Favorite Historical Character

**Samurai Waki** · 03-26-2006, 06:08

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Richard the Lionheart!!!

**Banquo's Ghost** · 03-26-2006, 10:05

Abraham Lincoln and Socrates.

Do I need to post reasons?

**edyzmedieval** · 03-26-2006, 18:28

Basil II Bulgaroctonus... Byzantine Emperor.

**Sarmatian** · 03-27-2006, 00:01

I can`t believe that no one said Julius Caesar, probably the greates political and military mind of all times. From almost unknown politician he rose to the stature of roman dictator, completely reformed the heavilly corrupted republic and built foundations for the roman empire to become what it became...

So, my voice go to Caesar without a doubt.

After him:
Otto von Bismarck and Peter I the Great

**Prince Cobra** · 03-27-2006, 13:35

I vote for Octavian Augustus. This cunning man really knew how to build an
extremely strong empire.
Others
From medieval times:
William the Conqueror,Philip II Augustus Sallah-ad-din, Genghis khan and special attention to byzantine emperors: Alexius Comnenus and John III Doukas Vatatzes (Basil II was an excellent emperor but I can not forgive him conquering Bulgaria

)
And at the end some Bulgarian rulers: khan Krum (the beginning of IXth century), tzar Kaloyan (1197-1207) and Ivan Asen II (1218-1241)
Later on:the emperor of Spain and HRE Charles V, Elizabeth I of England, Maria Teresia, Peter the Great and the prussian king Friedrich-Wilhelm I

**Geoffrey S** · 03-27-2006, 14:13

Scipio Africanus, Alkibiades, Cyrus, Caesar and Hadrian top my list.

**The Wizard** · 03-27-2006, 18:42

Originally Posted by Sarmatian

I can`t believe that no one said Julius Caesar, probably the greates political and military mind of all times. From almost unknown politician he rose to the stature of roman dictator, completely reformed the heavilly corrupted republic and built foundations for the roman empire to become what it became

... No. He made use of Republican structures and trappings like Sulla before him, and Augustus more skillfully after him. I agree with you on his rise -- which was not as dramatic as you claim it was, seeing as he was a member of the ancient patrician clan of the Julii Caesares -- but furthermore, his actions weren't all that interesting. Good general? Yes. Good politician? I suppose. Great visionary? Nope.

**Sarmatian** · 03-27-2006, 19:21

Originally Posted by The Wizard

... No. He made use of Republican structures and trappings like Sulla before him, and Augustus more skillfully after him. I agree with you on his rise -- which was not as dramatic as you claim it was, seeing as he was a member of the ancient patrician clan of the Julii Caesares -- but furthermore, his actions weren't all that interesting. Good general? Yes. Good politician? I suppose. Great visionary? Nope.

I think he was a great visionary. It was his idea that rome should be a monarchy again. You must understand the general opinion the romans had about monarchy at that time. Sula was a power-freak, but caesar worked methodically toward his goal. He was a member of an ancient patrician family, but with little assets. If you understand roman politics at that time, you know that no one could become a senator if he didn`t have enough money.

**Geoffrey S** · 03-28-2006, 23:30

Originally Posted by The Wizard

... No. He made use of Republican structures and trappings like Sulla before him, and Augustus more skillfully after him. I agree with you on his rise -- which was not as dramatic as you claim it was, seeing as he was a member of the ancient patrician clan of the Julii Caesares -- but furthermore, his actions weren't all that interesting. Good general? Yes. Good politician? I suppose. Great visionary? Nope.

I've always found him fascinating because he showed what the Roman system would produce when its characteristics of personal honour and loyalty to the state in the most extreme possible way. Admittedly the same could be said of Marius and Sulla; perhaps they just didn't get enough press.

**Sarmatian** · 03-29-2006, 01:09

Originally Posted by Geoffrey S

Admittedly the same could be said of Marius and Sulla; perhaps they just didn't get enough press.

This is where I dissagree with the wizard. What distinguished Caesar from Marius and Sulla was his vision. He had a vision what Rome should be. Sulla was a power freak and Marius was more of a day-to-day politician, although he was probably better general than Caesar.