I see what you mean, damn "barbarian" illiteracy.
Ah, but which Brennus? lol.
Basileus_ton_Basileon
09-25-2010, 07:57
I thought the celts are thoroughly intellectual, despite not having their own writing.
They were and in a sense they adopted a sort of greek alphabet, but for religious reasons was forbidden...
Most likely it was to preserve the druids' and bards' status, also that allowed a highly developed memory ^^
Titus Marcellus Scato
09-25-2010, 13:31
While Alexander was a great military leader he lacked in the statesman department.
Cyrus was the whole package. Great leader, great statesman. Along with his philosophy he really deserved to be called "the Great"
Agreed. Cyrus created a vast empire from a hundred disparate warring peoples. Alexander merely kicked out a weak successor and took it over. Macedon's army replaced the Persian one (although incorporating many eastern forces), but the Persian bureaucracy and government taxation and communication system created by Cyrus remained in place working for Alexander as the new 'Great King'.
In modern commercial terminology, Alexander's empire (company) was not created by him, but was a 'hostile takeover' of the Persian Empire (Inc.) So Alexander can't justifiably take ALL the credit for it.
DeathFinger
09-25-2010, 15:56
Kanishka. He was entitled Basileus Basileon, Maharaja, Rajatiraja, and "Son of the Sky", that's to say he was considered equal to Parthians, Indians and Han kings (and Romans for sure).
In modern commercial terminology, Alexander's empire (company) was not created by him, but was a 'hostile takeover' of the Persian Empire (Inc.) So Alexander can't justifiably take ALL the credit for it.
Not to mention that once the chairman died the company melted in small corporatives XD
I see what you mean, damn "barbarian" illiteracy.
Ah, but which Brennus? lol.
The one who went on sacking Delphi! I mean, gotta be great to leave from Gaul, and reach till Greece, and still have the strengh to kick their asses!
I'm pretty sure that he was from Pannonia ^^
Power2the1
09-28-2010, 21:07
I went with Antiochos III. I am passingly familiar with everyone on the list, but I certainly admire his ambitious drive. Only one such as himself could lay claim to having fought against the Ptolemies, Galatians, Romans, Baktrians, and Indians, all in one lifetime. Great in my eyes seeing how his enemies were not in decline but rather vigorous themselves in arms and ambition.
Basileus_ton_Basileon
09-29-2010, 00:29
The third, I assume would be the 'first' one...as opposed to the 'One-eyed' one (who was a bit of a duffer in comparison)?
Is he the one to be featured in the Gaza Campaign?
The third, I assume would be the 'first' one...as opposed to the 'One-eyed' one (who was a bit of a duffer in comparison)?
Is he the one to be featured in the Gaza Campaign?
He was talking of Antiochos, while you're referring to Antigonos and he's the one in the Gaza Campaign with his son Demetrios...
Basileus_ton_Basileon
09-29-2010, 05:11
ahh silly me :clown:
Zradha Pahlavan
10-07-2010, 20:12
I like how this poll has turned into a contest between Cyrus II and Alexander III.
Incidentally, Pompey the Great isn't on here.
Lysimachos
10-07-2010, 20:37
Incidentally, Pompey the Great isn't on here.
He is: Cnaeus Pompeius.
Zradha Pahlavan
10-07-2010, 20:54
Oh. I missed it somehow.
Mithridates of Pontos, for knowing every language on earth (and some not invented yet), eating half of the periodic table of elements for breakfast (and not dying), and for turning Pontos into a world power (before having his armies annihilated and his son rebelling against him).
The_Blacksmith
10-11-2010, 09:15
Mithridates of Pontos, for knowing every language on earth (and some not invented yet), eating half of the periodic table of elements for breakfast (and not dying), and for turning Pontos into a world power (before having his armies annihilated and his son rebelling against him).
yeah... Mithradates even have a way of treatment adopted after him.. xD
But, he didnt had such a huge impact on history as say; Brennus, Cyrus, Constantine... but he was baddass :P
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