Claim profile
200–299

The 3rd century

Whose working lives fell in the 3rd 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 3rd century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇨🇳 China🇮🇹 Italy🇪🇬 Egypt🇫🇷 France🇩🇪 Germany🇯🇵 Japan🇹🇷 Turkey🇪🇸 Spain🇦🇹 Austria
FieldAllPoliticiansWritersHistorical FiguresReligious FiguresAcademicsModelsActorsDoctorsMusiciansLawyers
  1. 1Saint NicholasSaint Nicholas250–350 · Religious Figures22 decades
  2. 2CaracallaCaracalla188–217 · Historical Figures22 decades
  3. 3DiocletianDiocletian240–316 · Politicians22 decades
  4. 4ElagabalusElagabalus203–222 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  5. 5OrigenOrigen185–254 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Academics22 decades
  6. 6PlotinusPlotinus205–270 · Academics22 decades
  7. 7AurelianAurelian214–275 · Politicians22 decades
  8. 8Anthony the GreatAnthony the Great251–357 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Writers0 decades
  9. 9Severus AlexanderSeverus Alexander208–235 · Politicians22 decades
  10. 10GetaGeta189–211 · 🇮🇹 Italynot measured—
  11. 11Saint ValentineSaint Valentine175–273 · Doctors21 decades
  12. 12Saint SebastianSaint Sebastian255–287 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures22 decades
  13. 13AriusArius250–336 · Academics22 decades
  14. 14ValerianValerian200–260 · Politiciansnot measured—
  15. 15HelenaHelena250–330 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Politiciansnot measured—
  16. 16Saint LawrenceSaint Lawrence225–258 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures22 decades
  17. 17Maximinus ThraxMaximinus Thrax173–238 · Politicians0 decades
  18. 18DeciusDecius201–251 · Politicians22 decades
  19. 19Zhuge LiangZhuge Liang181–234 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians10 decades
  20. 20Philip the ArabPhilip the Arab204–249 · Politicians0 decades
  21. 21Constantius ChlorusConstantius Chlorus250–306 · Politicians18 decades
  22. 22Agatha of SicilyAgatha of Sicily235–261 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  23. 23ManiMani216–274 · Academicsnot measured—
  24. 24GallienusGallienus218–268 · Politicians22 decades
  25. 25ZenobiaZenobia240–275 · Models22 decades
  26. 26Pope Callixtus IPope Callixtus Idied 222 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  27. 27LiciniusLicinius263–325 · Politiciansnot measured—
  28. 28Saint CeciliaSaint Cecilia180–230 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians22 decades
  29. 29Gordian IIIGordian III225–244 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians16 decades
  30. 30Pope FabianPope Fabian200–250 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  31. 31GaleriusGalerius250–311 · Politicians22 decades
  32. 32MaximianMaximian240–310 · Politicians22 decades
  33. 33Diogenes LaërtiusDiogenes Laërtius180–240 · Writers7 decades
  34. 34Claudius GothicusClaudius Gothicus214–270 · Politicians8 decades
  35. 35CyprianCyprian200–258 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  36. 36PorphyryPorphyry233–301 · Academicsnot measured—
  37. 37Hippolytus of RomeHippolytus of Rome170–235 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics2 decades
  38. 38QuintillusQuintillus212–270 · Politicians4 decades
  39. 39Pope Sixtus IIPope Sixtus II215–258 · Religious Figures0 decades
  40. 40Saint MauriceSaint Maurice250–287 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Religious Figures14 decades
  41. 41DenisDenis201–250 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  42. 42CarusCarus222–283 · 🇫🇷 Francenot measured—
  43. 43Cao ZhiCao Zhi192–232 · Historical Figures7 decades
  44. 44BalbinusBalbinus178–238 · Politicians18 decades
  45. 45Pope Urban IPope Urban Idied 230 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  46. 46CarinusCarinus250–285 · Politicians22 decades
  47. 47Julia DomnaJulia Domna165–217 · Academics22 decades
  48. 48Marcus Claudius TacitusMarcus Claudius Tacitus200–276 · Politicians0 decades
  49. 49Saint FlorianSaint Florian250–304 · 🇦🇹 Austria0 decades
  50. 50LactantiusLactantius240–320 · Writers22 decades
  51. 51AemilianusAemilianus207–253 · Politiciansnot measured—
  52. 52Liu ShanLiu Shan207–271 · 🇨🇳 China · Modelsnot measured—
  53. 53Pope CorneliusPope Cornelius180–253 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures2 decades
  54. 54Sun CeSun Ce175–200 · 🇨🇳 China · Academicsnot measured—
  55. 55HHimikodied 248 · Historical Figures5 decades
  56. 56Trebonianus GallusTrebonianus Gallus206–253 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  57. 57Sextus EmpiricusSextus Empiricus200–300 · Academics22 decades
  58. 58PupienusPupienus170–238 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians11 decades
  59. 59ProbusProbus232–282 · Modelsnot measured—
  60. 60Pope PontianPope Pontiandied 235 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  61. 61Pope Marcellus IPope Marcellus I255–309 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  62. 62FlorianusFlorianus232–27610 decades
  63. 63DiophantusDiophantus200–284 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Academics22 decades
  64. 64UlpianUlpian170–228 · Writers22 decades
  65. 65NNovatian220–258 · Academics22 decades
  66. 66Cao PiCao Pi187–226 · 🇨🇳 China · Writers2 decades
  67. 67CelsusCelsusborn 200 · Academicsnot measured—
  68. 68Pope ZephyrinusPope Zephyrinusdied 217 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  69. 69Mahavatar BabajiMahavatar Babajiborn 2030 decades
  70. 70Lady SunLady Sunborn 192 · Writers6 decades
  71. 71Pang TongPang Tong179–214 · 🇨🇳 China · Politiciansnot measured—
  72. 72Gregory the IlluminatorGregory the Illuminator252–329 · Religious Figures9 decades
  73. 73IamblichusIamblichus245–325 · Academics22 decades
  74. 74Julia Avita MamaeaJulia Avita Mamaea180–235 · Politicians0 decades
  75. 75NumerianNumerian254–284 · Politicians14 decades
  76. 76AAthenaeus170–223 · Writers22 decades
  77. 77Ruan JiRuan Ji210–263 · Writers6 decades
  78. 78Pope MarcellinusPope Marcellinusdied 304 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  79. 79Pope AnterusPope Anterusdied 236 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  80. 80Xiahou YuanXiahou Yuan200–219not measured—
  81. 81PostumusPostumus250–269 · 🇫🇷 France · Politiciansnot measured—
  82. 82Ardashir IArdashir I180–242 · Politicians0 decades
  83. 83Pope CaiusPope Caiusdied 296 · Religious Figures0 decades
  84. 84SaloninusSaloninus242–260 · Historical Figures7 decades
  85. 85Wang BiWang Bi226–249 · Politicians7 decades
  86. 86Xu HuangXu Huang169–227 · 🇨🇳 Chinanot measured—
  87. 87Pope Lucius IPope Lucius I200–254 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  88. 88HostilianHostilian230–251 · Models0 decades
  89. 89LALucius Artorius Castus200–2000 decades
  90. 90Pope DionysiusPope Dionysius200–268 · Religious Figures0 decades
  91. 91Sun QuanSun Quan182–252 · 🇨🇳 China · Historical Figures2 decades
  92. 92TarcisiusTarcisius246–265 · 🇮🇹 Italynot measured—
  93. 93Pang DePang De170–2196 decades
  94. 94Pope Alexander I of AlexandriaPope Alexander I of Alexandria250–326 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  95. 95Paul of ThebesPaul of Thebes227–342 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Religious Figures0 decades
  96. 96Claudius AelianusClaudius Aelianus200–235 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0 decades
  97. 97WCWang Can177–217 · Writers0 decades
  98. 98VolusianusVolusianus230–253 · Politicians10 decades
  99. 99DiadumenianDiadumenian208–218 · Historical Figures0 decades
  100. 100AllectusAllectus201–296 · Historical Figures21 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.