Top 5 Ancient Celebrities

[gamegeek2]

This is different from the other thread as this one deals with who was most famous back then. The other one deals with those who are famous now.

The rules are
-This deals with fame up to the time of 0 CE. Anyone who was alive before 0 CE is eligible. Thus, Jesus is not an auto-win, and he is not disqualified.
-Lasting fame, world impact, and fame while living all count

I'll update the following lists as the thread goes along:

My Personal Views
1. Megas Alexandros
2. Siddhārtha Gautama
3. Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus
4. Confucius
5. Gaius Iulius Caesar
6. Megas Antiochos
7. Asoka
8. Haniba'al Barca
9. Gaius Octavius Thurinius
10. Pyrrhos

The People's Consensus
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

[Azathoth]

In 70000 BC: Og, Zog, Mog, Chog, and Frog, in that order.

[Megas Methuselah]

In 70000 BC: Og, Zog, Mog, Chog, and Frog, in that order.

What about Log?

[vartan]

I don't think we had Gallup polls back in the ancient days, so any answers here I wouldn't take seriously at all. How are you going to measure fame? It's not like kilograms.

[A Very Super Market]

Zog was a real person. Do not toy with the Balkans, boy.

[Andronikos]

Aristotle - for science and philosophy, really this is more important than any politics or military, he did so much, that for centuries people thought that no more could be done

Alexandros - for military, but besides being great commander and so on, his empire joined three greatest western civilisations (Greek, Persian, Egyptian) and so he entered their history as a hero, conqueror or savior

Virgil - for art (I would rather write Homer, but as his existence is dubious...), artists were celebrities in all ages

unfortunately my knowledge about great Persian, Indian or Chinese people is limited, so I can't add someone from that regions, so take this as western nominations

[mountaingoat]

In 70000 BC: Og, Zog, Mog, Chog, and Frog, in that order.

you forgot bog

[Hax]

Cyrus the Great deserves a mention;

1) Cyrus the Great
2) Siddharta Gautama
3) Megás Alexandros
4) Xerxes I
5) Hannibal Barkas

[Mikhail Mengsk]

MMMMMMMMMMMMh interesting question.

0- Jesus, no way

1- Gaio Giulio Cesare
2- Siddhartha
3- Confucius
4- Hannibal Barca
5- Megas Alexandros

But it's a bit ridiculous to make a chart. There are thousands of those "celebrities", it's impossibile to consider all their factors!

[Tellos Athenaios]

Alexandros - for military, but besides being great commander and so on, his empire joined three greatest western civilisations (Greek, Persian, Egyptian) and so he entered their history as a hero, conqueror or savior

Don't overdo it: as Iskander he is also known for being the father of J.P. Coen in some Wajang plays so you know what he is likened to... Something says me he wasn't at all perceived as "hero, savior" in "their history".

Virgil for art and then we leave out the original; the one and only Homeros? (Ok whether or not a Homer existed; nevermind now whether he was only 1 Homeros: you get the point.)

[Maion Maroneios]

Deffinately include Aristotle dude. Even up to the times of Galileo Galilei, scientists followed Aristotle's doctrines and upheld and defended his philosophy without even thinking of things being otherwise.

Maion

[antisocialmunky]

Que?

[mountaingoat]

[Cute Wolf]

For me:
1) GOD (he create everything you got... still a celebs until now!) / Including Jesus of course!

So top 5 ancient human celebs
2) Aristoteles (without him, no Megas Alexandros & modern Philoshopy)
3) Megas Alexandros
4) Leonidas... THIS IS SPARTAAAAA!!!!!!!
5) Cyrus the Great
6) Chin Shi Wang... (first unifier of China, without him, no far eastern politics madness)

[Maion Maroneios]

For me:
1) GOD (he create everything you got... still a celebs until now!) / Including Jesus of course!

Hmmm, I think it's mentioned that God/Jesus/Allah/Brahman or whatever religious figure or entity shouldn't be included. And I consider that correct, mainly because the creation of divine entities is simply the human way of explaining the unexplainable. We're talking about impact of people upon humanity, not religion.

Oh, and I'd take the "he create everything you got" part away, as it may lead to a serious religious debate. I consider it bullshit, for example.

Maion

[Hax]

On that point, Gautama Buddha and Mohammed have certainly existed. There has been some discussion on the authenticity of Jesus, but there probably was some guy like him.

I won't put it so bluntly as Maion, but I do agree with him.

[Maion Maroneios]

On that point, Gautama Buddha and Mohammed have certainly existed.

Just a minor correction: Mohammed lived during the 6th-7th century AD, so he's out of our timeframe. Unless you meant something else and I misunderstood your statement, of course.

Maion

[Conradus]

On that point, Gautama Buddha and Mohammed have certainly existed. There has been some discussion on the authenticity of Jesus, but there probably was some guy like him.

Weren't there a couple of non-biblical sources which confirm he existed? I think it's pretty safe to assume he did. What he did, is another question altogether.

OT:
1)Homer, doesn't matter if he was one person or a lot, the Illiad and Odyssea are still masterpieces.
2)Alexander the Great, even 2000 years after his death he still inspired military leaders with his feats. Nevermind that some cultures consider him the devil
3)Caesar, for being a skilled general, able politician and gifted speaker. Few combined those skills as he did.
4)Plato, (and Socrates and Aristotle through him, Socrates because he's our main source for anything S. said and Aristotle because Plato was his teacher of sorts. Even though their theories were completely different). Socrates is basically one of the greatest philosophers ever and Plato is certainly no less.
5)Ramsessess II, for all the buildings he left us, for the skilled ruler he was and for his invention of good warpropaganda

Honourable mentions to Cleopatra (what a nose, what a nose if you've read Asterix), Scipio, Virgil, Hannibal, Augustus, and basically hundreds of other people.

[Hax]

Just a minor correction: Mohammed lived during the 6th-7th century AD, so he's out of our timeframe. Unless you meant something else and I misunderstood your statement, of course.

That's absolutely correct, but I was refering to the historicity of religious characters on its own.

Well, yes; there most likely was indeed a Jewish man who had a great religious following and changed the course of human history. Whether he was the son of (a) God and was able to change water into wine is an entirely different question.

[Andronikos]

Don't overdo it: as Iskander he is also known for being the father of J.P. Coen in some Wajang plays so you know what he is likened to... Something says me he wasn't at all perceived as "hero, savior" in "their history".

How I meant Alexandros - hero for Greeks, savior for Egyptians, conqueror for Persians (in negative way, enemy that won't be forgotten, like Xerxes for Greeks)

Deffinately include Aristotle dude. Even up to the times of Galileo Galilei, scientists followed Aristotle's doctrines and upheld and defended his philosophy without even thinking of things being otherwise.

Maion

Fellow scientist here

[option]

1. Thucydides (the father of history and political realism)
2. Augustus (brilliant politician and a textbook example of the power of realist politics when employed correctly)
3. Hannibal Barca (the greatest general of the ancient world, his tactics are still studied today
4. Solon (the father of democracy)
5. Philip II (the REAL reason Macedonia was so powerful)
6. Cyrus the Great
7. Mithradates VI
8. Plato
9. Pythagoras
10. Pyrrhos of Epeiros

[Mikhail Mengsk]

Hannibal Barca also forced Rome to be MUCH more aggressive, because of the treachery of its former allies and its greek noighbours. THere's an interestig book about the whole Hannibal-Scipio story that hardly underline that. After Hannibal, Rome became a much more aggressive expansionist military state.

[Maion Maroneios]

Fellow scientist here

Indeed. Oh, and I forgot a very important figure as well: Hippocrates. The father of modern medicine, he worked out miracles for his time. His feats still amaze modern doctors and medical experts.

Maion

[Conradus]

Indeed. Oh, and I forgot a very important figure as well: Hippocrates. The father of modern medicine, he worked out miracles for his time. His feets still amaze modern doctors and medical experts.

Maion

His feets? Must have been quite a giant then

[Prussian to the Iron]

oh no.....Maion is finally becoming infected by the intarwebz tr0ll syndrome!!!! run for your lives!!!

[Maion Maroneios]

*sigh* FINE people, I made a typo...

Maion

[MerlinusCDXX]

I'd say (in no particular order) among the mainstream.

Megas Alexandros
Leonidas
Sokrates
Hannibal Barca
Darius III Codomannus

I named these particular people, because when I think 'celebrity', I think more, "who does the average Joe know about?". This list applies to the US, other countries may recognize 'historical celebrity' a bit differently. I'm surprised no one mentioned Sokrates before now, since his exploits are almost tabloid-worthy, especially near the (unplanned) end of his life.

[antisocialmunky]

*sigh* FINE people, I made a typo...

Maion

I demotivated it for the predictable lulz.




And yes, if you read the quote, Hippokrates was the father of time as well

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

[Maion Maroneios]

Maion