Notable Greeks

Part of the library’s Follow Francis series.

Francis, our world-traveling virtual librarian, found there are many famous Greeks from ancient times to the modern age.  Below is a list of just a few he thought you might find interesting.

The Ancient Philosophers:  Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates

Homer – The guy who wrote those two really long poems, “The Illiad” and “The Odyssey.”

Herodotus – Know as The Father of History, he wrote a book titled (wait for it…) “The Histories” where he recorded his research into the Greco-Persian Wars.

Aesop – Remember the book “Aesop’s Fables” you probably had as a kid?  Yeah, that’s him.

Alexander the Great – Considered by some to be the greatest military leader in history, Alexander created an empire that stretched from Greece to India by the time he was 30.

Leonidas I – Leonidas was the king of the Greek city-state Sparta and is best remembered for leading the Greeks against the Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae.

Melina Mercouri – Actress, singer, and politician.

Irene Papas – Actress and singer best known for her roles in “The Guns of Navarone” and “Zorba the Greek.”

Aristotelis “Telly” Savalas – Actor and singer best known for his role as Lt. Theo Kojak in the television series “Kojak.”

Georgios Papanikolaou – A pioneer in cytopathology and early cancer detection and inventor of the “Pap smear” (which is still used today as a means of early detection of uterine cancer).

Giannis Antetokounmpo – An NBA basketball player currently with the Milwaukee Bucks.

References
“30 of the Greatest Greeks.” Greeker Than The Greeks, https://greekerthanthegreeks.com/2017/02/30-great-greeks-ancient-and-modern.html. Accessed 15 December 2020.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giannis_Antetokounmpo. Accessed 16 December 2020.