Historical Heroes

[ruisramos]

So, this is a historical survey challenge to get some names for a TL idea I’m planning to develop. And the challenge is, for those interested in answering, who was in your personal opinion the greatest historical figure of your country?

Please just drop the name, country and a shot summary of the reasons for nominating such person.

As an example I personally think that, from all the almost nine hundred years rich history of Portugal, the greatest historical figure in our country is Afonso Henriques, o Conquistador. Against all odds he created a country that as stood against the test of time until today and from which a culture developed that gave birth to one of the most spoken languages in the world. In spite of all the other great historical figures in our country, namely for the golden period of the maritime expansion, I think no one else was able to reach the heights Afonso Henriques did.

So? What about in your country? Who was the greatest historical hero?

 

[LSCatilina]

Depends...What do you call a hero? A person single-handly achieving something, or more generally a great man?

 

[Lost the game]

A tie between Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King.

 

[eliphas8]

I've called Eugene Victor Debs the greatest American hero before and I still mean it. Few people have had the kind of passion and wherewithal for helping the helpless than he did.

 

[9 Fanged Hummingbird]

Deganawida was a pretty groovy dude as well, though I'm not sure if people from this place before the nation actually existed count.

 

[Oba]

Probably Nat Turner, John Brown or MLK, but then...:

I've called Eugene Victor Debs the greatest American hero before and I still mean it. Few people have had the kind of passion and wherewithal for helping the helpless than he did.

Seconded!

Deganawida was a pretty groovy dude as well, though I'm not sure if people from this place before the nation actually existed count.

Seconded again! I also admire Popé a lot.

 

[Mikestone8]

For England, it can only be Alfred the Great. The country simply wouldn't exist without him.

 

[Kome]

Depends...What do you call a hero? A person single-handly achieving something, or more generally a great man?

I've often wondered if there were any examples of the stereotypical fantasy/RPG plot of a party of adventurer/player characters single handedly saving a kingdom or something like that, happening in real life.

 

[9 Fanged Hummingbird]

I've often wondered if there were any examples of the stereotypical fantasy/RPG plot of a party of adventurer/player characters single handedly saving a kingdom or something like that, happening in real life.

Deganawida and Hiawatha might count assuming you believe at least some of the legends.

 

[Archon of Thessaly]

Alfred the Great and Æthelstan-the first true king of "england."
Harold II should also count, for nearly stopping the Normans.


William Marshal, who stopped the second french invasion of england in 1216 is also under appreciated.

 

[Horatius Cocles]

I wonder if all these great conqueror are also seen as heros by the people they defeated...

 

[9 Fanged Hummingbird]

I wonder if all these great conqueror are also seen as heros by the people they defeated...

I could understanding listing people like Alfred, who seems to have spent his reign defending England rather than trying to subjugate his neighbors, but others I wouldn't call heroes at all. Especially not anybody who is described as a conquistador.

 

[Nofix]

William Jennings Bryan, inspirational to the Christian Left, brought the Populists into the Democrats, and the Democrats into the 20th century. Fought for Labor, Woman, Government reform, and unlike the worthless bald idiot Debs, achieved his goals and inspired a new generation, actually leaving an impact on the world outside of a few circle jerking Socialist-wannabes.

 

[Kome]

I could understanding listing people like Alfred, who seems to have spent his reign defending England rather than trying to subjugate his neighbors, but others I wouldn't call heroes at all. Especially not anybody who is described as a conquistador.

Explorers and conquistadors are the closest I've gotten to my fantasy heroes search though.

 

[Space Oddity]

William Jennings Bryan, inspirational to the Christian Left, brought the Populists into the Democrats, and the Democrats into the 20th century. Fought for Labor, Woman, Government reform, and unlike the worthless bald idiot Debs, achieved his goals and inspired a new generation, actually leaving an impact on the world outside of a few circle jerking Socialist-wannabes.

And is now only remembered for a symbolic trial he took part in, for motives that are a great deal more complicated than people realize.

 

[Alex Richards]

I'd have to agree with Alfred the Great. Probably stick some combination of Wellington, Churchill and Elizabeth I in behind him, but in terms of proportional scale and purity of the achievment (as in not as marred by other things which aren't very heroic), Alfred comes out on top.

 

[Russian]

For Russia such heroes are
Minin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuzma_Minin
and
Pozharsky http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Pozharsky

 

[Avitus]

Theodore Roosevelt\thread

 

[Danth]

For me, my British Hero's are

Alfred the Great
King Richard I
King Henry V
Duke of Wellington
Charles Darwin
Benjamin Disraeli
William Gladstone
King George V
Ramsay MacDonald
King George VI
Winston Churchill
Montgomery
Queen Elizabeth II

and so many more...

 

[Braganza]

A historical hero, for me, is someone that triumphed against hard/impossible odds, that was loved both by his allies and enemies, represented good ideals and acted by them. And the noble and chivalrous Saladin fits such description for me.