important figures ancient history

Alexander the Great

• heir of Philip II

• king of Macedonia

• 356 BC to 323 BC (4th century BCE)

• known for military genius and extensive conquests

• fought against (and won from) Persian Empire

• died at almost 33 years old

Polybius

• Greek historian of Megalopolis (ca. 200-118 BCE)

• known for his work “The Histories” (details rise of Rome + analysis principles of historical causation)

• considered 1 of the most important historians from antiquity; invented world history

• was taken hostage by the Romans; enjoyed life with the Romans

• was fascinated by the Romans; saw them as unstoppable, was a foreigner, so had a very different perspective; a completely different society to him

Plato

• Athenian philosopher in the 5th and 4th century BCE

• Student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle

• seen as one of the most influential thinkers in Western philosophy

• founded the Academy in Athens (first higher learning institution Western world)

Socrates

• Athenian philosopher from the 5th century BCE

• teacher of Plato

• seen as one of the founders of Western philosophy

Darius III

• Persian king

• lived in the 4th century BCE (ca. 380-330)

• last king of the Achaemenid dynasty

• Fought against Alexander the Great (like battle of Issus and Gaugamela)

Constantine

• Roman emperor from 306 to 337 BCE

• acclaimed emperor at York in Britain

• acquired western half in 312

• sole emperor in 324

• converted to Christianity

• established Constantinople

• Edict of Milan issued under his rule (religious tolerance Christians)

Julius Caesar

• 100-44 BCE

• Roman politician

• civil war against Pompey

• mudered 

Marcus Antonius

Cleopatra VII

Phillip II

Demosthenes

Julian the Apostate

Augustine of Hippo

Gaius Octavius

Akhenaten

Solon

Cleisthenes

Ashur

Homer

Pisistratus

Darius I

Xerxes I

Athena

Plutarch

Mithradates I

Apollo

Heracles

Antoninus Pius

Livy

Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus

• Roman politician and general (220 BC-154 BC)

• served 2 consulships

• father of famous Gracchi brothers Tiberius and Gaius

• saw manpower crisis, urban poverty, decline small farmers

• land bill (redistribution public land) through by bypassing the Senate

• death by political muder (beaten to death by mob senators and their supporters)

Romulus

Remus

Pompey

Crassus

Tacitus

Diocletian

Theodosius

Nero

Ammianus Marcellinus

Herodotus