Achilles is a prominent figure in Greek mythology, specifically central to Homer’s Iliad, which recounts events during the Trojan War. He was the son of Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, and the sea nymph Thetis.

According to various mythological accounts, Thetis attempted to render Achilles invulnerable by dipping him in the River Styx, holding him by his heel, which remained his only vulnerable point. He was educated by the centaur Chiron, who instructed him in various arts, including warfare.

During the Trojan War, Achilles led the Myrmidon contingent of the Achaean (Greek) army. His withdrawal from battle due to a dispute with Agamemnon, the Greek commander, led to significant Greek losses. He returned to combat following the death of his close companion, Patroclus, at the hands of the Trojan prince Hector. Achilles subsequently killed Hector in single combat. The Iliad concludes before Achilles’ death, but other traditions state he was killed by an arrow to his heel, shot by Paris and guided by Apollo. His actions were instrumental in the Greek siege of Troy.

Alexander III of Macedon (356–323 BCE), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father, Philip II, to the throne in 336 BCE.

Alexander launched a military campaign against the Persian Empire, which had been planned by his father. His major victories included the Battle of the Granicus (334 BCE), the Battle of Issus (333 BCE), and the Battle of Gaugamela (331 BCE), which effectively led to the collapse of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. His forces extended into Egypt, where he founded Alexandria, and further eastward into India, reaching the Hyphasis River (modern Beas River) by 326 BCE, where his troops’ reluctance to proceed further compelled a return.

By the time of his death in Babylon in 323 BCE at the age of 32, Alexander’s empire was one of the largest in the ancient world, stretching from Greece across Northeast Africa and Southwest Asia to parts of India. The exact cause of his death is debated among historians, with theories ranging from illness, such as malaria or typhoid fever, to poisoning. His vast conquests laid the groundwork for the Hellenistic period, characterized by the spread of Greek culture across the Near East.

Erik Haraldsson, known as Erik Bloodaxe (died c. 954), was a 10th-century Norse ruler. He was a son of Harald Fairhair, considered the first King of Norway. Erik’s early life involved Viking expeditions. He briefly held the kingship of Norway, approximately from 930 to 934 CE. His reign was characterized by conflict with his half-brothers, several of whom he reportedly killed to consolidate his power. This contributed to his nickname, “Bloodaxe,” though its precise origin remains debated by historians.

Following his expulsion from Norway by his brother Hákon the Good, Erik established himself in Britain. He ruled as King of Northumbria, based in York (Jórvík), on two separate occasions: from approximately 947 to 948 CE, and again from 952 to 954 CE. His presence in Northumbria is corroborated by contemporary Anglo-Saxon chronicles and coinage bearing his name. Erik Bloodaxe was ultimately killed in 954 CE, likely at Stainmore, which led to Northumbria’s final integration into the English kingdom.

Gaius Julius Caesar (100–44 BCE) was a Roman general and statesman. He began his political career through traditional Roman offices, serving as quaestor (69 BCE), aedile (65 BCE), and praetor (62 BCE). In 61–60 BCE, he governed the Roman province of Hispania.

In 60 BCE, Caesar formed an informal political alliance, the First Triumvirate, with Pompey and Crassus, which facilitated his election as consul in 59 BCE. Following his consulship, he became governor of Gaul (58–50 BCE). During the Gallic Wars, Caesar extensively expanded Roman territory, conquering most of modern-day France and Belgium, and conducted two expeditions to Britain (55 and 54 BCE). Notable military successes include the Battle of Alesia (52 BCE), which completed the conquest of Gaul.

His growing power and the dissolution of the Triumvirate led to a civil war with Pompey and the Senate in 49 BCE. Caesar’s forces defeated Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BCE, leading to Pompey’s death in Egypt. After further campaigns, Caesar returned to Rome as dictator, a position he held permanently in 44 BCE. His reforms included calendar revision and expansion of the Senate. On March 15, 44 BCE, a group of senators, including Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, assassinated Caesar in the Theatre of Pompey. This event precipitated further civil wars that led to the end of the Roman Republic.

Temüjin, later known as Genghis Khan (c. 1162 – 1227), was the founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. His early life involved significant hardship, including the abandonment of his family by their clan after his father’s death. Through strategic alliances and military successes, Temüjin unified the fragmented Mongol tribes. In 1206, he was formally recognized as Genghis Khan, meaning “universal ruler,” at a kurultai (great assembly). He then initiated a series of military campaigns.

His conquests included the subjugation of the Western Xia kingdom (1209), the campaign against the Jin dynasty in northern China culminating in the capture of Zhongdu (Beijing) in 1215, and the invasion of the Khwarezmian Empire in Central Asia (1219-1221). The Mongol military employed tactics such as superior cavalry, psychological warfare, and efficient organization.

By the time of his death in 1227, the Mongol Empire spanned a significant portion of Central Asia and China. Genghis Khan’s impact included the establishment of a unified Mongol state, a legal code (Yassa), and the creation of the largest contiguous land empire in history. His successors continued the expansion, further shaping the political and cultural landscape of Eurasia.

Geronimo (born Goyahkla, c. 1829 – 1909) was a prominent Bedonkohe Apache leader and medicine man. His early life was characterized by traditional Apache activities in the Gila River region, then part of Mexico. In 1851, Mexican soldiers attacked his camp, resulting in the deaths of his mother, wife, and children. This event fueled a prolonged period of raids and resistance against Mexican and, later, American expansion into Apache lands. Geronimo gained a reputation as a tenacious fighter and strategist, frequently leading groups of warriors in cross-border incursions.

Following the Mexican-American War, Apache territory came under U.S. control. Geronimo resisted forced relocation to reservations, leading several breakouts from San Carlos Reservation between 1878 and 1885. These actions led to extensive military pursuits by the U.S. Army. In September 1886, Geronimo surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles, marking the end of significant Apache armed resistance.

Geronimo spent the remainder of his life as a prisoner of war, initially in Florida, then Alabama, and finally at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he died in 1909. During his captivity, he became a public figure, appearing at various expositions and events.

Joan of Arc (c. 1412 – May 30, 1431) was a French peasant girl who participated in the Hundred Years’ War. At approximately 17 years of age, she presented herself to Charles VII, the uncrowned Dauphin of France, claiming divine guidance for her mission to expel the English from France and secure his coronation.

In 1429, Joan was granted authority to accompany a French relief army to Orléans, which was under English siege. Her arrival coincided with a shift in momentum, and the siege was lifted in May 1429. She subsequently participated in the Loire Campaign, which included victories at Jargeau, Meung-sur-Loire, Beaugency, and Patay. These actions cleared the path for Charles VII to proceed to Reims, where he was crowned King in July 1429, with Joan present.

In May 1430, Joan was captured by Burgundian forces during a skirmish at Compiègne. She was subsequently sold to the English and faced an ecclesiastical trial in Rouen in 1431. The charges included heresy, sorcery, and wearing male attire. Following a prolonged interrogation, she was convicted and executed by burning at the stake on May 30, 1431, at the age of 19. A re-trial conducted posthumously in 1456 annulled the original verdict.

Spartacus was a Thracian gladiator who led a significant slave uprising against the Roman Republic, known as the Third Servile War (73-71 BCE). Details of his early life are limited, but historical accounts suggest he may have served as a soldier in the Roman auxiliary forces before becoming enslaved and trained at a gladiatorial school in Capua. In 73 BCE, Spartacus, along with approximately 70 other gladiators, escaped their school. They armed themselves and, after initial skirmishes, retreated to Mount Vesuvius. The rebellion quickly gained momentum, attracting numerous runaway slaves and impoverished free individuals, eventually forming an army estimated to reach tens of thousands.

Spartacus demonstrated tactical proficiency, achieving several victories against Roman forces, including those led by Roman praetors and even consular armies. His forces campaigned throughout Italy, at one point moving northward towards the Alps. However, attempts to leave Italy were thwarted, and the rebellion eventually turned south.

The Roman Senate tasked Marcus Licinius Crassus with suppressing the revolt. Crassus employed a strategy to trap Spartacus’s forces in southern Italy. In 71 BCE, Spartacus’s army engaged Crassus’s legions in a final battle. While the exact circumstances of his death are unconfirmed, Spartacus is believed to have died in this engagement. His body was never recovered. Following the defeat, approximately 6,000 captured rebels were crucified along the Appian Way.

Hannibal Barca (247 – c. 183 BCE) was a Carthaginian general from the prominent Barcid family. He is recognized for his military leadership during the Second Punic War against the Roman Republic.

In 218 BCE, Hannibal initiated a campaign by leading an army, including war elephants, overland from Iberia, across the Pyrenees, and then over the Alps into northern Italy. This manoeuvre surprised Roman forces. Subsequently, Hannibal achieved significant victories against the Romans at the battles of Trebia (218 BCE), Lake Trasimene (217 BCE), and most notably, Cannae (216 BCE), where he inflicted a substantial defeat on a larger Roman army through a double envelopment tactic.

Despite his battlefield successes in Italy, Hannibal never managed to capture Rome itself. He campaigned in Italy for approximately 15 years, but the Romans adopted a strategy of attrition, avoiding direct large-scale engagements and disrupting his supply lines. Eventually, a Roman invasion of North Africa under Scipio Africanus compelled Hannibal to return to Carthage to defend the city. He was defeated by Scipio at the Battle of Zama in 202 BCE, leading to Carthage’s surrender and the conclusion of the Second Punic War. Following the war, Hannibal held a political office in Carthage before ultimately going into exile and dying by suicide to avoid Roman capture.

Leonidas I, a King of Sparta, is primarily recognized for his command during the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE. His reign began around 489 BCE, and he was a member of the Agiad dynasty, tracing his lineage to Heracles.

At Thermopylae, Leonidas led a combined Greek force, including his 300 Spartan royal guards, to confront the invading Persian army under Xerxes I. This force of approximately 7,000 Greeks defended the narrow pass for three days. Despite being significantly outnumbered, they inflicted substantial casualties on the Persian forces.

The Greek position was ultimately compromised when a local resident, Ephialtes, revealed a goat path that bypassed the main defense. Upon learning of this encirclement, Leonidas ordered the majority of the Greek forces to withdraw. He remained with the 300 Spartans, along with several hundred Thespians and Thebans, to cover their retreat. This action resulted in the annihilation of Leonidas and his remaining forces. The stand at Thermopylae is documented as a delaying action that allowed other Greek city-states time to organize their defenses against the Persian invasion.

WILLIAM WALLACE, the 13th century Scottish rebel knight who fought the English.
SITTING BULL, the Lakota/Sioux chief who led the Native Americans to defend their territory.
MIYAMOTO MUSASHI, the Japanese Samurai swordsman who fought scores of duels, undefeated.
ARMINIUS, the Germanic chieftain who destroyed three Roman legions at the Battle of Teutoburg.
ATTILA THE HUN, leader of the Huns, who invaded both the Eastern, and Western Roman Empires.