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. 1AristotleAristotle384 BC–322 BC · Academics22 decades
  2. 2PlatoPlato428 BC–348 BC · Academics22 decades
  3. 3ConfuciusConfucius551 BC–479 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Academics12 decades
  4. 4Gautama BuddhaGautama Buddha500 BC–500 BC · Academics16 decades
  5. 5ArchimedesArchimedes287 BC–212 BC · Academics22 decades
  6. 6PythagorasPythagoras582 BC–490 BC · Academics22 decades
  7. 7LaoziLaozi579 BC–500 BC · Academics11 decades
  8. 8SocratesSocrates470 BC–399 BC · 🇧🇷 Brazil · Academics22 decades
  9. 9DiogenesDiogenes400 BC–323 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academicsnot measured—
  10. 10EpicurusEpicurus342 BC–270 BC · Academics22 decades
  11. 11Thales of MiletusThales of Miletus625 BC–545 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  12. 12EuclidEuclid333 BC–285 BC · Academics22 decades
  13. 13AesopAesop620 BC–564 BC · Academics21 decades
  14. 14HeraclitusHeraclitus535 BC–470 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  15. 15DemocritusDemocritus460 BC–360 BC · Academics22 decades
  16. 16EratosthenesEratosthenes276 BC–194 BC · Academics22 decades
  17. 17XenophonXenophon430 BC–354 BC · Academics22 decades
  18. 18Zhuang ZhouZhuang Zhou369 BC–288 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Academics10 decades
  19. 19Brutus the YoungerBrutus the Younger85 BC–42 BC · Academics0 decades
  20. 20ParmenidesParmenides515 BC–470 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  21. 21StraboStrabo63 BC–23 · Academics22 decades
  22. 22EmpedoclesEmpedocles494 BC–434 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  23. 23AnaximanderAnaximander610 BC–546 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  24. 24AnaxagorasAnaxagoras500 BC–428 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  25. 25Zeno of CitiumZeno of Citium334 BC–263 BC · Academics3 decades
  26. 26ProtagorasProtagoras490 BC–420 BC · Academics22 decades
  27. 27Xun KuangXun Kuang313 BC–230 BC · Academics8 decades
  28. 28Zeno of EleaZeno of Elea490 BC–425 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics11 decades
  29. 29TheophrastusTheophrastus371 BC–287 BC · Academics22 decades
  30. 30XenophanesXenophanes570 BC–478 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  31. 31MoziMozi470 BC–391 BC · Academics8 decades
  32. 32AspasiaAspasia470 BC–400 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academicsnot measured—
  33. 33AntisthenesAntisthenes445 BC–365 BC · Academics22 decades
  34. 34GorgiasGorgias483 BC–375 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  35. 35ChrysippusChrysippus281 BC–208 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  36. 36MenciusMencius372 BC–289 BC · Academics22 decades
  37. 37Marcus Terentius VarroMarcus Terentius Varro116 BC–27 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics0 decades
  38. 38PosidoniusPosidonius135 BC–51 BC · Academics22 decades
  39. 39Anaximenes of MiletusAnaximenes of Miletus585 BC–525 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics0 decades
  40. 40LeucippusLeucippus500 BC–500 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  41. 41PyrrhoPyrrho360 BC–270 BC · Academics22 decades
  42. 42AristippusAristippus435 BC–355 BC · Academics22 decades
  43. 43CleanthesCleanthes331 BC–232 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  44. 44ArchytasArchytas430 BC–345 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  45. 45KapilaKapilaborn 550 BC · Academicsnot measured—
  46. 46Seneca the ElderSeneca the Elder54 BC–39 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academics2 decades
  47. 47PāṇiniPāṇini520 BC–460 BC · Academicsnot measured—
  48. 48PanaetiusPanaetius185 BC–110 BC · Academics22 decades
  49. 49PhilolausPhilolaus470 BC–390 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  50. 50Diotima of MantineaDiotima of Mantinea450 BC–300 BC · Academics0 decades
  51. 51Han FeiHan Fei280 BC–233 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Academics10 decades
  52. 52XenocratesXenocrates396 BC–314 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  53. 53AnacharsisAnacharsis700 BC–600 BC · Academicsnot measured—
  54. 54HippasusHippasus600 BC–500 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics12 decades
  55. 55ArcesilausArcesilaus315 BC–240 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academicsnot measured—
  56. 56Chilon of SpartaChilon of Sparta600 BC–520 BC · Academics0 decades
  57. 57Cleobulus of LindosCleobulus of Lindos630 BC–560 BC · Academics0 decades
  58. 58Crates of ThebesCrates of Thebes365 BC–285 BC · Academics0 decades
  59. 59CarneadesCarneades213 BC–129 BC · Academics22 decades
  60. 60PerianderPeriander700 BC–585 BC · Academics22 decades
  61. 61Bias of PrieneBias of Priene600 BC–530 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics1 decades
  62. 62AristoxenusAristoxenus360 BC–300 BC · Academics22 decades
  63. 63Epimenides of CreteEpimenides of Crete700 BC–600 BC · Academics0 decades
  64. 64Pittacus of MytilenePittacus of Mytilene650 BC–570 BC · Academics0 decades
  65. 65SariputtaSariputta568 BC–484 BC · 🇮🇳 India · Academics14 decades
  66. 66HHippias443 BC–399 BC · Academics22 decades
  67. 67SpeusippusSpeusippus407 BC–339 BC · Academics22 decades
  68. 68Euclid of MegaraEuclid of Megara436 BC–365 BC · Academics1 decades
  69. 69Heraclides PonticusHeraclides Ponticus385 BC–322 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics8 decades
  70. 70TTheano600 BC–500 BC · Academicsnot measured—
  71. 71Pherecydes of SyrosPherecydes of Syros580 BC–499 BC · Academics1 decades
  72. 72PPhilodemus110 BC–35 BC · Academics22 decades
  73. 73EEuhemerus400 BC–300 BC · Academics22 decades
  74. 74Hipparchia of MaroneiaHipparchia of Maroneia350 BC–280 BC · Academics0 decades
  75. 75Melissus of SamosMelissus of Samos490 BC–430 BC · Academics0 decades
  76. 76POPhilo of Byzantium280 BC–220 BC · Academics0 decades
  77. 77ProdicusProdicus460 BC–380 BC · Academics22 decades
  78. 78Strato of LampsacusStrato of Lampsacus335 BC–269 BC · Academics0 decades
  79. 79ZengziZengzi504 BC–435 BC · Academics8 decades
  80. 80StilpoStilpo359 BC–279 BC · Academics15 decades
  81. 81KanadaKanada200 BC–160 BC · 🇮🇳 India · Academics19 decades
  82. 82Hippocrates of ChiosHippocrates of Chios470 BC–410 BC · Academics2 decades
  83. 83TThrasymachus459 BC–399 BC · Academics22 decades
  84. 84LXLiu Xin50 BC–23 · Academicsnot measured—
  85. 85AOAntiochus of Ascalon130 BC–68 BC · Academics0 decades
  86. 86AAenesidemus80 BC–10 BC · Academics4 decades
  87. 87ZisiZisi483 BC–402 BC · Academicsnot measured—
  88. 88AOAndronicus of Rhodes100 BC–60 BC · Academics1 decades
  89. 89CCratylusborn 500 BC · Academics22 decades
  90. 90Diogenes of BabylonDiogenes of Babylon240 BC–150 BC · Academics0 decades
  91. 91POPhilo of Larissa159 BC–84 BC · Academics0 decades
  92. 92Timon of PhliusTimon of Phlius320 BC–230 BC · Academics0 decades
  93. 93HOHegesias of Cyrene400 BC–300 BC · Academics0 decades
  94. 94DicaearchusDicaearchus350 BC–285 BC · Academics21 decades
  95. 95ZYZou Yan305 BC–240 BC · Academics0 decades
  96. 96Eudemus of RhodesEudemus of Rhodes350 BC–290 BC · Academics0 decades
  97. 97TTheaetetus417 BC–369 BC · Academics22 decades
  98. 98MMenaechmus380 BC–320 BC · Academics19 decades
  99. 99Metrodorus of LampsacusMetrodorus of Lampsacus331 BC–278 BC · Academics0 decades
  100. 100Mahapajapati GotamiMahapajapati Gotami600 BC–480 BC · Academics0 decades

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.