Claim profile
100–199

The 2nd century

Whose working lives fell in the 2nd century. 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 2nd century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇮🇹 Italy🇨🇳 China🇹🇷 Turkey🇪🇬 Egypt🇯🇵 Japan🇮🇱 Israel🇮🇳 India🇪🇸 Spain🇫🇷 France
FieldAllPoliticiansWritersHistorical FiguresAcademicsReligious FiguresDoctorsModelsScientistsActorsMusicians
  1. 1Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius121–180 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures22 decades
  2. 2HadrianHadrian76–138 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures22 decades
  3. 3PtolemyPtolemy100–170 · Academicsnot measured—
  4. 4GalenGalen129–300 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Doctors22 decades
  5. 5CommodusCommodus161–192 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Models22 decades
  6. 6Septimius SeverusSeptimius Severus146–211 · Historical Figures22 decades
  7. 7Antoninus PiusAntoninus Pius86–161 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  8. 8TertullianTertullian160–240 · Academics22 decades
  9. 9ApuleiusApuleius125–170 · Writers22 decades
  10. 10SuetoniusSuetonius70–126 · Writers22 decades
  11. 11MacrinusMacrinus164–218 · Politicians22 decades
  12. 12Cao CaoCao Cao155–220 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians8 decades
  13. 13LucianLucian120–180 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writersnot measured—
  14. 14Lucius VerusLucius Verus130–169 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  15. 15IrenaeusIrenaeus130–202 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  16. 16Didius JulianusDidius Julianus133–193 · Politicians10 decades
  17. 17Guan YuGuan Yu160–220 · 🇨🇳 China · Historical Figures7 decades
  18. 18Cassius DioCassius Dio150–235 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Politicians10 decades
  19. 19Liu BeiLiu Bei161–2238 decades
  20. 20Pope Victor IPope Victor Idied 199 · Religious Figures0 decades
  21. 21AntinousAntinous111–130 · 🇹🇷 Turkey22 decades
  22. 22NagarjunaNagarjuna150–250 · Academics15 decades
  23. 23Marcion of SinopeMarcion of Sinope85–160 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics0 decades
  24. 24Justin MartyrJustin Martyr100–165 · Academics22 decades
  25. 25PausaniasPausanias110–180 · Writersnot measured—
  26. 26LonginusLonginus100–100 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writersnot measured—
  27. 27PolycarpPolycarp69–155 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academicsnot measured—
  28. 28Saint SarahSaint Sarah100–100 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Religious Figures0 decades
  29. 29PertinaxPertinax126–193 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  30. 30Clement of AlexandriaClement of Alexandria150–215 · Academics22 decades
  31. 31Lü BuLü Buborn 160 · 🇨🇳 China · Historical Figures1 decades
  32. 32CaiaphasCaiaphas100–100 · Politicians22 decades
  33. 33ArrianArrian89–175 · Writers22 decades
  34. 34AppianAppian95–165 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Writers22 decades
  35. 35Pope Pius IPope Pius I95–150 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  36. 36LucillaLucilla150–182 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Modelsnot measured—
  37. 37Pope Alexander IPope Alexander I100–116 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  38. 38Faustina the YoungerFaustina the Younger125–175 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  39. 39DecebalusDecebalus100–106 · Historical Figures19 decades
  40. 40KanishkaKanishka78–144 · Historical Figures19 decades
  41. 41Shimon bar YochaiShimon bar Yochai100–16022 decades
  42. 42Saint ApolloniaSaint Apollonia150–249 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Religious Figures0 decades
  43. 43Pope EvaristusPope Evaristus100–105 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Religious Figures0 decades
  44. 44Dionysius the AreopagiteDionysius the Areopagite100–100 · Religious Figures22 decades
  45. 45Zhang ZhongjingZhang Zhongjing150–219 · Doctors6 decades
  46. 46BlandinaBlandina101–177 · 🇫🇷 France22 decades
  47. 47Pope AnicetusPope Anicetus100–166 · Religious Figures0 decades
  48. 48Gordian IGordian I159–238 · 🇹🇷 Turkey0 decades
  49. 49Cai YongCai Yong133–192 · Scientistsnot measured—
  50. 50TheclaThecla100–100 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics22 decades
  51. 51JustinJustinborn 101 · Writersnot measured—
  52. 52Aulus GelliusAulus Gellius130–180 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  53. 53Pope TelesphorusPope Telesphorusdied 130 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  54. 54Clodius AlbinusClodius Albinus150–197 · Politicians9 decades
  55. 55Lucius Annaeus FlorusLucius Annaeus Florus70–140 · Writers0 decades
  56. 56Lydia of ThyatiraLydia of Thyatira100–100 · Business Professionals0 decades
  57. 57Pope EleutheriusPope Eleutheriusdied 189 · Religious Figures3 decades
  58. 58ACAvidius Cassius130–175 · Politicians12 decades
  59. 59Pope HyginusPope Hyginusdied 142 · Religious Figures0 decades
  60. 60VValentinusdied 160 · Academicsnot measured—
  61. 61He JinHe Jin135–189 · Politicians5 decades
  62. 62Pescennius NigerPescennius Nigerborn 135 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians10 decades
  63. 63Herodes AtticusHerodes Atticus101–177 · Politicians21 decades
  64. 64GaiusGaius120–180 · Writersnot measured—
  65. 65Bruttia CrispinaBruttia Crispina164–191 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures0 decades
  66. 66Lucius AeliusLucius Aelius101–138 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  67. 67MCMarcus Cornelius Fronto100–160 · Writers0 decades
  68. 68Vibia SabinaVibia Sabina86–1360 decades
  69. 69Gaius Appuleius DioclesGaius Appuleius Diocles104–1460 decades
  70. 70Faustina the ElderFaustina the Elder105–1400 decades
  71. 71BBasilides117–140 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Academics22 decades
  72. 72Wang YunWang Yun137–192 · Politicians3 decades
  73. 73Zheng XuanZheng Xuan127–200 · Academics5 decades
  74. 74CharalambosCharalambos87–202not measured—
  75. 75Julia MaesaJulia Maesa160–2240 decades
  76. 76TTatian120–173 · Writers22 decades
  77. 77Philip the EvangelistPhilip the Evangelist100–100 · 🇮🇱 Israel10 decades
  78. 78Chen GongChen Gong150–199 · Politicians0 decades
  79. 79Dong ZhuoDong Zhuo139–192 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians2 decades
  80. 80Zhang HengZhang Heng78–139 · 🇨🇳 China · Scientists1 decades
  81. 81Pompeia PlotinaPompeia Plotina70–121 · Academics0 decades
  82. 82Melito of SardisMelito of Sardis100–180 · Writers6 decades
  83. 83Saint PothinusSaint Pothinus87–177 · Religious Figures0 decades
  84. 84Judah ha-NasiJudah ha-Nasi135–2190 decades
  85. 85ApollosApollos100–100 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Religious Figures22 decades
  86. 86Aelius AristidesAelius Aristides117–189 · Writers6 decades
  87. 87SXShi Xie137–226 · Politiciansnot measured—
  88. 88Xun YouXun You157–214 · Politicians0 decades
  89. 89SJSextus Julius Africanus160–240 · Writers0 decades
  90. 90Soranus of EphesusSoranus of Ephesus98–200 · Doctors0 decades
  91. 91Aemilius PapinianusAemilius Papinianus142–211 · Lawyers0 decades
  92. 92Domitia LonginaDomitia Longina100–126 · 🇮🇹 Italy0 decades
  93. 93Felicitas of RomeFelicitas of Rome101–1650 decades
  94. 94ATAgrippa the Skeptic100–100 · Academicsnot measured—
  95. 95PolyaenusPolyaenus101–200 · Writersnot measured—
  96. 96Saint SabinaSaint Sabina100–1260 decades
  97. 97EDEmpress Dowager Bian159–230not measured—
  98. 98AgabusAgabus100–10022 decades
  99. 99WLWang Lang152–228 · Politicians3 decades
  100. 100Tao QianTao Qian132–194 · Politiciansnot 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.