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Ancient Civilizations in Credo: Notable People

People

Alcibiades (BCE 450 - 404)

Athenian statesman and general. Of the family of Alcmaeonidae, he was a ward of Pericles and was for many years a devoted attendant of Socrates.

Alexander the Great (BCE 356 - 323)

King of Macedon, who conquered Greece (336), Egypt (331), and the Persian Empire (328), and founded Alexandria.

Archimedes (BCE 287 - 212)

Greek mathematician, physicist, and inventor. He is famous for his work in geometry (on the circle, sphere, cylinder, and parabola), physics, mechanics, and hydrostatics.

Aristophanes (BCE 448 - 388)

Greek playwright, Athenian comic poet, greatest of the ancient writers of comedy.

Aristotle (BCE 384 - 322)

Greek philosopher, b. Stagira. He tutored Alexander the Great and founded the Peripatetic School.

Democritus (BCE 460 - 370)

Philosopher; particularly made his mark in the application of his theories of the universe to everyday morality and the simple goal of living a good life.

Diadochi

The Macedonian generals and administrators who succeeded Alexander the Great.

Epicurus (BCE 341 - 270)

Greek philosopher; defined philosophy as the art of making life happy and strictly subordinated metaphysics to ethics, naming pleasure as the highest and only good.

Euclid (BCE 4th Century)

Greek mathematician (fl. 300 B.C.) whose works, and the style in which they were presented, formed the basis for all mathematical thought and expression for the following 2,000 years (although they were not entirely without fault).

Euripides (BCE 485 - 406)

Greek tragic dramatist, ranking with Aeschylus and Sophocles. Born in Attica, he lived in Athens most of his life, though he spent much time on Salamis.

Herodotus (BCE 485 - 425)

Called the Father of History. ?485-?425  BC, Greek historian, famous for his History dealing with the causes and events of the wars between the Greeks and the Persians (490-479).

Homer (BCE 8th Century)

Principal figure of ancient Greek literature; the first European poet. Two epic poems are attributed to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Pericles (BCE 495 - 429)

Athenian statesman and leader of the popular party, who contributed greatly to Athens' political and cultural supremacy in Greece.

Cast of Bust of Hermes; an example of his work

Praxiteles (BCE 370 - 330)

A Greek late Classical sculptor from Athens, Praxiteles was the foremost representative of the Attic School in the middle years of the 4th century B.C.

Plato (BCE 427 - 347)

Greek philosopher. Plato's teachings have been among the most influential in the history of Western civilization.

Pythagoras (BCE 582 - 507)

Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, founder of the Pythagorean school, best known for two teachings: the transmigration of souls and the theory that numbers constitute the true nature of things.

Sappho (BCE 7th Century)

From The Encyclopedia of Ancient History
Sappho of Lesbos (late seventh/early sixth century BCE) was the most famous woman poet of antiquity.

Socrates (BCE 469 - 399)

Greek philosopher of Athens. Famous for his view of philosophy as a pursuit proper and necessary to all intelligent men, he is one of the great examples of a man who lived by his principles even though they ultimately cost him his life.

Sophocles: (BCE 496 - 406)

Greek tragic dramatist, younger contemporary of Aeschylus and older contemporary of Euripides, b. Colonus, near Athens.

Xenophon (BCE 430 - 355)

Greek historian, b. Athens. He was one of the well-to-do young disciples of Socrates before leaving Athens to join the Greek force (the Ten Thousand) that was in the service of Cyrus the Younger of Persia.

Antony (BCE 83 - 30)

c.83 B.C.–30 B.C., Roman politican and soldier. Rival of Octavian (later Augustus) and lover of Cleopatra.

Augustus (BCE 63 - CE 14)

First Roman emperor, a grandson of the sister of Julius Caesar. Named at first Caius Octavius, he became on adoption by the Julian gens (44 B.C.) Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian).

Caesar, Gaius Julius (BCE 100 - 44)

Roman general and dictator, considered Rome's most successful military commander. He formed with Pompey the Great and Marcus Licinius Crassus (the Elder) the First Triumvirate in 60 B.C.

Cato the Elder (234-149 BCE)

Roman statesman and moralist. He fought in the Second Punic War and later served as quaestor (204), aedile (199), praetor (198), consul (195), and censor (184).

Crassus

Ancient Roman family, of the plebeian Licinian gens. It produced men who achieved great note in the 2d cent. and 1st cent. B.C.

Livy (BCE 59 - CE 17)

Roman historian. Livy's history reflects his admiration for the civilization of early Rome, and his belief that the importance of history was its applicability to contemporary life.

Ovid (BCE 43 - CE 18)

(Publius Ovidius Naso) Latin poet, b. Sulmo (present-day Sulmona), in the Apennines. Although trained for the law, he preferred the company of the literary coterie at Rome.

Pompey (BCE 106 - 48)

(Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus), Roman general, the rival of Julius Caesar. Sometimes called Pompey the Great, he was the son of Cnaeus Pompeius Strabo (consul in 89 B.C.), a commander of equivocal reputation.

Vergil (BCE 70 - 19)

Or Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro)both: Roman poet, b. Andes dist., near Mantua, in Cisalpine Gaul; the spelling Virgil is not found earlier than the 5th century.

Mythological Figures

Notable People

     
  • Alcibiades (BCE 450 - 404)

    Athenian statesman and general. Of the family of Alcmaeonidae, he was a ward of Pericles and was for many years a devoted attendant of Socrates.

  •  
  • Alexander the Great (BCE 356 - 323)

    King of Macedon, who conquered Greece (336), Egypt (331), and the Persian Empire (328), and founded Alexandria.

  •  
  • Archimedes (BCE 287 - 212)

    Greek mathematician, physicist, and inventor. He is famous for his work in geometry (on the circle, sphere, cylinder, and parabola), physics, mechanics, and hydrostatics.

  •  
  • Aristophanes (BCE 448 - 388)

    Greek playwright, Athenian comic poet, greatest of the ancient writers of comedy.

  •  
  • Aristotle (BCE 384 - 322)

    Greek philosopher, b. Stagira. He tutored Alexander the Great and founded the Peripatetic School.

  • Democritus (BCE 460 - 370)

    Philosopher; particularly made his mark in the application of his theories of the universe to everyday morality and the simple goal of living a good life.

  •  
  • Diadochi

    The Macedonian generals and administrators who succeeded Alexander the Great.

  •  
  • Epicurus (BCE 341 - 270)

    Greek philosopher; defined philosophy as the art of making life happy and strictly subordinated metaphysics to ethics, naming pleasure as the highest and only good.

  •  
  • Euclid (BCE 4th Century)

    Greek mathematician (fl. 300 B.C.) whose works, and the style in which they were presented, formed the basis for all mathematical thought and expression for the following 2,000 years (although they were not entirely without fault).

  •  
  • Euripides (BCE 485 - 406)

    Greek tragic dramatist, ranking with Aeschylus and Sophocles. Born in Attica, he lived in Athens most of his life, though he spent much time on Salamis.

  •  
  • Herodotus (BCE 485 - 425)

    Called the Father of History. ?485-?425  BC, Greek historian, famous for his History dealing with the causes and events of the wars between the Greeks and the Persians (490-479).

  •  
  • Homer (BCE 8th Century)

    Principal figure of ancient Greek literature; the first European poet. Two epic poems are attributed to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey.

  •  
  • Pericles (BCE 495 - 429)

    Athenian statesman and leader of the popular party, who contributed greatly to Athens' political and cultural supremacy in Greece.

  •  
  • Cast of Bust of Hermes; an example of his work

    Praxiteles (BCE 370 - 330) A Greek late Classical sculptor from Athens, Praxiteles was the foremost representative of the Attic School in the middle years of the 4th century B.C.

  •  
  • Plato (BCE 427 - 347)

    Greek philosopher. Plato's teachings have been among the most influential in the history of Western civilization.

  •  
  • Pythagoras (BCE 582 - 507)

    Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, founder of the Pythagorean school, best known for two teachings: the transmigration of souls and the theory that numbers constitute the true nature of things.

  •  
  • Sappho (BCE 7th Century)

    From The Encyclopedia of Ancient History

    Sappho of Lesbos (late seventh/early sixth century BCE) was the most famous woman poet of antiquity.

  •  
  • Socrates (BCE 469 - 399)

    Greek philosopher of Athens. Famous for his view of philosophy as a pursuit proper and necessary to all intelligent men, he is one of the great examples of a man who lived by his principles even though they ultimately cost him his life.

  •  
  • Sophocles: (BCE 496 - 406)

    Greek tragic dramatist, younger contemporary of Aeschylus and older contemporary of Euripides, b. Colonus, near Athens.

  •  
  • Xenophon (BCE 430 - 355)

    Greek historian, b. Athens. He was one of the well-to-do young disciples of Socrates before leaving Athens to join the Greek force (the Ten Thousand) that was in the service of Cyrus the Younger of Persia.



     
  • Antony (BCE 83 - 30)

    c.83 B.C.–30 B.C., Roman politican and soldier. Rival of Octavian (later Augustus) and lover of Cleopatra.

  •  
  • Augustus (BCE 63 - CE 14)

    First Roman emperor, a grandson of the sister of Julius Caesar. Named at first Caius Octavius, he became on adoption by the Julian gens (44 B.C.) Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian).

  •  
  • Caesar, Gaius Julius (BCE 100 - 44)

    Roman general and dictator, considered Rome's most successful military commander. He formed with Pompey the Great and Marcus Licinius Crassus (the Elder) the First Triumvirate in 60 B.C.

  •  
  • Cato the Elder (234-149 BCE)

    Roman statesman and moralist. He fought in the Second Punic War and later served as quaestor (204), aedile (199), praetor (198), consul (195), and censor (184).

  •  
  • Crassus

    Ancient Roman family, of the plebeian Licinian gens. It produced men who achieved great note in the 2d cent. and 1st cent. B.C.

  •  
  • Livy (BCE 59 - CE 17)

    Roman historian. Livy's history reflects his admiration for the civilization of early Rome, and his belief that the importance of history was its applicability to contemporary life.

  •  
  • Ovid (BCE 43 - CE 18)

    (Publius Ovidius Naso) Latin poet, b. Sulmo (present-day Sulmona), in the Apennines. Although trained for the law, he preferred the company of the literary coterie at Rome.

  • Pompey (BCE 106 - 48)

    185?–254?, Christian philosopher and scholar.

  •  
  • Ptolemy

    (Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus), Roman general, the rival of Julius Caesar. Sometimes called Pompey the Great, he was the son of Cnaeus Pompeius Strabo (consul in 89 B.C.), a commander of equivocal reputation.

  •  
  • Vergil (BCE 70 - 19)

    Or Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro)both: Roman poet, b. Andes dist., near Mantua, in Cisalpine Gaul; the spelling Virgil is not found earlier than the 5th century.