Claim profile
1000–1 BC

The 1st millennium BC

Whose working lives fell in the 1st millennium BC. Books are measured from 1800 and readers from 2015, so for this period we can say who lived then, not who was talked about then.

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1st millennium BC, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇮🇹 Italy🇹🇷 Turkey🇨🇳 China🇮🇳 India🇪🇬 Egypt🇫🇷 France🇯🇵 Japan🇪🇸 Spain🇧🇷 Brazil🇩🇪 Germany
FieldAllPoliticiansHistorical FiguresWritersAcademicsModelsArtistsScientistsReligious FiguresDoctorsArchitects
  1. 1Julius CaesarJulius Caesar100 BC–44 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  2. 2AristotleAristotle384 BC–322 BC · Academics22 decades
  3. 3PlatoPlato428 BC–348 BC · Academics22 decades
  4. 4ConfuciusConfucius551 BC–479 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Academics12 decades
  5. 5Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great356 BC–323 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  6. 6AugustusAugustus63 BC–14 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  7. 7HomerHomer900 BC–800 BC · Writers22 decades
  8. 8Gautama BuddhaGautama Buddha500 BC–500 BC · Academics16 decades
  9. 9CleopatraCleopatra69 BC–30 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures22 decades
  10. 10ArchimedesArchimedes287 BC–212 BC · Academics22 decades
  11. 11CiceroCicero106 BC–43 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  12. 12PythagorasPythagoras582 BC–490 BC · Academics22 decades
  13. 13LaoziLaozi579 BC–500 BC · Academics11 decades
  14. 14VirgilVirgil70 BC–19 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  15. 15OvidOvid43 BC–17 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  16. 16HerodotusHerodotus484 BC–425 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers22 decades
  17. 17HannibalHannibal247 BC–183 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  18. 18Qin Shi HuangQin Shi Huang259 BC–210 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Historical Figures4 decades
  19. 19SocratesSocrates470 BC–399 BC · 🇧🇷 Brazil · Academics22 decades
  20. 20DiogenesDiogenes400 BC–323 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academicsnot measured—
  21. 21EpicurusEpicurus342 BC–270 BC · Academics22 decades
  22. 22Thales of MiletusThales of Miletus625 BC–545 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  23. 23HippocratesHippocrates460 BC–370 BC · Doctors22 decades
  24. 24Cyrus the GreatCyrus the Great600 BC–530 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  25. 25EuclidEuclid333 BC–285 BC · Academics22 decades
  26. 26TiberiusTiberius42 BC–37 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politiciansnot measured—
  27. 27SophoclesSophocles496 BC–406 BC · Writers22 decades
  28. 28PericlesPericles494 BC–429 BC · Politicians22 decades
  29. 29AesopAesop620 BC–564 BC · Academics21 decades
  30. 30SapphoSappho650 BC–570 BC · Writers22 decades
  31. 31ThucydidesThucydides460 BC–395 BC · Writers22 decades
  32. 32HeraclitusHeraclitus535 BC–470 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  33. 33Sun TzuSun Tzu544 BC–496 BC · Writers8 decades
  34. 34HoraceHorace65 BC–8 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writersnot measured—
  35. 35PompeyPompey106 BC–48 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politiciansnot measured—
  36. 36Mark AntonyMark Antony83 BC–30 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  37. 37SpartacusSpartacus103 BC–71 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  38. 38Sima QianSima Qian145 BC–86 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Writers9 decades
  39. 39AeschylusAeschylus525 BC–456 BC · Writers22 decades
  40. 40DemocritusDemocritus460 BC–360 BC · Academics22 decades
  41. 41EratosthenesEratosthenes276 BC–194 BC · Academics22 decades
  42. 42EuripidesEuripides480 BC–406 BC · Writers22 decades
  43. 43XenophonXenophon430 BC–354 BC · Academics22 decades
  44. 44Zhuang ZhouZhuang Zhou369 BC–288 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Academics10 decades
  45. 45Nebuchadnezzar IINebuchadnezzar II642 BC–561 BC · Historical Figures4 decades
  46. 46Darius the GreatDarius the Great550 BC–486 BC · Historical Figures11 decades
  47. 47AshokaAshoka304 BC–232 BC · 🇮🇳 India · Historical Figures8 decades
  48. 48Xerxes IXerxes I519 BC–465 BC · Politicians2 decades
  49. 49HesiodHesiodborn 776 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers22 decades
  50. 50Herod the GreatHerod the Great74 BC–4 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  51. 51LivyLivy59 BC–17 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  52. 52AristophanesAristophanes445 BC–385 BC · Writers22 decades
  53. 53Leonidas ILeonidas Idied 480 BC · Models0 decades
  54. 54SolonSolon630 BC–560 BC · Writers22 decades
  55. 55Emperor Wu of HanEmperor Wu of Han156 BC–87 BC · Writers8 decades
  56. 56Philip II of MacedonPhilip II of Macedon385 BC–336 BC · Historical Figures6 decades
  57. 57DemosthenesDemosthenes384 BC–322 BC · Politicians22 decades
  58. 58Brutus the YoungerBrutus the Younger85 BC–42 BC · Academics0 decades
  59. 59ParmenidesParmenides515 BC–470 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  60. 60Cato the ElderCato the Elder234 BC–149 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians19 decades
  61. 61VitruviusVitruvius80 BC–15 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects22 decades
  62. 62VITRUVVITRUV80 BC–15 BC · Architects0 decades
  63. 63SullaSulla138 BC–78 BC · Politicians22 decades
  64. 64LucretiusLucretius94 BC–55 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  65. 65VercingetorixVercingetorix80 BC–46 BC · 🇫🇷 France22 decades
  66. 66Marcus Licinius CrassusMarcus Licinius Crassus115 BC–53 BC · Politicians0 decades
  67. 67Scipio AfricanusScipio Africanus235 BC–183 BC · Politicians22 decades
  68. 68StraboStrabo63 BC–23 · Academics22 decades
  69. 69CatullusCatullus84 BC–54 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  70. 70CroesusCroesusborn 596 BC · Politicians22 decades
  71. 71Saint AnneSaint Anne55 BC–12 · Religious Figures22 decades
  72. 72EmpedoclesEmpedocles494 BC–434 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  73. 73AnaximanderAnaximander610 BC–546 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  74. 74Ptolemy I SoterPtolemy I Soter365 BC–285 BC · Historical Figures1 decades
  75. 75Qu YuanQu Yuan343 BC–278 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Writers11 decades
  76. 76AnaxagorasAnaxagoras500 BC–428 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  77. 77Pyrrhus of EpirusPyrrhus of Epirus318 BC–272 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  78. 78PindarPindar517 BC–437 BC · Writers22 decades
  79. 79PolybiusPolybius200 BC–120 BC · Writers22 decades
  80. 80Zeno of CitiumZeno of Citium334 BC–263 BC · Academics3 decades
  81. 81ProtagorasProtagoras490 BC–420 BC · Academics22 decades
  82. 82ThemistoclesThemistocles524 BC–459 BC · Politicians22 decades
  83. 83Xun KuangXun Kuang313 BC–230 BC · Academics8 decades
  84. 84PlautusPlautus250 BC–184 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  85. 85AlcibiadesAlcibiades450 BC–404 BC · Politicians22 decades
  86. 86Marcus Vipsanius AgrippaMarcus Vipsanius Agrippa63 BC–12 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  87. 87Zeno of EleaZeno of Elea490 BC–425 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics11 decades
  88. 88CaesarionCaesarion47 BC–30 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures19 decades
  89. 89Darius IIIDarius III380 BC–330 BC · Historical Figures13 decades
  90. 90TheophrastusTheophrastus371 BC–287 BC · Academics22 decades
  91. 91Diodorus SiculusDiodorus Siculus90 BC–20 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  92. 92Gaius MariusGaius Marius157 BC–86 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians4 decades
  93. 93XenophanesXenophanes570 BC–478 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  94. 94MoziMozi470 BC–391 BC · Academics8 decades
  95. 95AshurbanipalAshurbanipal685 BC–631 BC · Historical Figures13 decades
  96. 96SallustSallust86 BC–35 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  97. 97Mithridates VI of PontusMithridates VI of Pontus134 BC–63 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey0 decades
  98. 98PhidiasPhidias500 BC–430 BC · Artists22 decades
  99. 99Cato the YoungerCato the Younger95 BC–46 BC · Politicians4 decades
  100. 100TerenceTerence185 BC–159 BC · Writersnot measured—

How this is measured

  • Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
  • Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
  • Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
  • What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.