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. 1DiocletianDiocletian240–316 · Politicians22 decades
  2. 2ElagabalusElagabalus203–222 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  3. 3AurelianAurelian214–275 · Politicians22 decades
  4. 4Severus AlexanderSeverus Alexander208–235 · Politicians22 decades
  5. 5ValerianValerian200–260 · Politiciansnot measured—
  6. 6HelenaHelena250–330 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Politiciansnot measured—
  7. 7Maximinus ThraxMaximinus Thrax173–238 · Politicians0 decades
  8. 8DeciusDecius201–251 · Politicians22 decades
  9. 9Zhuge LiangZhuge Liang181–234 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians10 decades
  10. 10Philip the ArabPhilip the Arab204–249 · Politicians0 decades
  11. 11Constantius ChlorusConstantius Chlorus250–306 · Politicians18 decades
  12. 12GallienusGallienus218–268 · Politicians22 decades
  13. 13LiciniusLicinius263–325 · Politiciansnot measured—
  14. 14Gordian IIIGordian III225–244 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians16 decades
  15. 15GaleriusGalerius250–311 · Politicians22 decades
  16. 16MaximianMaximian240–310 · Politicians22 decades
  17. 17Claudius GothicusClaudius Gothicus214–270 · Politicians8 decades
  18. 18QuintillusQuintillus212–270 · Politicians4 decades
  19. 19BalbinusBalbinus178–238 · Politicians18 decades
  20. 20CarinusCarinus250–285 · Politicians22 decades
  21. 21Marcus Claudius TacitusMarcus Claudius Tacitus200–276 · Politicians0 decades
  22. 22AemilianusAemilianus207–253 · Politiciansnot measured—
  23. 23Trebonianus GallusTrebonianus Gallus206–253 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  24. 24PupienusPupienus170–238 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians11 decades
  25. 25Pang TongPang Tong179–214 · 🇨🇳 China · Politiciansnot measured—
  26. 26Julia Avita MamaeaJulia Avita Mamaea180–235 · Politicians0 decades
  27. 27NumerianNumerian254–284 · Politicians14 decades
  28. 28PostumusPostumus250–269 · 🇫🇷 France · Politiciansnot measured—
  29. 29Ardashir IArdashir I180–242 · Politicians0 decades
  30. 30Wang BiWang Bi226–249 · Politicians7 decades
  31. 31VolusianusVolusianus230–253 · Politicians10 decades
  32. 32Gordian IIGordian II190–238 · Politicians0 decades
  33. 33EJEmpress Jia Nanfeng257–300 · Politiciansnot measured—
  34. 34Ma SuMa Su190–228 · Politicians0 decades
  35. 35OdaenathusOdaenathus220–267 · Politicians1 decades
  36. 36Ma LiangMa Liang187–222 · Politicians0 decades
  37. 37Zhang FeiZhang Fei167–221 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians2 decades
  38. 38Sima YiSima Yi179–251 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians2 decades
  39. 39Wang PingWang Ping201–248 · Politicians8 decades
  40. 40Julia SoaemiasJulia Soaemias180–222 · Politicians0 decades
  41. 41Yang HuYang Hu221–278 · Politicians4 decades
  42. 42Tao KanTao Kan259–334 · Politiciansnot measured—
  43. 43Yang XiuYang Xiu175–219 · Politicians0 decades
  44. 44Herennius EtruscusHerennius Etruscus227–251 · Politicians0 decades
  45. 45Philip IIPhilip II237–249 · Politicians22 decades
  46. 46Emperor Hui of JinEmperor Hui of Jin259–307 · Politiciansnot measured—
  47. 47LALucius Aurellius Commodus Pompeianus176–212 · Politiciansnot measured—
  48. 48Marcus Aurelius MariusMarcus Aurelius Marius250–269 · Politicians0 decades
  49. 49MFMi Fang169–300 · Politicians0 decades
  50. 50Ulpia SeverinaUlpia Severinaborn 200 · Politicians0 decades
  51. 51Lu SuLu Su172–217 · Politicians2 decades
  52. 52MMMarius Maximus165–230 · Politicians0 decades
  53. 53WZWu Zhi177–230 · Politicians0 decades
  54. 54Jiang WeiJiang Wei202–264 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians2 decades
  55. 55SYSima You246–283 · Politiciansnot measured—
  56. 56SHSun He224–253 · Politicians0 decades
  57. 57CTChen Taidied 260 · Politicians0 decades
  58. 58XSXiahou Shang185–226 · Politiciansnot measured—
  59. 59XSXu Sheng200–225 · Politicians0 decades
  60. 60XXXiahou Xuan209–254 · Politicians0 decades
  61. 61Sima ZhaoSima Zhao211–265 · Politicians0 decades
  62. 62TYTian Yu171–252 · Politicians1 decades
  63. 63RegalianusRegalianus250–260 · Politicians0 decades
  64. 64LBLiu Ba186–222 · Politicians0 decades
  65. 65Gaius Julius Verus MaximusGaius Julius Verus Maximus216–238 · Politicians0 decades
  66. 66Macrianus MajorMacrianus Major250–261 · Politiciansnot measured—
  67. 67LaelianLaelian250–269 · Politicians0 decades
  68. 68SWSima Wei271–291 · Politiciansnot measured—
  69. 69SYSima Yong250–306 · Politiciansnot measured—
  70. 70Gaius Furius Sabinius Aquila TimesitheusGaius Furius Sabinius Aquila Timesitheus190–243 · Politiciansnot measured—
  71. 71SLSima Lang171–217 · Politicians0 decades
  72. 72SCSun Chen232–259 · Politiciansnot measured—
  73. 73IngenuusIngenuus200–260 · Politicians8 decades
  74. 74Sri GuptaSri Gupta240–280 · Politicians0 decades
  75. 75Sima LunSima Lun240–301 · Politicians0 decades
  76. 76WGWei Guan220–291 · Politicians0 decades
  77. 77Sun HaoSun Hao243–284 · Politicians1 decades
  78. 78LFLü Fan200–228 · Politiciansnot measured—
  79. 79Zhong HuiZhong Hui225–264 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians0 decades
  80. 80QZQiao Zhou199–270 · Politicians1 decades
  81. 81GYGu Yong168–243 · Politicians0 decades
  82. 82HJHuo Jun178–217 · Politicians0 decades
  83. 83Marcus Nonius MacrinusMarcus Nonius Macrinusborn 200 · Politiciansnot measured—
  84. 84Guo JiaGuo Jia170–207 · Politicians0 decades
  85. 85ZQZhuge Qiao199–223 · Politiciansnot measured—
  86. 86Ma ZhongMa Zhong200–249 · Politicians0 decades
  87. 87PJPan Jundied 239 · Politicians0 decades
  88. 88Guan LuGuan Lu209–256 · Politicians0 decades
  89. 89WLWang Ling172–251 · Politicians4 decades
  90. 90Shan TaoShan Tao205–283 · Politicians0 decades
  91. 91KKebineng172–235 · Politiciansnot measured—
  92. 92SabinianSabinian200–240 · Politiciansnot measured—
  93. 93Li TeLi Te250–303 · Politicians2 decades
  94. 94Zhuge ZhanZhuge Zhan227–263 · Politiciansnot measured—
  95. 95Fu RongFu Rongdied 222 · Politicians0 decades
  96. 96XMXiahou Mao200–300 · Politiciansnot measured—
  97. 97Sima ShiSima Shi208–255 · Politicians0 decades
  98. 98HHuchuquandied 216 · Politiciansnot measured—
  99. 99ZTZhang Ti236–280 · Politicians0 decades
  100. 100Wei YanWei Yan200–234 · Politicians2 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.