The name Cleopatra instantly brings to mind an image of a beautiful, raven-haired woman- the Queen of the Nile. This most famous ruler of Egypt was actually the sixth ruler with that name. Known in history for her boldness, Cleopatra was just seventeen years old when she took the throne. Her youth did not stop her from becoming one of the most powerful rulers her country had ever seen. Cleopatra joined forces with two of Rome's most powerful leaders,...

Mathematician. Philosopher. World traveler. Pythagoras was an intelligent and curious scholar and teacher. While he's best known for the Pythagorean Theorem, he shared ideas about numbers, animals and many other areas of knowledge with his students. Since none of his writings were left behind, it's not always easy for historians to know what's true about Pythagoras and what may be legendary. What does seem apparent is that he was a vegetarian but...

Buddha is known throughout the world today as one of the greatest spiritual leaders in history. But, at one time he was the prince of a small kingdom in India. However, Siddhartha, as he was once known, didn't fit into his royal world very well. Although he tried in many ways, Siddhartha just didn't care about wealth and power the way other young men his age would have. Instead, he dreamed of achieving enlightenment- and helping others to discover...

Caesar grew up to be a powerful politician, general and leader. He expanded the already powerful Roman Republic into new lands, creating one of the most important civilizations in world history. He fought against pirates, other nations and powerful politicians who wanted to destroy him, before meeting a bloody end at the hands of his fellow citizens. In his amazing career, Caesar changed the world and introduced many of the customs we still use today....

Plato, who was born around 429 BCE, is one of the world's best known and most studied Greek philosophers. He was a student of Socrates, and he would become the teacher of Aristotle. The death of his mentor Socrates made Plato rethink his ideas about the role of philosophers in politics, and Plato ultimately founded an academy, which was the ancestor of today's modern university. He started the practice of using dialogues, a series of questions and...