Famous People Of The 6th Century

The 6th century was a very significant one from the point of view of the scientific community. It was during this era that the great Indian mathematician-astronomer Aryabhata discovered the concept of zero. The founder of Chan Buddhism, Bodhidharma, also lived during this period. The century was significant to the development of Islam as Mohammad, the Final Prophet of Islam, was born in 570. Welsh poet Taliesin, Benedict of Nursia, and Augustine of Canterbury were other important people who lived in this period. Check out this section to know more about the famous people of the 6th century.
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 1 
Pythagoras
(Greek Philosopher, Mathematician and Founder of Pythagoreanism)
Pythagoras
78
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 0570 BC
Birthplace: Samos, Greece
Died: 0495 BC

Pythagoras was an Ionian Greek philosopher. He is credited with many scientific and mathematical discoveries, including the Sphericity of the Earth, the Theory of Proportions, the five regular solids, Pythagorean tuning, and the Pythagorean Theorem. Pythagoras influenced other philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. His philosophy also had a major impact on personalities like Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, and Nicolaus Copernicus.

 2 
Cyrus the Great
(Founder of First Persian Empire)
Cyrus the Great
11
Birthdate: 0590 BC
Birthplace: Anshan, Iran
Died: 0530 BC

Cyrus II, or Cyrus the Great, founded the first Persian empire, the Achaemenid Empire. His kingdom extended from Western Asia to Central Asia. He advocated centralized administration, with the help of local governors. The biblical Edict of Cyrus, named after him, talks about the return of the Jews to Israel.

 3 
Confucius
(Chinese Philosopher and Political Theorist)
Confucius
24
Birthdate: 0551 BC
Birthplace: Lu, Shandong, China
Died: April 11, 0479

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher whose philosophy came to be known as Confucianism. Confucianism is often credited with shaping Chinese communities and East Asian societies. Confucius is considered one of the most influential individuals in the history of mankind as his teachings have had a great impact on people around the world. His philosophy continues to remain influential.

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 4 
Xerxes I
(King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 486 BC to 465 BC)
Xerxes I
24
Birthdate: 0519 BC
Birthplace: Achaemenid Empire
Died: July 31, 0466

Xerxes I ruled the Achaemenid Empire from 486 to 465 BC as the fourth King of Kings. During his reign, Xerxes I supervised the completion of several construction projects at Persepolis and Susa. A popular ruler, his life has been adapted into several plays and films; in the 1960 movie Esther and the King, Xerxes is played by Richard Egan.

 5 
Sun Tzu
(Chinese Military Strategist, Writer and Philosopher)
Sun Tzu
96
Birthdate: 0544 BC
Birthplace: Qi, China
Died: 0496 BC
Sun Tzu was a Chinese general from the Eastern Zhou period. He is known to have written The Art of War, which propagated various alternatives to battles, such as alliances and use of spies, to win wars. He is said to be the same as Sun Wu and Sun Bin.
 6 
Sappho
(Archaic Greek Lyric Poet)
Sappho
5
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 0630 BC
Birthplace: Lesbos, Greece
Died: 0570 BC
Sappho was a lyric poet from Lesbos, in the 6th-7th century B.C. Known as the “Tenth Muse,” she wrote the Ode to Aphrodite and the Tithonus poem. Though her sexuality is still debated, she gave rise to the terms “sapphic” and “lesbian,” used to denote love and desire between women. 
 7 
Aesop
(Greek Fabulist and Storyteller)
Aesop
32
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 0620 BC
Birthplace: Delphi, Greece
Died: 0564 BC

There is not a single child in the world who has not heard of Aesop’s Fables, but the legendary Greek fabulist Aesop, known for using animal characters to impart moral lessons, is believed to have never existed, by some historians. Aesop was perhaps a name concocted to unite references for age-old fables.

 8 
Heraclitus
(Ancient Greek Philosopher)
Heraclitus
2
Birthdate: 0535 BC
Birthplace: Ephesus, Turkey
Died: 0475 BC
Greek philosopher Heraclitus belonged to the city of Ephesus, then part of the Persian Empire. He earned the nickname The Obscure for his use of paradoxical wordplay. His only available work, On Nature, survives in fragments. Also known as the Weeping Philosopher, he influenced later philosophers such as Plato.
 9 
Darius the Great
(King of Persia)
Darius the Great
8
Birthdate: 0550 BC
Birthplace: Iran
Died: September 30, 0486

Darius the Great was a Persian ruler. He served as the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 522 BCE until he died in 486 BCE. The empire was at the peak of its glory under his reign and included much of Western Asia and parts of the Balkans. He invested a lot in construction projects.  

 10 
Justinian I
(Byzantine Emperor)
Justinian I
106
Birthdate: 0482 AD
Birthplace: Tauresium, Dardania, then part of Diocese of Dacia (in today's Republic of Macedonia
Died: November 14, 0565

Also known as Justinian the Great, Justinian I was the Eastern Roman emperor from 527 to 565. Even though he came from a peasant family, he was well educated in jurisprudence, theology, and Roman history. As emperor, he was known to be highly energetic and ambitious. He brought about several judicial reforms in his kingdom.

 11 
Khadīja bint Khuwaylid
(First Wife of Muhammad ibn Abdullah)
Khadīja bint Khuwaylid
5
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 0555 AD
Birthplace: Saudi Arabia
Died: November 22, 0619

Khadīja bint Khuwaylid was the first wife of Muhammad ibn Abdullah, the founder of Islam. She is also widely regarded as Muhammad's first follower. A successful businesswoman, Khadīja is an important female figure in the Islamic tradition and is counted among the four ladies of heaven. Khadīja bint Khuwaylid is often referred to as The Mother of Believers by Muslims.

 12 
Solon
(Greek Statesman and Poet Who is Credited With Having Laid the Foundations for Athenian Democracy)
Solon
32
Birthdate: 0630 BC
Birthplace: Athens, Greece
Died: 0560 BC

Solon was an Athenian lawmaker, statesman, and poet. He is best remembered for his efforts to legislate against the moral, economic, and political decline in archaic Athens. Although his efforts did not prove to be fruitful during his lifetime, Solon is often credited with laying the foundation for Athenian democracy. 

 13 
Saint David
(Bishop of Mynyw During the 6th Century)
Saint David
4
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 0500 AD
Birthplace: Caerfai Bay, Wales
Died: March 1, 0589

Saint David was a Welsh bishop who lived during the 6th century. His life and teachings inspired Welsh composer Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins to come up with a choral work titled Dewi Sant. David's teachings also inspired another composer named Arwel Hughes, who composed an oratorio titled Dewi Sant in 1950. David is considered the patron saint of Wales.

 14 
Cambyses II
(Pharaoh of Egypt)
Cambyses II
2
Birthplace: Unknown
Died: June 30, 0522

Cambyses II was the second King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire. He ruled from 530 BC to 522 BC. He was the son of Cyrus the Great and Cassandane. Before claiming the throne, he served as the governor of northern Babylonia under his father. His reign was relatively brief and marked by his conquests in Africa, notably Egypt. 

 15 
Benedict of Nursia
(Italian Christian Monk, Writer, Theologian and Founder of Western Christian Monasticism)
Benedict of Nursia
4
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 3, 0480
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Norcia, Italy
Died: March 21, 0547
The only valid mention of Saint Benedict is found in the Dialogues of St. Gregory I. Of the many legends about him is the one in which he rolled himself against bushes to inflict wounds, just to escape the Devil who showed the image of a beautiful woman to him.
 16 
Themistocles
(Military Leader)
Themistocles
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 0524 BC
Birthplace: Frearrioi (modern Feriza close to Anavyssos)
Died: 0459 BC

The 5th-century BC warrior politician Themistocles has gone down in history as one of the first to consolidate the Athenian navy. He is remembered for his victories in wars such as the Battle of Salamis. His exploits have been immortalized in movies such as 300: Rise of an Empire.

 17 
Brahmagupta
(Mathematician and Astronomer)
Brahmagupta
66
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 0598 AD
Birthplace: Bhinmal
Died: 0670 AD

Ancient Indian astronomer and mathematician Brahmagupta is best remembered for laying down rules to calculate with zero and for penning the texts Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta and Khaṇḍakhādyaka. His other achievements include his work on surds and positive and negative numbers. He also devised a formula for the area of a cyclic quadrilateral.

 18 
Columba
(Irish Abbot and Missionary Evangelist)
Columba
4
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 7, 0521
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Gartan, Donegal, Ireland
Died: June 9, 0597

Columba was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist. At the beginning of the Hiberno-Scottish mission, he played a major role in spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland. After studying under some of Ireland's most prominent church figures, he founded several monasteries. He is revered as a Catholic saint and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. 

 19 
Theodora
(Empress Consort of the Byzantine Empire from 527 to 548)
Theodora
11
Birthdate: 0500 AD
Birthplace: Paphlagonia
Died: June 28, 0548

Theodora was an Eastern Roman empress who was married to Emperor Justinian. She was one of Justinian's chief advisers; she had a strong influence on Justinian. A saint in the Oriental Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, Theodora is commemorated on 28 June. Over the years, she has been the subject of several books, films, and video games.

 20 
Bardiya
(Pharaoh of Egypt)
Bardiya
1
Birthplace: Pasargadae, Iran
Died: 0522 AD

Born to Cyrus the Great of Persia, Bardiya was also known as Tanyoxarces. Though most sources believe he was the king of Persia, some sources claim an impersonator ruled Persia, pretending to be the real son of Cyrus. Both historian Herodotus and king Darius believed the impersonator was Gaumata, a magus.

 21 
Tomyris
(Ruler)
Tomyris
12
Birthplace: Iran

A legendary figure, Tomyris was the fabled queen of the Massagetai, an Iranian tribal population. She is perhaps best remembered for her campaign against Cyrus II the Great of Persia, whom she attacked and killed, thus defending her forces. She has been the subject of many literary and artistic creations.

 22 
Nabonidus
(King of the Neo-Babylonian Empire)
Nabonidus
1
Birthdate: 0620 BC
Birthplace: Harran, Türkiye
Died: 0539 BC

Nabonidus was the last ruler of Neo-Babylonian Empire. A strong believer of the moon god Sin, Nabonidus was faced with a revolt by the worshippers of Babylon’s national god, Marduk, and thus left his kingdom in the hands of his son, co-regent Belshazzar. He was later exiled.

 23 
Khosrow I
(Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 531 to 579)
Khosrow I
1
Birthdate: 0512 AD
Birthplace: Ardestan, Iran
Died: January 31, 0579

Khosrow I was a 6th-century Persian king of the Sasanian Empire. Though most of the information on him is known through legends, he is believed to have been a patron of the arts. He introduced major tax reforms and also brought changes to the Sasanian bureaucracy.

 24 
Zerubbabel
(Governor of Judaea)
Zerubbabel
3
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 0566 BC
Birthplace: Not known
Died: 0510 BC

Zerubbabel was a governor of Yehud Medinata, a province in the Achaemenid Empire. The grandson of Jeconiah, Zerubbabel is credited with leading the first group of Jews, who returned from the Babylonian exile, in the first year of Cyrus the Great. Zerubbabel is also credited with laying the foundation of the famous Second Temple in Jerusalem.

 25 
Pindar
(Greek Lyric Poet)
Pindar
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 0518 BC
Birthplace: Cynoscephalae, Boiotia
Died: 0438 BC
Pindar was an influential lyric poet from ancient Greece. Legend has it that when a fellow poet, Corinna, had advised Pindar to use less mythical elements in his poems, he had called her a pig. His “honey-like” verses were attributed to a bee's sting in his early days. 
 26 
Harshavardhana
(Indian emperor)
Harshavardhana
5
Birthdate: 0590 AD
Died: 0647 AD

Harshavardhana, the second son of king Prabhakaravardhana of Thanesar, became a king at 16. Also known as Harsha, he reigned over a vast region of North and Northwestern India from 606 to 647 CE. Hieun Tsang’s Harshacharita detailed how Harsha converted from Hinduism to Buddhism, banned animal slaughter, and built monasteries.

 27 
Isidore of Seville
(Spanish Scholar, Theologian, and Archbishop of Seville)
Isidore of Seville
0
Birthdate: 0560 AD
Birthplace: Cartagena, Spain
Died: April 4, 0636

Spanish scholar Isidore of Seville is widely remembered as the last of the Western Latin Fathers. His Etymologies was a chief reference book for years. The 7th-century archbishop of Sevilla wrote about varied subjects, such as religion, science, history, and linguistics. He had a major role in the Councils of Toledo.

 28 
Abu Bakr
(1st Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate (632-634))
Abu Bakr
10
Birthdate: October 27, 0573
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Died: August 23, 0634

Abu Bakr was a companion and father-in-law of the founder of Islam, Muhammad. After Muhammad's death, Bakr played an important role in leading the Muslims as the first Rashidun Caliph. Under Abu Bakr’s leadership, the Muslim state expanded over the entire Arabian peninsula. Abu Bakr's work during his reign eventually led to the Muslim conquests of the Levant and Persia.

 29 
Abu Talib ibn ‘Abdu’l-Muttalib
(Chief of Banu Hashim clan of Quraysh)
Abu Talib ibn ‘Abdu’l-Muttalib
5
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 0535 AD
Birthplace: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Died: 0619 AD
 30 
Theodoric the Great
(King of the Ostrogoths (471–526))
Theodoric the Great
1
Birthdate: 0454 AD
Birthplace: Petronell-Carnuntum, Austria
Died: August 30, 0526
 31 
Cambyses I
(King of Persia)
Cambyses I
0
Birthplace: Anshan, Iran
Died: 0559 AD

Cambyses I was the king of Anshan from c. 580 to 559 BC. He was an early member of the Achaemenid dynasty and was a great-grandson of its founder Achaemenes. Not much is known about his life other than the fact that he reigned under the overlordship of Astyages.  

 32 
Emperor Yang of Sui
(Emperor of China’s Sui dynasty)
Emperor Yang of Sui
4
Birthdate: 0569 AD
Birthplace: Daxing District, Beijing, China
Died: April 11, 0618

Emperor Yang of Sui is remembered for constructing countless canals and palaces in China during his reign. He apparently took over the throne after executing his father and brother. Though a patron of the arts, he killed two poets when he found they wrote better poetry than him.

 33 
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
(A Syrian Monk Who Merged Neoplatonism and Christian Theology in His Treatises)
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
2
Birthplace: Unknown

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite was a Christian Neoplatonist who is believed to have been a Syrian monk using a pseudonym. His Greek treatises merged Neoplatonism and Christian theology, though his identity hasn’t yet been confirmed. Some of his best-known treatises include On the Divine Names and On the Celestial Hierarchy.

 34 
Khosrau II
(considered to be the last great Sasanian king (shah) of Iran, ruling from 590 to 628, with an interruption of one year)
Khosrau II
0
Birthdate: 0570 AD
Birthplace: Ctesiphon, Iraq
Died: February 28, 0628
 35 
Cincinnatus
(Statesman)
Cincinnatus
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 0519 BC
Birthplace: Roman Kingdom
Died: 0430 BC
 36 
Saint Mungo
(Missionary)
Saint Mungo
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 0518 AD
Birthplace: Culross, Scotland
Died: January 13, 0614
 37 
Romulus Augustus
(Roman Emperor)
Romulus Augustus
1
Birthdate: 0465 AD
Birthplace: Pannonia, Austria
Died: 0511 AD

Romulus Augustus went down in history as the last Western Roman emperor. The son of Orestes, who was killed by German warrior Odoacer, Romulus was spared and allowed to move to southern Italy. Though not much is known of him, it is believed he lived till the rule of Theoderic.

 38 
Muhammad(Religious leader)
(Religious leader)
Muhammad(Religious leader)
14
Birthdate: April 22, 0571
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Mecca
Died: June 8, 0632
 39 
Cyrus I
(King)
Cyrus I
0
Birthdate: 0649 BC
Birthplace: Iran
Died: 0580 BC
 40 
Gildas
(Monk)
Gildas
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 0500 AD
Birthplace: Kingdom of Strathclyde
Died: January 29, 0570
 41 
Maximus the Confessor
(Monk)
Maximus the Confessor
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 0580 AD
Birthplace: Constantinople, Turkey
Died: August 13, 0662
 42 
Empress Suiko
(Empress of Japan (592 - 628))
Empress Suiko
0
Birthdate: January 3, 0554
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Yamato Japan
Died: April 15, 0628

Empress Suiko reigned as the 33rd monarch of Japan from 593 to 628. Suiko is often recognized as the first of eight women to assume the role of empress regnant in Japan. Empress Suiko reigned until her death and she is venerated even today at a memorial Shinto shrine in Osaka.

 43 
Taishi Shōtoku
(Regent and Politician)
Taishi Shōtoku
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 7, 0574
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Yamato, Japan
Died: April 8, 0622

Apart from being a regent of Japan, Taishi Shōtoku, or Prince Umayado, had also enriched Japanese literature, chronicling the history of the country. He introduced the Seventeen-article constitution and also promoted Buddhism and Confucianism. He improved Japan’s diplomatic and cultural ties with China, by resuming sending envoys to the country.

 44 
Gorgo, Queen of Sparta
(Queen)
Gorgo, Queen of Sparta
0
Birthdate: 0506 AD
Birthplace: Greece

The only child of Spartan king Cleomenes I, Gorgo later married Cleomenes’s successor and half-brother, Leonidas, thus becoming the queen of Sparta. She was a child when she warned her father against Aristagoras, who tried his best to bribe Cleomenes to have him as an ally after the Ionian revolt.

 45 
Pope Hormisdas
(Former Pope)
Pope Hormisdas
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 0450 AD
Birthplace: Frosinone, Italy
Died: August 6, 0523
 46 
Ezekiel
(Prophet)
Ezekiel
0
Birthdate: 0622 BC
Birthplace: Jerusalem
Died: 0570 BC

The Book of Ezekiel, or The Prophecy of Ezechiel, of the Hebrew Bible talks about Ezekiel, the prophet. He is said to have lived near the Chebar River during the Babylonian Captivity. In about 592 BC, Ezekiel received a religious call, having viewed the “throne-chariot” of God in a vision.

 47 
Pope Gregory I
(Bishop of Rome from 590 to 604)
Pope Gregory I
6
Birthdate: 0540 AD
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: March 12, 0604

Pope Gregory I served as the bishop of Rome from 590 until his death in 604. He is best remembered for sending the Gregorian Mission to Britain, which was successful in converting the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. He is also credited with developing the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and is widely regarded as its de facto author.

 48 
Saint Remigius
(Writers)
Saint Remigius
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 0437 AD
Birthplace: Cerny-en-Laonnois, France
Died: January 13, 0533
 49 
Hatim al-Tai
(Poet)
Hatim al-Tai
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthplace: Saudi Arabia
Died: 0578 AD
 50 
Esarhaddon
(King of the Neo-Assyrian Empire)
Esarhaddon
1
Birthdate: 0713 BC
Birthplace: Harran
Died: October 31, 0669

Esarhaddon reigned as the King of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 681 BC until his death in 669 BC. He is best remembered for his invasion of Egypt in 671 BC. The conquest made his empire the world's largest at that time. Esarhaddon is also remembered for his reconstruction of Babylon.