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. 2AugustusAugustus63 BC–14 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  3. 3CiceroCicero106 BC–43 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  4. 4HannibalHannibal247 BC–183 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  5. 5TiberiusTiberius42 BC–37 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politiciansnot measured—
  6. 6PericlesPericles494 BC–429 BC · Politicians22 decades
  7. 7PompeyPompey106 BC–48 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politiciansnot measured—
  8. 8Mark AntonyMark Antony83 BC–30 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  9. 9Xerxes IXerxes I519 BC–465 BC · Politicians2 decades
  10. 10DemosthenesDemosthenes384 BC–322 BC · Politicians22 decades
  11. 11Cato the ElderCato the Elder234 BC–149 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians19 decades
  12. 12SullaSulla138 BC–78 BC · Politicians22 decades
  13. 13Marcus Licinius CrassusMarcus Licinius Crassus115 BC–53 BC · Politicians0 decades
  14. 14Scipio AfricanusScipio Africanus235 BC–183 BC · Politicians22 decades
  15. 15CroesusCroesusborn 596 BC · Politicians22 decades
  16. 16ThemistoclesThemistocles524 BC–459 BC · Politicians22 decades
  17. 17AlcibiadesAlcibiades450 BC–404 BC · Politicians22 decades
  18. 18Marcus Vipsanius AgrippaMarcus Vipsanius Agrippa63 BC–12 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  19. 19Gaius MariusGaius Marius157 BC–86 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians4 decades
  20. 20Cato the YoungerCato the Younger95 BC–46 BC · Politicians4 decades
  21. 21LSLi Si280 BC–208 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians7 decades
  22. 22LiviaLivia59 BC–29 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politiciansnot measured—
  23. 23Numa PompiliusNuma Pompilius753 BC–671 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  24. 24Hamilcar BarcaHamilcar Barca275 BC–228 BC · Politicians10 decades
  25. 25Gaius MaecenasGaius Maecenasdied 8 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  26. 26CatilineCatiline108 BC–62 BC · Politicians22 decades
  27. 27EpaminondasEpaminondas418 BC–362 BC · Politicians22 decades
  28. 28CleisthenesCleisthenes565 BC–500 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  29. 29OlympiasOlympias375 BC–316 BC · Politicians22 decades
  30. 30Tiberius GracchusTiberius Gracchus162 BC–133 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  31. 31Nero Claudius DrususNero Claudius Drusus38 BC–9 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians1 decades
  32. 32Publius Quinctilius VarusPublius Quinctilius Varusdied 9 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  33. 33Marcus Aemilius LepidusMarcus Aemilius Lepidus90 BC–13 BC · Politicians0 decades
  34. 34Quintus Fabius Maximus VerrucosusQuintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosusdied 203 BC · Politicians0 decades
  35. 35Servius TulliusServius Tullius600 BC–535 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  36. 36Lucius Tarquinius PriscusLucius Tarquinius Priscus700 BC–578 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  37. 37PeisistratosPeisistratos550 BC–527 BC · Politicians14 decades
  38. 38Gaius Cassius LonginusGaius Cassius Longinus82 BC–42 BC · Politicians0 decades
  39. 39Shoshenq IShoshenq I1000 BC–924 BC · Politicians0 decades
  40. 40LysanderLysander401 BC–395 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  41. 41Lucius Quinctius CincinnatusLucius Quinctius Cincinnatus519 BC–430 BC · Politicians0 decades
  42. 42Tullus HostiliusTullus Hostilius710 BC–642 BC · Politicians15 decades
  43. 43Scipio AemilianusScipio Aemilianus185 BC–129 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  44. 44LucullusLucullus117 BC–57 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  45. 45MiltiadesMiltiades554 BC–489 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  46. 46Dionysius I of SyracuseDionysius I of Syracuse430 BC–367 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  47. 47Ancus MarciusAncus Marcius675 BC–616 BC · Politicians11 decades
  48. 48Demetrius I of MacedonDemetrius I of Macedon336 BC–283 BC · Politicians0 decades
  49. 49Lucius Junius BrutusLucius Junius Brutus540 BC–509 BC · Politicians16 decades
  50. 50Philip III of MacedonPhilip III of Macedon359 BC–317 BC · Politicians0 decades
  51. 51JeroboamJeroboam1000 BC–910 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  52. 52Artemisia I of CariaArtemisia I of Caria500 BC–500 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Politiciansnot measured—
  53. 53TaharqaTaharqa720 BC–664 BC · Politicians9 decades
  54. 54Psamtik IPsamtik Idied 610 BC · Politicians0 decades
  55. 55Agesilaus IIAgesilaus II444 BC–360 BC · Politicians0 decades
  56. 56CCritias460 BC–403 BC · Politicians22 decades
  57. 57Gaius GracchusGaius Gracchus154 BC–122 BC · Politicians15 decades
  58. 58AristidesAristides540 BC–467 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  59. 59AeschinesAeschines390 BC–322 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  60. 60CimonCimon510 BC–450 BC · Politicians22 decades
  61. 61Nectanebo IINectanebo II400 BC–343 BC · Politicians0 decades
  62. 62PorusPorus400 BC–316 BC · Politicians22 decades
  63. 63Agathocles of SyracuseAgathocles of Syracuse361 BC–289 BC · Politicians0 decades
  64. 64Marcus Furius CamillusMarcus Furius Camillus446 BC–365 BC · Politicians1 decades
  65. 65Demetrius of PhalerumDemetrius of Phalerum350 BC–283 BC · Politicians6 decades
  66. 66PerdiccasPerdiccas365 BC–321 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  67. 67Appius Claudius CaecusAppius Claudius Caecusdied 300 BC · Politicians2 decades
  68. 68CCleon500 BC–422 BC · Politicians22 decades
  69. 69Berenice IV of EgyptBerenice IV of Egypt77 BC–55 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  70. 70Sextus PompeySextus Pompey68 BC–35 BC · Politicians15 decades
  71. 71BessusBessus400 BC–329 BC · Politicians22 decades
  72. 72Amasis IIAmasis II610 BC–526 BC · Politicians0 decades
  73. 73ParmenionParmenion400 BC–329 BC · Politicians16 decades
  74. 74Decimus Junius Brutus AlbinusDecimus Junius Brutus Albinus85 BC–43 BC · Politicians0 decades
  75. 75Gaius Marcius CoriolanusGaius Marcius Coriolanus600 BC–500 BC · Politicians0 decades
  76. 76PolycratesPolycrates574 BC–522 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  77. 77ApriesApries650 BC–567 BC · Politicians21 decades
  78. 78Hiero II of SyracuseHiero II of Syracuse308 BC–215 BC · Politicians0 decades
  79. 79Quintus SertoriusQuintus Sertoriusborn 123 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  80. 80TLTitus Labienus98 BC–45 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  81. 81COCleopatra of Macedon350 BC–308 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  82. 82Lucius Cornelius CinnaLucius Cornelius Cinna135 BC–84 BC · Politicians0 decades
  83. 83ChanakyaChanakya375 BC–283 BC · Politicians13 decades
  84. 84Stateira IIStateira II346 BC–323 BC · Politiciansnot measured—
  85. 85Hasdrubal the FairHasdrubal the Fair270 BC–221 BC · Politicians0 decades
  86. 86PiyePiye800 BC–716 BC · Politicians3 decades
  87. 87Publius Sulpicius QuiriniusPublius Sulpicius Quirinius45 BC–21 · Politicians0 decades
  88. 88Ptolemy PhiladelphusPtolemy Philadelphusborn 36 BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Politicians22 decades
  89. 89Gaius Julius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar130 BC–85 BC · Politicians3 decades
  90. 90Gaius OctaviusGaius Octavius100 BC–59 BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  91. 91Publius Clodius PulcherPublius Clodius Pulcher90 BC–52 BC · Politicians0 decades
  92. 92Xiang YuXiang Yu232 BC–202 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians3 decades
  93. 93CandaulesCandaules800 BC–760 BC · Politicians21 decades
  94. 94Alexander JannaeusAlexander Jannaeus127 BC–76 BC · Politicians22 decades
  95. 95PelopidasPelopidas450 BC–364 BC · Politicians22 decades
  96. 96Marcus Atilius RegulusMarcus Atilius Regulus299 BC–246 BC · Politicians0 decades
  97. 97NiciasNicias500 BC–413 BC · Politicians22 decades
  98. 98Shang YangShang Yang390 BC–338 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians7 decades
  99. 99Titus TatiusTitus Tatius800 BC–800 BC · Politicians11 decades
  100. 100Psamtik IIIPsamtik III600 BC–525 BC · Politicians0 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.