kids encyclopedia robot

List of people known as the Great facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
"The Great" redirects here. For other uses, see The Great (disambiguation).

This is a list of people known as the Great, or the equivalent, in their own language. Other languages have their own suffixes, such as Persian e Bozorg and Urdu e Azam.

In Persia, the title "the Great" at first seems to have been a colloquial version of the Old Persian title "Great King" (King of Kings, Shahanshah). It was first used by Cyrus II of Persia. The title was inherited by Alexander III when he conquered the Persian Empire, and the epithet eventually became personally associated with him. The first reference to this is in a comedy by Plautus, in which it is assumed that everyone knew who "Alexander the Great" was; however, there is no evidence that he was called "the Great" before this. The early Seleucid kings, who succeeded Alexander in Persia, used "Great King" in local documents, but the title was most notably used for Antiochus the Great. Once the term gained currency, it was broadened to include persons in other fields, such as the philosopher Albert the Great.

Later rulers and commanders were given the epithet during their lifetime, for example, the Roman general Pompey. Others received the title posthumously, such as the Indian emperor Ashoka. As there are no objective criteria for "greatness", the persistence of the designation varies greatly. For example, Louis XIV of France was often referred to as "the Great" in his lifetime, but is rarely called such nowadays, later writers preferring his more specific epithet "the Sun King". German Emperor Wilhelm I was often called "the Great" in the time of his grandson Wilhelm II, but rarely before or after.

Monarchs

Name Description Reign (Dates) Sources
Abbas the Great King of Kings of Persia 1588 – 1629
Abgar VIII King of Osroene ? – 212
Akbar the Great Third Mughal emperor of India 1542 – 1605
Alan I, King of Brittany Duke of Brittany ? – 907
Ahmad Shah Durrani King of Afghanistan 1722 – 1773
Alexander the Great Basileus of Macedonia and King of Kings of Persia, Pharaoh of Egypt. 356 BC – 323 BC
Alfonso III of Asturias King of León, Galicia and Asturias 848 – 910
Alfred the Great King of Wessex and the Anglo-Saxons 848/849 – 899
Amenhotep III Pharaoh of Egypt ? – 1353 BC
Antiochus III the Great Ruler of the Seleucid Empire 241 BC – 187 BC
Ashoka the Great Third Mauryan Emperor of India 268 BC – 232 BC
Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj First King of Maratha Empire 1630 – 1680 BC
Ashot I of Armenia King of Armenia 820 – 890
Ashot I of Iberia First Bagratid king of Georgia ? – 830
Askia Mohammad I Ruler of the Songhai Empire 1442 – 1538
Bagrat V of Georgia King of Georgia ? – 1393
Barnim III Duke of Stettin Pomerania c. 1300 – 1368
Bayinnaung King of Toungoo Dynasty (in present-day Myanmar) 1550 – 1581
Berengaria of Castile Queen of Castile and Toledo 1179 – 1246
Bhumibol Adulyadej King of Thailand 1927 – 2016
Bogusław V Duke of Wolgast and Słupsk 1317/ 18 – 1374
Bolesław I the Brave First king of Poland 967 – 1025
Casimir III the Great King of Poland (1333–1370) 1310 – 1370
Catherine the Great Empress of Russia 1729 – 1796
Charlemagne ("Charles the Great") King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans 800 – 814
Chandragupta Maurya King of Maurya Empire (Present-day India, China, Afghanistan, Nepal) 340 BC - 298 BC
Chlothar II King of Neustria and King of the Franks 584 – 629
Chulalongkorn King of Siam (in present-day Thailand) 1868 – 1910
Constantine the Great Roman emperor 272 – 337
Cnut the Great King of England (1016–1035), Denmark (1018–1035) and Norway (1028–1035) 985 or 995 – 1035
Cyrus the Great Founder and First Shahanshah of Persia, Achaemenid Empire (in present-day Iran) 600 BC or 576 BC – 530 BC
Darius the Great Third Shahanshah of Persia, Achaemenid Empire (in present-day Iran) 550 BC – 486 BC
Eucratides I Ruler of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom and the Indo-Greek Kingdom 170 BC – 145 BC
Ewuare Founder and Oba (king) of the Benin Empire (in present-day Nigeria) ? – 1473
Farrukhan the Great Ispahbadh of Tabaristan 712 – 728
Ferdinand I of León King of León and Count of Castile 1015 – 1065
Frederick the Great King of Prussia 1712 – 1786
Genghis Khan Founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire 1162 – 1227
Gwrgan Fawr King of Ergyng c. 619 – 645
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden King of Sweden (1611–1632), founder of the Swedish Empire, and noted military leader 1594 – 1632
Gwanggaeto the Great King of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea 374 – 413
Henry IV of France King of France and King of Navarre 1553 – 1610
Herod the Great King of Judea 73 BC/74 BC – 4 BC
Hugh III of Cyprus King of Cyprus and Jerusalem 1267 – 1284
Hugh Magnus Co-King of France 1007 – 1025
Inal the Great of Circassia Supreme Prince of Circassia 1427 – 1453
Ivan III of Russia Grand Prince of Moscow 1440 – 1505
Iyasu I Emperor of Ethiopia 1654 – 1706
Jeongjo of Joseon 22nd King of the Joseon Dynasty 1753 – 1800
John I of Portugal King of Portugal and the Algarve 1358 – 1433
John II of Aragon and Navarre King of Aragon and, through his wife, King of Navarre 1398 – 1479
Justinian I Roman Emperor (Eastern) 483 – 565
Kamehameha I First king of Hawaii 1758 – 1819
Kangxi Emperor Emperor of Qing China 1654 – 1722
Kanishka Emperor of Kushan Empire, ruled Central Asia and parts of India 127 – 150
Kvirike III of Kakheti King of Kakheti in eastern Georgia 1010 – 1029
Kublai Khan Mongol ruler in the 13th century and Emperor of China; founder of the Yuan Dynasty 1215 – 1294
Leo I the Thracian Roman emperor 457 – 474
Llywelyn the Great King of Gwynedd and de facto ruler of most of Wales 1172 – 1240
Louis I of Hungary King of Hungary, Croatia, and Poland 1326 – 1382
Lê Thánh Tông Emperor of Đại Việt, the longest-reigning and greatest emperor of the Later Lê dynasty 1442 – 1497
Louis XIV of France King of France and Navarre 1638 – 1715
Maharaja Ranjit Singh King of Punjab India and Pakistan 1780 – 1839
Manuel I Komnenos Byzantine emperor 1143 – 1180
Marianus IV of Arborea Judge of Arborea 1319 – 1376
Miloš Obrenović I of Serbia Prince of Serbia 1780 – 1860
Mircea the Elder Voivode of Wallachia 1386 – 1394, 1397 – 1418
Mithridates I of Parthia Fifth King of Parthia (in present-day Iran) 171 BC – 132 BC
Mithridates II of Parthia Eighth King of Parthia (in present-day Iran) 121 BC – 91 BC
Mithridates VI Eupator King of Pontus 120 BC – 63 BC
Mongkut King of Siam (in present-day Thailand) 1804 – 1868
Mubarak Al-Sabah Ruler of Kuwait 1840 – 1915
Mstislav I of Kiev Grand Prince of Kievan Rus' 1076 – 1132
Narai King of Ayutthaya (in present-day Thailand) 1633 – 1688
Naresuan King of Ayutthaya (in present-day Thailand) 1590 – 1605
Nebuchadnezzar II King of the Neo-Babylonian Empire 642 BC – 562 BC
Otto the Great Holy Roman Emperor 912 – 973
Owain Gwynedd King of All Wales c. 1100/23 – 1170
Pakal Ruler of the Maya city-state of Palenque 603 – 683
Parakramabahu I King of Polonnaruwa 1123 – 1186
Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia King of Croatia 1059 – 1075
Peter the Great Tsar of Russia; founder of the Russian Empire 1672 – 1725
Peter III of Aragon King of Aragon and King of Sicily 1239 – 1285
Pharasmanes I of Iberia King of Iberia 1 – 58
Phutthayotfa Chulalok King of Siam (In present-day Thailand) 1782 – 1809
Qin Shi Huang First emperor of China, who unified China from Warring States 259 BC – 210 BC
Radama I First king of greater Madagascar 1793 – 1828
Radu IV the Great Voivode of Wallachia 1495 – 1508
Rajaraja Chola I Imperial Chola Emperor of India 947 – 1014
Rajendra Chola I Imperial Chola Emperor of India 979 – 1044
Ramesses II Pharaoh of Egypt known for his temples, monuments, and military feats. 1279 BC – 1213 BC
Ram Khamhaeng King of Sukhothai (In present-day Thailand) 1237/1247 – 1298
Reza Shah Shah of Iran 1925 – 1941
Rhodri the Great King of Gwynedd (in present-day Wales) 820 – 878
Roman the Great Grand Prince of Kiev 1160 – 1205
Sancho III of Pamplona King of Navarre 992 – 1035
Sargon of Akkad Ruler of the Akkadian Empire ? – 2215 BC
Scorpion II King of Thinis c. 3150 BC - 3135 BC
Sejong the Great Fourth King of the Joseon Dynasty 1397 – 1450
Shapur II Tenth Shahanshah of Persia, Sassanid Empire (in present-day Iran) 309 – 379
Simeon I of Bulgaria Tsar of Bulgaria 864 – 927
Simon I of Kartli King of Kartli 1537 – 1611
Solomon I of Imereti King of Imereti 1735 – 1784
Sonni Ali Ber First Ruler of the Songhai Empire 1462 – 1492
Stefan Uroš I King of Serbia 1243 – 1276
Stephen the Great Prince of Moldavia (Romania) 1457 – 1504
Svatopluk I of Moravia King of Moravia 840 – 894
Taksin King of the Thonburi Kingdom (in present-day Thailand) 1734 – 1783
Tamar of Georgia Queen of the Georgian Empire 1160 – 1223
Emperor Taizong of Tang Emperor of Tang (China) 598 – 649
Theoderic the Great King of the Ostrogoths, regent of the Visigoths and a viceroy of the Eastern Roman Empire 454 – 526
Theodosius I Roman emperor 347 – 395
Thoros II of Armenia Lord of Armenian Cilicia ? – 1169
Thutmose III Pharaoh of Egypt 1481 BC – 1425 BC
Tigranes the Great Emperor of Armenia 140 BC – 55 BC
Tiridates III of Armenia King of Armenia 285 – 339
Valdemar I of Denmark King of Denmark 1131 – 1182
Valentinian I Roman emperor 364 – 375
Vigraharaja IV King of Chauhan Dynasty of India 1150 – 1164
Vladimir the Great Kievan Rus' ruler; Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Kiev 958 – 1015
Vytautas Grand Duke of Lithuania 1350 – 1430
Emperor Wu of Han Emperor of Han China, from whose reign dynasty the Chinese majority people are named 156 BC – 87 BC
Xerxes I Fourth Shahanshah of Persia, Achaemenid Empire (in present-day Iran) 519 BC – 465 BC
Yuknoom Ch'een II Maya king of Kaan 600 – c. 680

Aristocrats

Name Description Dates Sources
Alain I of Albret French aristocrat 1440 – 1522
Amadeus V of Savoy Count of Savoy 1249 – 1323
Arnulf I, Count of Flanders Count of Flanders 893 – 964
Atenulf I of Capua Prince of Capua ? – c. 910
Bogislaw X Duke of Pomerania 1454 – 1523
Bruno Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia 925 – 965
Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy Duke of Savoy 1562 – 1630
Charles III, Duke of Lorraine Duke of Lorraine 1543 – 1608
Conrad, Margrave of Meissen Margrave of Meissen 1097 – 1157
David III of Tao Prince of Tao 966 – 1001
Gerhard III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg The German prince (house of Schauenburg); also ruled a large part of Denmark 1292 – 1340
Gero Ruler of Marca Geronis, a very large march in Europe 900 – 965
Godfrey I of Louvain Count of Brussels and Leuven; Duke of Lower Lorraine; Langrave of Brabant 1060 – 1139
Gothelo I, Duke of Lorraine Duke of Lorraine; count of Verdun; and margrave of Antwerp 967 – 1044
Gurgen II of Tao Prince of Tao 918 – 941
Hanno I the Great Carthaginian politician and military leader 4th century BC
Hanno II the Great Carthaginian aristocrat, general, and politician 3rd century BC
Hanno III the Great Carthaginian politician 2nd century BC
Henry I, Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy 946 – 1002
Henry V of Luxembourg Count of Luxembourg 1216 – 1281
Hugh the Great Count of Paris and Duke of the Franks 898 – 956
Hugh, Count of Vermandois Count of Vermandois 1057 – 1101
Hugh, Margrave of Tuscany Margrave of Tuscany 953/954 – 1001
Humphrey I de Bohun Anglo-Norman aristocrat ? – 1123
Intef the Elder Nomarch of Thebes ? – c. 2135 BC
Matthew II of Montmorency Lord of Montmorency 1189 – 1230
Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria Ruler of Bavaria 1573 – 1651
Milo I of Montlhéry Lord of Montlhéry 1095 – 1102
Odo the Great Duke of Aquitaine ? – 735
Pompey Military and political leader of the late Roman Republic 106 BC – 48 BC
Raghoji I of Nagpur King of Nagpur 1739 – 1755
Ralph IV of Valois Count of Valois, Bar, Vexin, Vitry, Amiens, Montdidier and Tardenois 1025 – 1074
Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona Count of Barcelona, Provence, and various other counties 1082 – 1131
Robert I, Count of Dreux Count of Dreux 1123 – 1188
Roger-Bernard II, Count of Foix Count of Foix 1223 – 1241
Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury and Arundel ? – 1094
Roger I of Sicily Count of Sicily c. 1030 – 1101
Świętopełk II the Great Duke of Gdańsk Pomerania ? – 1266
Theobald II, Count of Champagne Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV, Count of Champagne and of Brie 1090 – 1151
William I, Count of Burgundy Count of Burgundy and Mâcon 1020 – 1087
William V, Duke of Aquitaine Duke of Aquitaine, Count of Poitou 969 – 1030

Military

Name Description Dates Sources
Afonso de Albuquerque Portuguese general, statesman and empire builder 1453 – 1515
Melias Byzantine general of Armenian origin, called "Mleh the Great" in Armenian sources 10th century
Prokop the Great Hussite general in Bohemia 1380 – 1434

Religious figures

Christian

Name Description Dates Sources
Abraham Kidunaia Hermit, priest, and Christian saint of Mesopotamia ? – 366
Abraham the Great of Kashkar Monk and saint of the Church of the East 492 – 586
Albertus Magnus Medieval German philosopher and theologian 1193/1206 – 1280
Anthony the Great Early Christian saint of Egypt 251 – 356
Arsenius the Great Roman anchorite saint in Egypt 354 – 445
Athanasius of Alexandria Early Christian saint and bishop of Alexandria 296 – 373
Babai the Great Assyrian church leader 551 – 628
Basil of Caesarea Greek bishop and theologian 330 – 379
Bertin Frankish Abbot of a monastery that was named after him after he died 615 – 709
Bruno the Great Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the previous section) 925 – 965
Pope Dioscorus I of Alexandria Coptic Orthodox Church pope ? – 454
Euthymius the Great Abbot and Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint 377 – 473
Gertrude the Great German Benedictine, mystic, theologian and Roman Catholic saint 1256 – 1302
Pope Gregory I Roman Catholic pope 540 – 604
Hugh of Cluny Abbot of Cluny 1024 – 1109
Isaac of Armenia Armenian Catholicos c.354 – 439
James, son of Zebedee One of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ 3 – 44
Joannicius the Great Byzantine hermit, theologian and saint 752 – 846
Pope John Paul II Roman Catholic pope 1920 – 2005
Pope Leo I Roman Catholic pope 391 or 400 – 461
Macarius of Egypt Egyptian hermit 300 – 391
Michael the Great Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church 1126 – 1199
Nerses I Armenian Catholicos ? – 373
Pope Nicholas I Roman Catholic pope 800 – 867
Photius I of Constantinople Eastern Orthodox saint and Patriarch of Constantinople 810 – 893
Severus of Antioch Oriental Orthodox saint and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church 459/465 – 538
Shenoute Oriental Orthodox saint and abbot of the White Monastery c.348 – 465
Sisoes the Great An early desert father, a solitary monk pursuing asceticism in the Egyptian desert in a cave of Anthony the Great ? – 429
William of Maleval Founder of the Catholic congregation of Williamites ? - 1157

Jewish

Name Description Dates Sources
Aharon of Karlin (I) Hasidic rabbi 1736 – 1772
Eliezer ben Hurcanus Rabbi in Judea 1st century
Hiyya the Great Rabbi in Judea 3rd century

Legendary and mythological figures

Name Description Sources
Ajax the Great Greek hero in the Iliad
Beli Mawr In medieval Welsh mythology and literature
Belinus Legendary king of the Britons
Boyi Tribal leader of the Longshan
Fergus Mór Semi-mythical king of Dál Riata
Gradlon Semi-mythical king of Cornouaille
Hayk Legendary founder and patriarch of the Armenian nation
Phrom Legendary king of Singhanavati Realm
Yu the Great (c. 2200–2100 BC) Legendary ruler in ancient China

See also

  • List of monarchs by nickname
  • James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby (1607–1651), "Yn Stanlagh Mooar" ("the Great Stanley"), also Lord of Mann
  • Bantul the Great, a Bengali comic strip character
  • Wayne Gretzky, former professional ice hockey player, nicknamed "The Great One" and "The Great Gretzky"
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of people known as the Great Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.