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Ancient World historical figures

Explore historical figures from the Ancient World. Read concise biographies, learn key facts, and play a quiz focused on this collection.

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35 figures

Marble bust identified as Cleopatra VII

Cleopatra VII

Egypt · 69–30 BCE

Pharaoh & diplomat

Bust of the Athenian statesman Pericles

Pericles

Greece · c. 495–429 BCE

Statesman & general

Sculpted portrait of Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

Italy · 100–44 BCE

General & dictator

Ancient mosaic depicting Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

Greece · 356–323 BCE

King of Macedon

Ancient seated statue of Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut

Egypt · c. 1507–1458 BCE

Pharaoh of Egypt

Statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II

Ramesses II

Egypt · c. 1303–1213 BCE

Pharaoh of Egypt

Painted portrait representing the mathematician Euclid

Euclid

Greece · fl. c. 300 BCE

Mathematician

Painted portrait of Archimedes

Archimedes

Italy · c. 287–212 BCE

Mathematician, physicist & engineer

Statue depicting the philosopher Pythagoras

Pythagoras

Greece · c. 570–c. 495 BCE

Philosopher & mathematician

Bust of the philosopher Socrates

Socrates

Greece · c. 470–399 BCE

Philosopher

Bust of the philosopher Aristotle

Aristotle

Greece · 384–322 BCE

Philosopher & polymath

Portrait of Confucius from the Tang Dynasty

Confucius

China · c. 551–c. 479 BCE

Philosopher

Bust of the philosopher Plato

Plato

Greece · c. 428–347 BCE

Philosopher

Relief believed to depict Cyrus the Great

Cyrus the Great

Iran · c. 600–530 BCE

Founder of the Achaemenid Empire

Relief depicting Darius the Great

Darius the Great

Iran · 550–486 BCE

King of the Achaemenid Empire

Ancient relief depicting Emperor Ashoka

Ashoka

India · c. 304–232 BCE

Emperor of the Mauryan Empire

The Lomas Rishi cave entrance associated with the Mauryan era

Chandragupta Maurya

India · c. 340–295 BCE

Founder of the Mauryan Empire

Medieval illustration of Attila the Hun

Attila the Hun

Hungary · c. 406–453

Ruler of the Huns

Bas-relief of Hammurabi from the top of his law code stele

Hammurabi

Iraq · c. 1810–1750 BCE

King of Babylon

Ancient depiction believed to represent Nebuchadnezzar II

Nebuchadnezzar II

Iraq · c. 634–562 BCE

King of the Neo-Babylonian Empire

Achaemenid Persian artifact associated with the era of Xerxes I

Xerxes I

Iran · c. 518–465 BCE

King of the Achaemenid Persian Empire

Statue of a helmeted Spartan hoplite associated with Leonidas I

Leonidas I

Greece · c. 540–480 BCE

King of Sparta

Ancient bust believed to depict Hannibal Barca

Hannibal

Tunisia · 247–183/181 BCE

Carthaginian general

Statue of Augustus known as the Augustus of Prima Porta

Augustus

Italy · 63 BCE–14 CE

First Roman emperor

Ancient portrait bust of Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius

Italy · 121–180 CE

Roman emperor & Stoic philosopher

Statue of Constantine the Great at the Capitoline Museums

Constantine the Great

Turkey · c. 272–337 CE

Roman emperor

Painted limestone bust of Nefertiti in the Neues Museum

Nefertiti

Egypt · c. 1370–c. 1330 BCE

Queen of Egypt

Ancient Egyptian statue depicting Akhenaten

Akhenaten

Egypt · c. 1353–1336 BCE

Pharaoh of Egypt

Gold burial mask of Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun

Egypt · c. 1341–1323 BCE

Pharaoh of Egypt

Ancient marble bust of Herodotus

Herodotus

Turkey · c. 484–c. 425 BCE

Historian

Ancient sculpted bust traditionally identified as Homer

Homer

Greece · c. 8th century BCE

Poet

Ancient Greek vase painting depicting Sappho

Sappho

Greece · c. 630–c. 570 BCE

Poet

Chinese characters for the name Laozi

Laozi

China · traditionally 6th century BCE

Philosopher

Traditional depiction of Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu

China · traditionally 6th–5th century BCE

Military strategist

19th-century depiction of Qin Shi Huang

Qin Shi Huang

China · 259–210 BCE

First emperor of China