People
Historical Figures and Influential People in History
Explore rulers, generals, thinkers, scientists and reformers who shaped world history. Search for a specific person, or browse by era, region, country and A–Z.
Ancient Civilisations Figures in Other
Use the filters on the right to narrow the figure index while keeping the main results in view.
3 results
Gilgamesh
-2800–-2500Iraq
He was a king who set out to find the secret of eternal life, failed, and returned home — and the story became the oldest written epic humanity has ever found.
Open profile →
Hammurabi
-1810–-1750Iraq
He had his laws carved into a stone column and placed where everyone could see them — one of the first times a ruler publicly promised to be bound by the same rules as the ruled.
Open profile →
Sargon of Akkad
-2334–-2279Iraq
He rose from obscurity — possibly a gardener's son — to build the first true empire in recorded history, and the stories told about him echo through legends for millennia.
Open profile →