Historical figures of the Ancient World
The atlas holds 49 people and 879 moments here, from 1281 BC to 430. The most recorded lives are Ovid, Seneca the Younger and Sima Qian. Among them Writers, Philosophers and Political Leaders.
Notable people
Ovid
from 43 BC to 17
9 moments here
Publius Ovidius Naso (Ovid) was a Roman poet born at Sulmo. Educated in Rome, he later travelled in Greece, Asia Minor, and Sicily, though the…
Seneca the Younger
from 5 to 65
9 moments here
Lucius Annaeus Seneca, commonly called Seneca the Younger, was a Roman Stoic philosopher, writer, and statesman.…
Sima Qian
from 145 BC to 110 BC
9 moments here
Chinese historian of the early Han dynasty and author of the Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian).…
Socrates
from 469 BC to 399 BC
8 moments here
Classical Athenian philosopher known chiefly through Plato, Xenophon, Aristophanes, and later ancient testimony.…
Saint Peter
from 1 BC to 64
7 moments here
Simon Peter, also called Cephas, was a Galilean fisherman and leading figure among Jesus’ disciples and the early Jerusalem movement.…
Cyrus the Great
from 559 BC to 529 BC
7 moments here
Cyrus II, commonly called Cyrus the Great, was king of Anshan and founder of the Achaemenid Empire.…
Epicurus
from 341 BC to 270 BC
7 moments here
Ancient Greek philosopher and founder of Epicureanism. The securely documented outline of his movements runs from his birth and upbringing on Samos…
Euripides
from 480 BC to 406 BC
6 moments here
Euripides was an Athenian tragic playwright traditionally born on Salamis around 480 BC and conventionally said to have died in Macedon around 406…
Aeschylus
from 525 BC to 456 BC
6 moments here
Ancient Greek tragedian and soldier, born at Eleusis in Attica and active in the Persian Wars.…
Archimedes
from 287 BC to 212 BC
5 moments here
Ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor associated above all with Syracuse in Sicily.…
Sophocles
from 480 BC to 406 BC
5 moments here
Ancient Athenian tragic playwright, probably born at Colonus in Attica and active chiefly in Athens.…
Pythagoras
from 570 BC to 490 BC
5 moments here
Ancient Greek philosopher and founder of the Pythagorean way of life. The surviving evidence for his biography is sparse and often contradictory;…
Tacitus
from 88 to 112
5 moments here
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a Roman historian, senator, orator, and provincial governor. His birth date and place are uncertain; he was probably…
Hypatia
from 370 to 415
5 moments here
Hypatia was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and teacher. Her birth is disputed, with estimates ranging from about 350 to…
Plutarch
from 66 to 95
4 moments here
Greek Platonist philosopher, biographer, essayist, magistrate, and Delphic priest. He was born at Chaeronea between 45 and 47 CE and died after 119…
Herodotus
from 447 BC to 443 BC
2 moments here
Greek historian and geographer, conventionally dated c. 484–c. 425 BC. The surviving biographical evidence is unusually sparse and often late or…
Aesop
from 620 BC to 564 BC
2 moments here
Greek fabulist and storyteller traditionally credited with Aesop’s Fables. His historical existence and biography are uncertain; this atlas records…
Sun Tzu
from 544 BC to 496 BC
2 moments here
Sun Tzu (traditionally Sun Wu) was a Chinese military strategist traditionally placed in the late Spring and Autumn period.…
Aristophanes
from 446 BC to 424 BC
2 moments here
Athenian comic playwright of Old Comedy. The surviving biographical record is unusually sparse: reliable evidence securely places him in Athens at…
Sappho
in 600 BC
2 moments here
Archaic Greek lyric poet from Lesbos, active from the late seventh into the early sixth century BC.…
Heraclitus
in 500 BC
2 moments here
Heraclitus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher associated with Ephesus in Ionia, active around 500 BC.…
Ptolemy
from 127 to 141
2 moments here
Claudius Ptolemy was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and music theorist.…
Euclid
in 300 BC
1 moment here
Ancient Greek mathematician and geometer, conventionally known as Euclid of Alexandria. Biographical evidence is exceptionally sparse: his birthplace…
Thales of Miletus
in 547 BC
1 moment here
Ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, and engineer from Miletus. The surviving biographical record is sparse and much later than his lifetime;…
Moments
- 510 BC Departure from Croton amid anti-Pythagorean violence Pythagoras
- 510 BC Flight to Metapontum Pythagoras
- 509 BC Returned to Rajagaha for the twentieth retreat The Buddha
- 508 BC Began the long Savatthi residence cycle The Buddha
- 501 BC Governs Zhongdu Confucius
- 500 BC Represents Lu at Jiagu Confucius
- 500 BC Active philosopher of Ephesus Heraclitus
- 500 BC Deposited his book at the Artemision Heraclitus
- 497 BC Departs Lu for exile Confucius
- 497 BC Lives in Wei Confucius
- 496 BC Passes through Pu Confucius
- 496 BC Stays with Qu Boyu in Wei Confucius
- 496 BC Surrounded at Kuang Confucius
- 496 BC Traditional death at Gusu Sun Tzu
- 495 BC Arrives and lodges in Chen Confucius
- 495 BC Passes through Cao Confucius
- 495 BC Passes through Zheng Confucius
- 494 BC Leaves Pu for Wei Confucius
- 494 BC Remains in Chen Confucius
- 492 BC Practices rites under a tree in Song Confucius
- 490 BC Fought at Marathon Aeschylus
- 490 BC Death at Metapontum Pythagoras
- 489 BC Besieged between Chen and Cai Confucius
- 489 BC Visits the Duke of Ye Confucius
- 484 BC Returns home to Qufu Confucius
- 484 BC Spent the final retreat at Beluva The Buddha
- 483 BC Crossed the Kakkuttha River The Buddha
- 483 BC Died at Kushinagar The Buddha
- 483 BC Stayed in Cunda's grove at Pava The Buddha
- 480 BC Military service at Salamis Aeschylus
- 480 BC Birth on Salamis Euripides
- 480 BC Victory paean after Salamis Sophocles
- 479 BC Fought at Plataea Aeschylus
- 479 BC Buried beside the Sishui River Confucius
- 479 BC Dies in Lu Confucius
- 469 BC Born in the deme of Alopece Socrates
- 468 BC First Dionysia victory Sophocles
- 460 BC Birth at Abdera Democritus
- 458 BC Final Sicilian visit to Gela Aeschylus
- 456 BC Death at Gela Aeschylus
- 455 BC First City Dionysia competition Euripides
- 447 BC Migration to Athens Herodotus
- 446 BC Birth in Athens Aristophanes
- 443 BC Migration to Thurii Herodotus
- 440 BC Samian campaign Sophocles
- 432 BC Serves at Potidaea Socrates
- 428 BC Born in Athens Plato
- 424 BC Production of The Knights at the Lenaia Aristophanes
- 424 BC Retreats from Delium Socrates
- 422 BC Fights at Amphipolis Socrates