The Greatests of the Greats

[alhoon]

Who do you think, of the persons named Great are those that accomplished the most? If you like, please explain what you mean by "accomplished the most" too.

For me it is:

Alexander the Great: Conquered a vast empire, Hellenised much of the world, undefeated general.

Napoleon the Great: Conquered much of Europe, destroyed the remains of the feudal system, made the Napoleonic code, a very good general that could work miracles in the battlefield. In most Napoleon vs All battles, he emerged victorious.

Cyrus the Great: Conquered much of Asia, reformed his vast empire with respect of other cultures, also very good general and of course... being the first of the Greats earns him a place in my list.


NOTE:
This is not a vote between these people or anything. I'm just interested to know who of all people that have been called Great you consider as the most important and why. To start things up, I gave my choice.

[Farnan]

I never heard Napoleon called the Great... ever.

However Peter the Great would be an option.

[Katsumoto]

Where's Muhammad Ali? He was/is the Greatest of All Time

[Farnan]

Where's Muhammad Ali? He was/is the Greatest of All Time

Mohammed Ali was pretty great. He founded modern Egypt and if it wasn't for European Intervention would have overthrown the Ottoman Sultan, and based upon his reforms in Egypt, perhaps reformed the Ottomans to a degree where they could have been a viable power.

[Leon the Shrubber]

Mohammed Ali was pretty great. He founded modern Egypt and if it wasn't for European Intervention would have overthrown the Ottoman Sultan, and based upon his reforms in Egypt, perhaps reformed the Ottomans to a degree where they could have been a viable power.

I do not think he is talking about that Muhammad Ali


Greatest ever in my point of view:

William the Silent. AKA William of Orange. He led the revolt against the spaniards in the 80 years war between Spain and the Netherlands resulting in an indepent Dutch republic.

[maerd2003]

I do not think he is talking about that Muhammad Ali

ya, muhammed ali clay he said that he was the greatest.

[Atlassmurf]

Greatest ever in my point of view:

William the Silent. AKA William of Orange. He led the revolt against the spaniards in the 80 years war between Spain and the Netherlands resulting in an indepent Dutch republic.

William the Silent was a stupid fool not capable of maintaining a large army and nowhere even near being Great.

[husker9.2]

Mohammed Ali was pretty great. He founded modern Egypt and if it wasn't for European Intervention would have overthrown the Ottoman Sultan, and based upon his reforms in Egypt, perhaps reformed the Ottomans to a degree where they could have been a viable power.

I was thinking of the boxer when you posted that

[alhoon]

Well, Napoleon did overthrow a great lot of rulers dealing with European intervention and made his country not just a viable power but a superpower of the era. So he tops Ali.

I never heard Napoleon called the Great... ever.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_known_as_The_Great

There's Napoleon in there and Napoleon along with Alexander were the first two Greats I heard about when I was a kid. Strange. I haven't thought someone wouldn't have heard that Napoleon is called Great. Here in Greece we usually refer to him as Napoleon the Great.

[Axeman]

Its between Cyrus, Alexander, and Fredrick.

[Stavroforos]

Napoleon and Alexander;

Napoleon for liberating Europe, Alexander because of his military exploits.

And in Greece Napoleon is known as Napoleon the Great, which is how I first learned about him too, Redleg.

[alhoon]

Just to clear things up a bit, I'm not proposing a vote or something. On the contrary, I would like to know the opinion of the nice people around here about who of all people called Great are the most important according to their opinion and why. I just gave my choice.

Its between Cyrus, Alexander, and Fredrick.

May I ask why those three? The "why" is also part of the discussion.

[Jaketh]

Napoleon-cause he was badass
Alexander the Great-was also badass
Peter the Great-cause he reformed Russia into a modern state

[Carl von Döbeln]

Gustav Adolf the great. ( Gustavus Adolphus Magnus).

For transforming Sweden into one of the great powers of Europe, for his great civil reforms and for revolutionizing the warfare of the 17th century ( Combined arms, introducing brigades, linear tactics, more advanced staff organisation etc etc... ).

I'd also like to mention Maurice of Nassau, even though he isn't officially called the great.

[Orko]

Alexander
Cyrus
Napoleon
Augustus(though not really officialy the great)
Babur

[konny]

There's Napoleon in there and Napoleon along with Alexander were the first two Greats I heard about when I was a kid. Strange. I haven't thought someone wouldn't have heard that Napoleon is called Great. Here in Greece we usually refer to him as Napoleon the Great.

Interessting, I have never before heard of him being called the Great. This name must be limited to Greece, I think.

Napoleon for liberating Europe.

????

[MathiasOfAthens]

Originally Posted by Stavroforos
Napoleon for liberating Europe.

????

Napoleon destroyed a lot of monarchist royal famies and in the process paved the way to more democratic rule throughout the continent. Parliaments, constitutional monarchy were all a result of napoleon conquests.

[Ishoss]

Napoleon destroyed a lot of monarchist royal famies and in the process paved the way to more democratic rule throughout the continent. Parliaments, constitutional monarchy were all a result of napoleon conquests.

Bullcrap, he hardly liberated Europe. The only nations to gain freedom because of Nappy (and this is indirectly) was Norway and Germany. In the process he made half of Europe his clients.

I've always had a soft spot for Friedrich, his military victories were quite stunning.

[LaMuerte]

Napoleon destroyed a lot of monarchist royal famies and in the process paved the way to more democratic rule throughout the continent. Parliaments, constitutional monarchy were all a result of napoleon conquests.

Didn't the British have a parliament before Napoleon?

Didn't Napoleon tried ape the monarchs , and declared himself emperor?

[EmperorBatman999]

????

Napoleon threw off nations held by larger empires mlike Prussia and Austria and made them free, like in the case of Poland, or known at the time as the Duchy of Warsaw.