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. 1Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great356 BC–323 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  2. 2CleopatraCleopatra69 BC–30 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures22 decades
  3. 3Qin Shi HuangQin Shi Huang259 BC–210 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Historical Figures4 decades
  4. 4Cyrus the GreatCyrus the Great600 BC–530 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  5. 5SpartacusSpartacus103 BC–71 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  6. 6Nebuchadnezzar IINebuchadnezzar II642 BC–561 BC · Historical Figures4 decades
  7. 7Darius the GreatDarius the Great550 BC–486 BC · Historical Figures11 decades
  8. 8AshokaAshoka304 BC–232 BC · 🇮🇳 India · Historical Figures8 decades
  9. 9Herod the GreatHerod the Great74 BC–4 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  10. 10Philip II of MacedonPhilip II of Macedon385 BC–336 BC · Historical Figures6 decades
  11. 11Ptolemy I SoterPtolemy I Soter365 BC–285 BC · Historical Figures1 decades
  12. 12Pyrrhus of EpirusPyrrhus of Epirus318 BC–272 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  13. 13CaesarionCaesarion47 BC–30 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures19 decades
  14. 14Darius IIIDarius III380 BC–330 BC · Historical Figures13 decades
  15. 15AshurbanipalAshurbanipal685 BC–631 BC · Historical Figures13 decades
  16. 16Artaxerxes I of PersiaArtaxerxes I of Persia500 BC–424 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  17. 17Seleucus I NicatorSeleucus I Nicator358 BC–281 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  18. 18RoxanaRoxana347 BC–310 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  19. 19Lucius Tarquinius SuperbusLucius Tarquinius Superbus600 BC–495 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  20. 20Emperor JimmuEmperor Jimmu711 BC–585 BC · 🇯🇵 Japan · Historical Figures6 decades
  21. 21PytheasPytheas359 BC–289 BC · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures22 decades
  22. 22Cambyses IICambyses II559 BC–522 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  23. 23JugurthaJugurtha160 BC–104 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  24. 24Antiochus IV EpiphanesAntiochus IV Epiphanes215 BC–164 BC · Historical Figures6 decades
  25. 25Ptolemy II PhiladelphusPtolemy II Philadelphus308 BC–246 BC · Historical Figures3 decades
  26. 26Ptolemy XIII Theos PhilopatorPtolemy XIII Theos Philopator62 BC–47 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures0 decades
  27. 27Antiochus III the GreatAntiochus III the Great242 BC–187 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  28. 28Alexander IV of MacedonAlexander IV of Macedon323 BC–309 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  29. 29SennacheribSennacherib745 BC–681 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  30. 30MasinissaMasinissa238 BC–148 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  31. 31XanthippeXanthippe500 BC–400 BC · Historical Figures19 decades
  32. 32Ptolemy XII AuletesPtolemy XII Auletes117 BC–51 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  33. 33Cleopatra Selene IICleopatra Selene II40 BC–5 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures0 decades
  34. 34Tigranes the GreatTigranes the Great140 BC–55 BC · Historical Figures1 decades
  35. 35Ptolemy III EuergetesPtolemy III Euergetes284 BC–222 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  36. 36CassanderCassander355 BC–296 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  37. 37Darius IIDarius II475 BC–404 BC · Historical Figures15 decades
  38. 38Sargon IISargon II765 BC–705 BC · Historical Figures14 decades
  39. 39Chandragupta MauryaChandragupta Maurya340 BC–297 BC · 🇮🇳 India · Historical Figures9 decades
  40. 40Wang MangWang Mang45 BC–23 · 🇨🇳 China · Historical Figures12 decades
  41. 41Ptolemy V EpiphanesPtolemy V Epiphanes210 BC–180 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  42. 42LysimachusLysimachus361 BC–281 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  43. 43Ptolemy IV PhilopatorPtolemy IV Philopator244 BC–204 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  44. 44EsarhaddonEsarhaddon800 BC–669 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  45. 45Artaxerxes IIIArtaxerxes III425 BC–338 BC · Historical Figures9 decades
  46. 46NabopolassarNabopolassardied 605 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  47. 47HephaestionHephaestion356 BC–324 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  48. 48AstyagesAstyages700 BC–550 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  49. 49Ptolemy XIV of EgyptPtolemy XIV of Egypt59 BC–44 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  50. 50HTHanno the Navigator500 BC–500 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  51. 51Antiochus I SoterAntiochus I Soter324 BC–261 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  52. 52Cleopatra II of EgyptCleopatra II of Egypt187 BC–116 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  53. 53Julia the ElderJulia the Elder39 BC–14 · Historical Figures0 decades
  54. 54Ptolemy VIII PhysconPtolemy VIII Physcon182 BC–116 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  55. 55AntipaterAntipater397 BC–319 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  56. 56AhazAhaz763 BC–727 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  57. 57MausolusMausolus410 BC–353 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Historical Figures22 decades
  58. 58Cyrus ICyrus Idied 580 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  59. 59Ptolemy IX LathyrosPtolemy IX Lathyros142 BC–81 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  60. 60Ptolemy VI PhilometorPtolemy VI Philometor184 BC–145 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  61. 61Philip V of MacedonPhilip V of Macedon238 BC–179 BC · Historical Figures1 decades
  62. 62Necho IINecho II700 BC–595 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  63. 63Cambyses ICambyses I600 BC–559 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  64. 64Xerxes II of PersiaXerxes II of Persia500 BC–423 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  65. 65Alexander HeliosAlexander Heliosborn 40 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures0 decades
  66. 66Cleopatra III of EgyptCleopatra III of Egypt161 BC–101 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  67. 67Hasdrubal BarcaHasdrubal Barca245 BC–207 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  68. 68JehuJehu876 BC–814 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  69. 69ArsesArsesdied 336 BC · Historical Figures11 decades
  70. 70Ashurnasirpal IIAshurnasirpal II1000 BC–859 BC · Historical Figures2 decades
  71. 71OmriOmri940 BC–874 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  72. 72Arsinoe IIArsinoe II316 BC–270 BC · Historical Figures2 decades
  73. 73Shalmaneser VShalmaneser Vdied 722 BC · Historical Figures1 decades
  74. 74BardiyaBardiyadied 522 BC · Historical Figures5 decades
  75. 75AchaemenesAchaemenes800 BC–700 BC · Historical Figures12 decades
  76. 76Antonia MinorAntonia Minor36 BC–37 · Historical Figures0 decades
  77. 77Antiochus II TheosAntiochus II Theos286 BC–246 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  78. 78GGorgo518 BC–500 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  79. 79Shalmaneser IIIShalmaneser III900 BC–824 BC · Historical Figures12 decades
  80. 80ZimriZimri1000 BC–885 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  81. 81MayaMaya600 BC–600 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  82. 82Arsaces I of ParthiaArsaces I of Parthiadied 217 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  83. 83Amon of JudahAmon of Judah664 BC–640 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  84. 84Aurelia CottaAurelia Cotta119 BC–54 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  85. 85Juba IJuba I85 BC–46 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  86. 86SogdianusSogdianus500 BC–423 BC · Historical Figures8 decades
  87. 87Baasha of IsraelBaasha of Israel1000 BC–960 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  88. 88MMegasthenes350 BC–290 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  89. 89Seleucus II CallinicusSeleucus II Callinicus265 BC–225 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  90. 90NearchusNearchus356 BC–300 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  91. 91HosheaHoshea759 BC–723 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  92. 92Ptolemy X Alexander IPtolemy X Alexander I140 BC–88 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  93. 93Ptolemy VII Neos PhilopatorPtolemy VII Neos Philopatorborn 162 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  94. 94AtossaAtossa550 BC–475 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  95. 95MMardonius600 BC–479 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  96. 96SyphaxSyphax250 BC–202 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  97. 97Mithridates I of ParthiaMithridates I of Parthia195 BC–132 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  98. 98Orodes II of ParthiaOrodes II of Parthia70 BC–38 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  99. 99Jeroboam IIJeroboam II850 BC–753 BC · Historical Figures22 decades
  100. 100Zhang QianZhang Qian200 BC–114 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Historical Figures2 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.