Favorite Historical Character

[Goalie]

What is your favorite historical character. Either politically or militarily. My personal favorite would have to be Hannibal. He delivered the Romans their worst defeat in the republics history. He marched elephants across the continent of Europe. He was a great military genius.

[Csargo]

I'de have to go with FDR or Henry V there my favorites.

[Strike For The South]

Robert E Lee

With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission in the Army, and save in defense of my native State, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed, I hope I may never be called on to draw my sword...

[Rosacrux redux]

I find Alkiviades (Alkibiades) of Athens the most intriguing personality of the ancient world, and maybe of all times. Extremely capable, political genious, unlimited potential, great "behind the scenes" person, very able military commander, was also a serious case of degradation, decadence, hedonist, self-loathe, immoral bastard... an extremely complicated personality, but with a sole aim: his own well beeing. He pretty much shaped the history of the Greek world, by determining by his actions the outcome of the pelopponesian war.

[King Kurt]

Has to be Oliver Cromwell - maybe he wasn't a laugh a minute, but he was a military genius and the political consequences of his victories and subsequent rule of England is the basis of our parlimentary democracy. His one black mark - his Ireland campaign - sucessful, but bloody. However his New Model Army is the basis of the current day Royal Army - an army which created the largest Empire the world has ever seen.

[Midnight]

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus - consummate diplomat, strategist, tactician and politician. He was also very well versed inthe psychological aspects of warfare, and he learned from the mistakes of others (he defeated Hannibal by learning from him, and by depriving him of his Numidian cavalry through diplomatic measures - he also bloodied his troops against Hannibal's when Hannibal wasn't there beforehand, so his men would begin to believe they could win). He was surprisingly benevolent to those he conquered, preferring to make a new ally, rather than foster discontent.

Finally, he was offered Dictatorship of Rome, but declined, believing that ultimate power vested in one man would inevitably lead to corruption.

[Avicenna]

I find Alkiviades (Alkibiades) of Athens the most intriguing personality of the ancient world, and maybe of all times. Extremely capable, political genious, unlimited potential, great "behind the scenes" person, very able military commander, was also a serious case of degradation, decadence, hedonist, self-loathe, immoral bastard... an extremely complicated personality, but with a sole aim: his own well beeing. He pretty much shaped the history of the Greek world, by determining by his actions the outcome of the pelopponesian war.

His legacy goes further than that. When the Spartans received a prophecy from Delphi saying that they would fall if there was a crippled kingship, the throne was not going to go to the lame Agesilaus, but to someone else (forgot who). However, the other king (Laomedon?) wanted Agesilaus for his own personal benefit, and so spread the word that the other contender to the throne was conceived when Alkibiades visited Sparta and had an affair with the heir's mother. This of course meant that Alkibiades became the king. He then spelled doom for Sparta, pretty much starting the Corinthian War on his own when a lot of respect was given to Thebes during a meeting. This sparked off the war that lead to Leuktra and the crushing of the Spartan military superiority and lifestyle.

EDIT: almost forgot.
Sun Tzu - The art of war is still the best military book there is.
Sun Yat Sen - unified and modernised China, kicking out the Manchu.
Zhu Ge Liang - in one brilliant stroke he destroyed an army of hundreds of thousands by burning their ships and drowning them.
Hannibal - military genius, bold, quick thinking leader.
Pythagoras - brilliant mathmetician, philosopher and thinker.
Hippocrates - pretty much started the science of medicine, wrote the Hippocratic Oath and greatly influenced later medical thinkers such as Galen and Avicenna.
Avicenna - a child prodigy who learned medical theory at a young age, greatly advanced medical knowledge and treated the poor for free. Re-wrote the interpretations of Galen and Hippocrates by other Muslims, who had lost most of the meaning of their work through their translations. Great doctor, mathmetician, philosopher, physics, astronomer, thinker and even musician.

[Aenlic]

I'll go with Abu Al-Walid Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Rushd, otherwise better known as Averroës. His translations and commentaries on Aristotle influenced Aquinas and many others, and could be considered a cornerstone for the post-medieval philosophical rebirth which led to the Renaissance and everything after.

And, of course, I'm fond of the revolutionaries like the great one in my sig.

[King Henry V]

Robert E Lee

With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission in the Army, and save in defense of my native State, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed, I hope I may never be called on to draw my sword...

Wow, is that the first ever post by SFTS that does not contain any spelling or grammatical errors?

My favourite characters would include:
Aelfred the Great of Wessex
Athelstan
Harold II
Alexius Comnenus I
Robert Guiscard
Bohemond of Taranto
King Stephen
John Comnenus
Manuel Comnenus
Frederick Barbarossa
Edward I
Frederick II "Stupor Mundi"
Michael VIII Paleologus
Edward III
Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince
Henry V
Prince Rupert of the Palatinate
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Malborough
James Wolfe
Frederick the Great
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

[Strike For The South]

Wow, is that the first ever post by SFTS that does not contain any spelling or grammatical errors?

Yes.

[Samurai Waki]

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

[King Henry V]

Yes.

Wow, and another one! What have you done with the real Strike for the South? You're a Northener, aren't you?

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Yes.

HA! You forgot a dot at the end of the E!


Not 100% sure if that's required though...

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Otto von Bismarck.


"An appeal to fear will find no echo in German hearts!"

[KrooK]

Hetman John Carol Chodkiewicz
Great commander and great polish patriot. This men never lost battle.
He crushed 4 times stronger swedish army at Kircholm and several smaller battles. In 1620 leading 48000 men he stopped turkish empire close to city Chocim. Poles prepared fortified camp and held long siege. Hetman died during battle (cause he got 80 years )from natural reasons but commanders didn't tell it soldiers. When winter came Turks (who got big casualties) had to agree on peace.
He has been so famous that Poles awarded his family like hardly any into our history. Their were given "count" title as one of 3 families ever (there were no "counts" or "princes" title into Poland).
For me he is ideal of warrior - he can win even after his death.

[The Wizard]

Hector. My idol when it comes how to lead my life \o

Cyrus the Great. Conquered vast tracks of land to equal Alexander, plus was the first in history to propose that all humans had a set of inaliable rights. What a man <o

Epaminondas. A military genius, he was also a good philosopher, orator, statesman, and immune to bribery and all that normally brought men like him down in the world of ancient Greek politics.

Philip II. Great statesman, great general. And only one eye to boot!

Khusrau Anushirvan. Reformed Persia and gave it a professional army. Made the state powerful enough to reconquer -- however briefly -- all territory once held by the likes of Darius the Great.

Heraclius. Soldier-Emperor and brilliant statesman. Breathed a life into the ailing Eastern Roman Empire that would later catapult it to its lofty apogee.

Muhammad, Prophet of Islam. That rare combination of great mystic and great statesman. Forged from a group of warring polytheist tribes the beginnings of an empire that would span the world. Meanwhile was an honorable and just man, from what I've read.

Chingis Khan. Those of you who have seen me debate here before probably know all about why him, ad nauseam even. Therefore, no comment.

Amir Temur, otherwise known as Tamerlane or Timur-i-Lenk. So brilliant yet so extraordinarily cruel and bloodthirsty, he's just a very interesting character.

Babur. His life story is just awe-inspiring, plus he was an intellectual. Again, what a man <o

Prince Maurits of Orange, Stadhouder of the United Provinces. Pwnd the Spaniards and a military genius. Did have a bit of an extreme view regarding religion, though

Michiel de Ruyter. We still own your flagship, Englishmen, do you perhaps want it back? :D

Voltaire. I feel there is no need to explain why. _o_

Theodor Herzl. Founder of what is now known as Zionism. I need not say more.

Theodore Roosevelt. "Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far in life." Wise, wise words indeed, ol' Teddy. <o

Mustafa Kemal Atat&#252;rk. Forged from an unindustrialized, semi-feudal and thoroughly corrupt state an entirely new and much more modern state. Next to that he was a rather interesting character. Bit too much a conservative and statist for my tastes, however.

Winston Churchill. Need I say more? <o

[Orda Khan]

Sidartha Gautama......Buddha

......Orda

[Incongruous]

Winston Churchill
Henry II
Henry IV&V's
Wellesley
Nelson
Napoleon
Trotsky
Frederick Abberline (I just love the way he is always portrayed in Movies)
Alexander
Augustus Octavian Ceasar
Marcus Brutus
Cicero
Archamides
Plato
Socrates
Pericles
Aethelsatn and Alfred of Wessex
Harold Godwineson
Edward III
Jesus Christ
Muhammad
Kublai kHAN
Attila

many many more...