Which historical figure would you most like to meet and why? Let's say somebody 1800 AD and before only, i.e. truly historical
> Genghis Khan - But be warned you might not live to tell the tale!
> King Henry VIII - But if you're an attractive woman he might want to marry you!
> ??? - Who else, well that's up to you!
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M$14 Answers
- Benjamin Franklin: I would want to meet Franklin not only because he's one of the people I most admire, but also because he was what you could call a "jack of all trades." He was an inventor, a politician of sorts, and a variety of other things. He took part in making the United States a free country, and his inventions have had a significant impact on society, even to this day.
- William Shakespeare: I know this is has been said a lot so far, but his literature tops that of some of the most well known writers of today, and plus, I would like to know more about his life!
- Homer: First off, let me clarify that I'm not talking about Homer Simpson! The Homer I'm referring to is the Homer who "wrote" "The Odyssey," which is a great work of literature (despite the fact that it's over 3,000 years old!) for those who haven't read it.
- Voltaire: My favorite philosopher, who was famous for his dislike for mindless optimism. He expressed this in one of his works, "Candide." In this work, the protagonist (who has the same mindless optimism that Voltaire despised) is taken through many unfortunate occurrences (some of which being very extreme) until the optimism is literally beaten out of him. However, depressing as it may sound, it's actually very funny.
- Peter the Great: What can I say, he was a pretty awesome guy!
-Beau Brummell: While he most likely had his impact on society in the early 19th Century, "the Beau" is famous for establishing Dandyism and the foundation for the modern man's suit. Brummell was born and raised in a society where men wore powder, wigs, and ridiculous "frilly" sorts of articles. Brummell established a newer, simpler (yet still elegant) way for men to dress. Brummell himself was strictly clean and organized. He would bathe himself daily (somewhat uncommon for the time), and claimed to polish his boots with champagne and take five hours to dress.
That's all I can think of for now!
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M$
She was Henry VIII's second wife and was quite the manipulator. By most accounts she was brilliant and beautiful with an ambitious family behind pulling the strings. I would love to be able and sit and talk with her about court life, her aspirations and visions for the future of England, and what she really thinks of Henry and her family.
For instance, it does seem according to most accounts that she really was in love with Henry - at least, to start. But by the end of...their marriage...Henry had dozens of mistresses, had plumped to the size of a butterball, and was gouty and smelly (from infection). Did she really love him? Or was it all about the power?
And if the "rules" of our conversation permitted, I'd love to talk about regret and how her actions led to her own death and a permanently altered England (had she never pushed Henry so hard, he likely never would've broken ties with the Vatican, he probably would've stayed married to Catherine of Aragon until her death, and likely he wouldn't have gotten so maniacally angry and tyrannical in his older years - Anne let loose the beast!).
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This was a tough call though, any of Henry's wives could've been runners up - especially Catherine of Aragon. I'd be a little too afraid of Henry himself. Plus he was a pompous, spoiled windbag. And the smell of a gouty leg, who could eat??
Absolute fascination with the Tudor dynasty and legacy!
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M$
So if I set my way back machine to 1800 BC and before I would like to meet the Great Shun
This leader was known for modesty and virtue and his rule lasted for fifty years. He appointed Yu of Xia to manage disasters. You may also want to read the story of how he picked the next ruler. . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shun_(Chinese_leader)
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M$I'll go for William Shakespeare. I'm sure he'd be a fun and fascinating guy, and not much is known about him and his life.
I'd shoot the breeze with him on life and love, religion and politics, the art of writing, and the art of making a buck from it.
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M$
And as a slightly younger man, maybe...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/mar/10/shakespeare-cobbe-portrait
Yes, I did mean 1800AD, silly me. Thanks for pointing this out!
Yes this image definitely has more your likeness philipy than mine!
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M$
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M$
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M$
Why? From what I remember, he spent thirty years traveling the land of his peoples; he dressed in rags so people would not recognize that he was really an Indigenous man of position (so that he could really see what was happening, so he could really experience the suffering of the general Indigenous person of that time -- and he was kicked and mistreated!).
He wrote a 1,200 page (398 of which were his own drawings) letter to the king of Spain (Philip III) -- and he included Quechua words throughout -- and he wrote some really interesting things; he was daring enough to draw himself face to face with the king, writing out a dialogue of the questions the king would ask him and his answers:
Ex.
King: Tell me, author, why do the Indigenous no longer multiply and why do they become poor?
Guaman Poma: I'll tell your Majesty: The first, they do not multiply because the best of women and maidens are taken by the Spanish priests, governors, commanders, lieutenants, their official servants and Spanish men... out of so much injustice and harm, they hang themselves... There is a hill full of Indigenous men & women. They want to die once and for all, rather than see themselves in so much pain.
For me, the most impressive of his work is the title: "The First New Chronicle and Good Government" -- there are many things that can be said of it. Sad thing is that it never reached the king. It seems that some king official gave it away to a Danish ambassador, where it wasn't found until almost three centuries later.
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M$
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M$
He Was And Is The Greatest Genius And Polymath That Ever Lived He Was All Things To All Men.
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M$
It could be a short message, with his reputation. Or maybe he was a pussy cat really.
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M$
After a bit of thought I decided I would like to meet Chief Seattle. I picked this figure because I have been interested in what it would be like to lose your homeland. Chief Seattle was gracious to the white man even having lost his and his peoples homeland, if these events happened today here in the United states now by a outside force all Americans would have to deal with this new change knowing we had been the insurgents at one time before. We would be very angry and not as compliant as Chief Seattle.
An excerpt from his oration at the Treaty of 1854 surrendering native lands to the insurgents, us.
-quote-
"Then in reality he will be our father and we his children. But can that ever be? Your God is not our God! Your God loves your people and hates mine! He folds his strong protecting arms lovingly about the paleface and leads him by the hand as a father leads an infant son. But, He has forsaken His Red children, if they really are His. Our God, the Great Spirit, seems also to have forsaken us."
-quote-
There are many translations of this speech and no verbatim transcript.
Reading this entire oration and trying to perceive the wisdom contained within has enlightened me and give me a new perspective on past and present events.
I wonder what this Native American would think about events of present day.
I wonder how he would feel about what has become of this land he and his people once lived upon.
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M$
I also just remembered that I would want to meet Leonardo DaVinci! As a novice engineer, he would be such a fascinating person to meet.
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