Coolest historical person?

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Yeah, Richard Lionheart (edit: nickname changed, I was thinking about Alex the Great at the same time ) led his semi-decent troops (like ship crews) in fights against four times more numerous enemy. He had a big axe and was a good barbarian. I'm only not fond of the way in which he's supposed to have treated women... and boys. I don't know if it's credibly confirmed, though, so I just suspend his inclusion into my list.

[ March 05, 2004, 18:00: Message edited by: chevalier ]

 

If by 'Richard the Great' you refer to Richard 'Lionheart' - he has never been given this moniker - then he was not a barbarian. He was a leading gentleman unto an army of religious and chivalrous gentlemen. He rode upon a horse and wielded a big )bastard sword I spose, in BG2 terms ) sword. Not an axe. And your media-esque pointers at stupid and unfounded things like that only show me you appear to be a bit biased towards English heroes. God knows why, lol .


And might I add that I really love the Duke Wellington. People always waffle on about the greatness of Napoleon. But it was Wellington who brought him down. He did not seek greatness or glory or any such thing. Just the protection of the British Empire. A master tactition and a true modest gentlemen by all accounts. Never really gets a mention outside of our borders, its a shame .

 

William Wallace! Bloody big Scotsman, bloody big sword, bloody big battles! What more could you ask for?!

That failing, Rommel or Hitler for reasons mentioned.

 

Clement Vallendiggam. Exiled to the Confederacy during the American Civil War for libel and slander of the government, he later was awarded a Darwin award for demonstrating in a court that it is indeed possible to pull a gun out of your coat in such a way as to shoot yourself while doing so.

@Blackhawk: He's my great great great (lots of greats) uncle. (Ben Franklin)

[ March 05, 2004, 04:36: Message edited by: Slith ]

 

The most cool person in history? I think I must say Elisabeth Bathory, The black countess.

She was insane and a vampire, what more do you want in a girl?

 

Friederich I., Germany's Stauffer emperor eventually ruling from Sicily (weird borders they did have then), probaly the middleages most enlighted, progressive and modern ruler for quite a while.

Michel Eyguem de Montaigne, for his amazing soberness, rationality and dry humours.

Antoine de Saint Exupery, because he was a terrific pilot who loved to fly, his passion regularly almost killing him.

Richilieu, for his unparalleled ruthlessness that plunged germany in the 30 year war for the sake of France's greatness. Compared to him the neocons not ony are blunderers but also coward and whiny sissy girls.

 

Sienkiewitcz rules!

And Leonidas was a great commander too.

Da Vinci, Arhimedes, Aristoteles, Galilei....there's just so many.

 

Jimi Hendrix. Can't get much cooler than that man

 

@ Lokken

Regarding Alexander - I remember hearing a quote about him - I probably don't have this exactly right (actually no one can as it's been translated so many times undoubtedly) that went something along the lines of:

When Alexander looked upon the breadth of his empire he wept, for there were no more lands left to conquer.

That's pretty impressive - conquering the entire known world...

 

Oscar Wilde

 

@Morsmordre: He actually wielded an axe. Bastard sword is not really a rider's weapon, contrary to what may appear cool to goodwilling enthusiasts.

I also thought about including Harold Godwinson, but he's said to have slept with his own sister Edith

 

@ Chevalier

I didn't say Bastard Sword to try and sound 'goodwillingly emphusiastic'. I find such comments pedantic and somewhat patronising.

I know hat I'm talking about and I know that you are quite wrong in your (rather pointless) argument. Please don't make me waste my valuable time explaining myself to you. You seem to revel in argument and debate and I refuse to become a pawn of your entertainment.

Go to the pub or something, drink beer, enjoy life!

 

Logic would say that the last weapon a horseman would use is a sword, let alone a huge one. An axe, hammer, saber, shortbow or lance are the most effective horseback weapons.

 

Wow, only you Ragusa could turn a topic on the Coolest Historical Person into an attack on the United States. Great work!

[Since when neocons = the US? Come on...] -Tal

[ March 22, 2004, 13:02: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Morsmordre - I did some of my major work in college on Richard I, and your comments are pretty accurate. Richard was said to be in possession of Excalibur during his kingship (which last time I checked was not an axe), but gave it as a gift to another king during his stay in Sicily. Now, he may have carried the sword for cermonial reasons, but nevertheless he is documented as having a sword in his possesion. He also used a different one during a disagreement with some locals while in Sicily. Unfortunately, Richard's "sword was broken" in the dispute and he had to make a fast retreat to save himself.

Here's a good secondary source:
_Richard the Lionheart_. John Gillingham, Times
Books; P159.
This is the primary source:
_The Plantagenet Chronicles_. Ralph of Diceto, Ed. Elizabeth Hallam. Weidenfeld & Nicolson; P210.

 

Personal problems please carry to PM.

Anything heavier than 1H sword is unsuitable for mounted combat so long as it isn't a kind of lance. Before you say you know better, just try how it feels to wave a bastard or 2H from horseback. Don't break your spine in the process.

 

There are sooo many great people!

For me, the best probably are:

Poushkin- Father of Russian Litterature
Montaigne- wonderful, wonderful person
Klimt- beauty in every one of his paintings
Beckett and Ionesco- the meaning of life
Colette- feminist french bisexual
Proust- deranged genious

I could go on for ages...

 

Ben Franklin

Octavian "Augustus" Caesar

Archimedes

Thomas Jefferson

 

Julius Caesar, hes just so..so..cool

 

Lucius cornelius sulla felix is so cool, I mean this guy started out without any money and ends his days as the first dictator for life of Rome (first "emperor"). well technically he wasn't emperor when he died, he stepped down and gave the power back to the senate and partied for a year and then died.

he actually ordered his nephew the famous Gaius Julius Caesar to be killed, but later withdrew it. in a fragment of his memoirs he regretted it