Historical Role Models

[Mithridates_VI]

Which historical figures do you admire the most and whom you consider to be a person worthy of modeling yourself after? personally I most look up to Mithridates VI (surprise) and Vlad Tepes.

I admire Mithridates for turning his small kingdom of Pontus, a mere strip of land on the north east coast of Anatolia, into a mighty Empire, conquering all of Anatolia, Portions of the northern coast of the black sea, and subjugating Colchis. Not only this, but Mithridates was truly the Hannibal Barca of the East. He waged three wars against Rome and posed the greatest threat to the empire since Hannibal Barca threatened the great city itself in the second Punic war. Any man who can menace the greatest power in the world is worthy of respect in my book. He was finally put down, after being failed by Greek allies and family members, by no less than Pompey the Great. Such was the inevitable fate of all who opposed Rome, though few were able to make such a stand.

In addition to his great military prowess, Mithridates was completely immune to poison by taking small dosages of poisons until he built up an Immunity. The process today is known as mithridatism. Pliny the Elder also listed him as a polyglot who was able to speak the languages of the 22 nations he ruled. Mithridates was truly a rare and remarkable man in every respect.

I'd really like to hear about what everyone else's role model is and why. There's many remarkable people throughout history and I'd love to learn more about those considered to be worthy of respect and honor. I'd also encourage everyone to research more of Mithridates VI, there's much more to him than what I covered. C:

[jirisys]

If I were to choose a doppleganger historical figure for myself that must be a military man, it would be either Xenophon, Mithridates IV or Pyrrhos of Epiros. Otherwise, Socrates, Pytheas of Massalia or Strabo.

As for role models? I would have a very hard time even finding one.

~Jirisys ()

[Noncommunist]

Maybe not a role model given our differing situations but I admire Paul Emil von Lettow Vorbeck. He was a German commander in Tanzania who managed to successfully hold his army together throughout WWI despite being massively cut off from any support or supplies.

[The Lurker Below]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Rupert_of_the_Rhine

I'm not sure it's admiration but I've always been very jealous of this blokes adventures. And check out his bling!

[Fragony]

Marquis de Sade, his books are funny as hell and he didn't give a crap about the authorities. Often misunderstood he was no sadist, he was horrified by the slaughters. Bit of a French Oscar Wilde, he also didn't give a crap.

[Gaius Sempronius Gracchus]

Hmmm..role models from history. King Ashoka rings out large, for coming to understand the suffering his own self-exhaltation as King could cause, and his utter distaste for it. Caesar, for his obvious intellect and for managing to pass on down, through the centuries, something of what it was to be of the Roman nobility of his era, something of how they thought of themselves. On top of that, his moral and physical courage has to be admired.

Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus as an example of someone who saw what was coming, and for encapsulating what might have been good about the original 'dream' that was Rome, and his younger brother Gaius who - from the accounts that we have - was an intellect to match Caesar and is an early voice of those who lose out in (pseudo) Capitalist systems.