Characters of Ancient Greece

Rise of City States Rise of Persian Empire Persian War Athenian Empire Decline of Greece Hellenistic Age

Rise of the Greek City-States (800 to 500 B.C.)

Character	Date B. C.	Description
Codrus	fl. 1000	Last King of Athens. Died nobly, and Athenians resolved to never have another king.
Homer	fl. 1000	Blind poet who composed The Iliad and The Odyssey.
Lycurgus	884–820	Mastermind of Spartan laws and lifestyle.
Tyrtreus	fl. 650	Wrote inspiring battle ballads for Sparta during the Messenian War. Historian of Sparta.
Aristomenes	died 631	Bravely defended Messenians from Spartan conquest for 17 years.
Draco	fl. 621	First wrote the laws of Athens, but made them very harsh.
Sappho	died 570	Greatest female poet of Ancient Greece. Lived on the Island of Lesbos.
Solon	638–559	Rewrote the laws of Athens to better protect poor citizens from the rich.
Thales	635–543	Early Greek philosopher and scientist, one of seven sages of Greece.
Pythagoras	570–480	Philosopher and mathematician; invented the Pythagorean Theorem.
Pisistratus	605–527	Tyrant of Athens. Respected Solon's laws. Established festivals and promoted culture.
Megacles	fl. 555	Opposed and then allied himself with Pisistratus. Married Agariste of the Alcmaeonidae clan.
Aesop	fl. 550	Famous Greek fabulist, allegedly lived at the court of Croesus in Lydia.
Polycrates	died 522	Prosperous King of Samos, overthrown by Orestes, his enemy from Asia Minor.
Cleisthenes	fl. 510	Athenian statesman who overthrew Hippias, and helped institute democratic reforms.
Cleomenes I	died 489	King of Sparta before Persian Wars, removed tyrants from Athens, defeated Argos.

Rise of the Persian Empire (600 to 500 B.C.)

Character	Date B. C.	Description
Astyages	died 550	King of Medes, who was overthrown by his grandson Cyrus the Great.
Nebuchadnezzar	645–561	King who conquered much of Assyria and made his capital at Babylon.
Amasis II	died 525	Second to last King of Egypt, died before Egypt was over-run by Cambyses.
Croesus	560–547	Wealthy monarch of Lydia who lost his kingdom to Cyrus the Great.
Harpagus	fl. 550	Minister of Astyages who betrayed him in favor of Cyrus.
Cyrus the Great	558–529	Prince of Persia who overran Medes, Lydia and Assyria to create the Persian Empire.
Cambyses II	died 522	Eldest son of Cyrus. Invaded Egypt, killed brother, then died.
Smerdis the Magi	fl. 522	Impersonated Smerdis, son of Cyrus and stole the throne of Persia.
Atossa	fl. 521	Daughter of Cyrus the Great, wife of Darius, mother of Xerxes
Darius the Great	died 486	With six conspirators seized the throne of Persia, primarily through craft rather than force.
Tomyris	fl. 529	Queen of the Scythians. Her army defeated and killed Cyrus the Great.
Democedes	fl. 500	Greek physician, valuable slave of Darius. Schemed and plotted to return to Greece.
Zopyrus	died 482	Loyal Persian General, helped Darius retake Babylon with an elaborate ruse.

Persian War (500 to 460 B.C.)

Character	Date B. C.	Description
Pheidippides	died 490	Ran from Athens to Sparta to warn of Persians. Ran to Athens after the battle of Marathon, then died.
Mardonius	died 489	Brother-in-law, and commander-in-chief of Xerxes's Army.
Miltiades	died 489	Athenian General who led Greece to great victory at the Battle of Marathon.
Gelon	died 478	Tyrant of Syracuse who succeeded Hippocrates. Defeated the Carthaginians at Himera in B.C. 480.
Xerxes	520–465	Raised an enormous army for Persian invasion of Greece. Defeated at Battle of Salamis.
Leonidas	died 480	Spartan King whose whole army died defending the pass of Thermopylae.
Artemisia	fl. 480	Queen of Halicarnassus and Cos. One of Xerxes most trusted advisors and generals.
Demaratus	fl. 480	Exiled King of Sparta, advisor to Xerxes during his invasion of Greece.
Eurybiades	fl. 480	Head of Spartan fleet during the Persian War.
Pausanias	died 470	Spartan general who led the Greeks against Mardonius at the battle of Plataea.
Aristides	died 468	Athenian general and statesman. Fought at Marathon, Salamis. Created the Delian League.
Themistocles	525–462	Athenian hero of the battle of Salamis. He masterminded Athenian naval supremacy.
Aeschylus	525–456	First of the three great Greek tragedians. Wrote plays including the tragedies of Oedipus and Antigone.

Athenian Empire (477 to 404 B.C.)

Character	Date B. C.	Description
Cimon	died 449	Athenian statesman and general. Fought Persians in Ionia after they were driven from Greece. Friend of Sparta.
Pindar	518–438	Most famous of Greek lyric poets.
Phidias	500–432	Built statues of Athene in the Parthenon and Jupiter at Olympia. Friend of Pericles.
Anaxagoras	500–428	First great philosopher of Athens, thought to be a teacher of Socrates.
Pericles	499–429	Athenian Statesman during the Golden Age of Athens. Made Athens a cultural center of Greece.
Aspasia	fl. 450	Foreign born courtesan and wife of Pericles. Highly educated for a woman of her age.
Archidamus	476–427	Spartan King during the early years of Peloponnesian War. Sought peace with Athens, but was forced into the war.
Artaxerxes I	died 424	King of Persia during early part of Peloponnesian War, allied with Sparta
Agis II	died 401	King of Sparta during the later years of the Peloponnesian War.
Herodotus	484–425	Wrote renouned histories of the Persian War and the empires of the east.
Brasidas	died 422	Eloquent Spartan general, turned tide of the Peloponnesian War in Sparta's favor. Died at Amphipolis.
Cleon	died 422	War mongering politician, opposed Sparta's peace proposals.
Demosthenes	died 413	Important Athenian general in the Peloponnesian War. Perished at Syracuse.
Nicias	died 413	After the death of Pericles, emerged as leader of the peace party. Led the disastrous Sicilian Expedition.
Gylippus	fl. 413	Led the resistance in Syracuse that defeated Athenian forces during Peloponnesian War.
Euripides	480–406	Third of the great Greek tragedians. Wrote Alcestis, Medea, Orestes, Electra and many others.
Sophocles	496–406	Wrote Greek tragedies, including the tragedies of Agamemnon, Electra, and Orestes.
Alcibiades	450–404	Controversial statesman and general of Athens who betrayed the city, then returned as a hero.
Tissaphernes	died 395	Persian Satrap of Asia Minor during Peloponnesian War. Allied with Sparta.
Thucydides	460–400	Historian of Peloponnesian War. Formerly an Athenian General sent into exile.
Socrates	469–399	First moral philosopher, immortalized by Plato.
Lysander	died 395	Spartan Naval commander who finally defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War.
Aristophanes	448–388	Greatest of the Greek comic playwrights. Wrote Frogs, Clouds, Peace, Birds, and many others.

Decline of Greece (404 to 338 B.C.)

Character	Date B. C.	Description
Cyrus the Younger	died 401	Plotted to kill his brother Artaxerxes and assume the Persian throne.
Hippocrates	460–377	Father of modern medicine. Set up medical school to train doctors by scientific methods.
Xenophon	430–357	Historian who led Greek army out of Persia, in retreat of the Ten Thousand.
Dionysius the Elder	430–367	From humble origins, arose to become tyrant of the city of Syracuse.
Agesilaus	444–360	Leader of Sparta after the Peloponnesian War. Campaigned in Asia Minor and warred with Thebes.
Conon	fl. 400	Leading General of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian War.
Damon and Pythias	fl. 380	Story of Damon and Pythias celebrates trusted friendship and willingness to die for one another.
Pelopidas	410–364	Helped to liberate Thebes. Leader of the "Sacred Band" of Theban warriors.
Epaminondas	418–362	Greatest general of his age. Defeated the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra, and made Thebes predominant.
Dion	409–354	Brother-in-law of the tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse; helped to overthrow him.
Plato	427–347	Writer of moral philosophy. Well known for Dialogues. Student of Socrates.
Timoleon	died 337	Liberated the entire island of Syracuse from tyrants and Carthaginians.
Pytheas	380–310	Greek explorer and geographer who discovered the British Isles and North Sea.

Hellenistic Age (338 to 146 B.C. )

Character	Date B. C.	Description
Philip of Macedonia	382–336	Used statesmanship as well as military force to bring Greece under sway of Macedonia.
Darius III	died 330	Last king of Persia, overthrown by Alexander the Great.
Alexander the Great	356–323	Greatest general of ancient times. Conquered Persian Empire with 40,000 soldiers.
Parmenio	410–330	Chief general of both Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great. Eventually killed by Alexander.
Diogenes	412–323	Cynic philosopher.
Ptolemy I	died 283	General of Alexander. Founded an Egyptian dynasty that lasted for 300 years.
Aristotle	384–322	Renowned scientist and philosopher. Cataloged all types of Knowledge. Tutor to Alexander the Great.
Demosthenes	385–322	Greatest of the Greek orators. Spoke against Philip and the Macedonians.
Antipater	died 319	One of Philip's most trusted generals. Left in charge of Macedonia during Alexander's conquests.
Phocion	402–318	Athenian statesmen who tried to avoid war between Athens and Macedonia. Sometimes opposed Demosthenes.
Olympias	died 316	Wife of Philip of Macedon. Alexander's mother. Quarreled with Antipater over charge of Macedonia.
Seleucus	died 280	Son of a general of Alexander. Founded the Seleucid Dynasty in Syria and Central Asia.
Euclid	340–300	Most eminent mathematician of his age, wrote Elements of Geometry.
Pyrrhus	318–272	Renowned general, won victories in Macedon, Italy, and Greece but failed to follow up his victories.
Demetrius	337–284	Son of Antigonus, active in the wars of the Diadochi.
Agis IV	died 241	King who tried to reform Sparta and return to laws of Lycurgus. Killed for his efforts.
Cleomenes III	236–220	Successfully implemented many reforms in Sparta, but was resisted by Achaean League.
Antiochus III	241–187	King of Syria who warred with Rome in Thrace and Asia Minor.
Aratus	died 213	Leader of Achaean League; First resisted Macedonia, then forced an alliance to defeat Sparta.
Archimedes	287–212	Eminent scientist and inventor. Held off Roman siege of Syracuse with clever defenses.
Eratosthenes	275–192	Early Greek scientist from Alexandria who correctly predicted the precise size of the earth in 200 .
Philopoemen	252–182	Lead the Achaean League. Tried to unite Greeks, shortly before Greece fell to Rome.
Antiochus V	died 162	King of Syria who tried to Hellenize the Jews. Instigated the Rebellion of the Maccabees.
Judas Maccabee	died 160	Lead a Jewish Rebellion during the reign of the Syrian King Antiochus V.
Polybius	203–120	Taken as Greek hostage during Macedonian wars; historian of Punic Wars.