Group	Belarusians
Poptime	c. 10 million +
Popplace	: 8,159,073
Region1
Pop1	807,970
Region2	USA
Pop2	600.000
Region3
Pop3	275,800
Region4
Pop4	130.000
Region5
Pop5	111,926
Region6
Pop6	78,052
Region7
Pop7	50,000 - 70,000
Region8
Pop8	45,000 - 80,000
Region9
Pop9	48,700
Region10
Pop10	41,100
Region11
Pop11	20,000
Region12
Pop12	20,000
Region13
Pop13	17,241
Region14
Pop14	7,000
Region15
Pop15	7,000
Region16
Pop16	2,000
Region18
Pop18	1,168
Region19
Pop19	1,002
Region20
Pop20	138
Rels	Predominantly Orthodox Christianity,including Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic and Protestant minorities.
Langs	Belarusian, Russian
Related	|related Other Slavs, especially other East Slavs }}

Belarusians (, , Belorussians or Byelorussians); are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian language spoken by the Ruthenian ethnic group that ruled (together with ancestors of today's Lithuanians) the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. However, after the creation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, many of the Old Belarusian-speaking Ruthenian nobles would be absorbed by the Polish szlachta in the West and, later, the Russian nobility in the East, leaving only a small rural-dwelling population to be the propagators of a distinct non-literary Belarusian language up until its revival. There are over 8 million people who associate themselves with the Belarusian nationality today.

Location

[[File:Historical borders of Belarusians.png|thumb|300px|left| Ethnic territory of Belarusians ]]

Belarusians also form minorities in neighboring Poland (especially in the Białystok Voivodeship), Russia and Lithuania. At the beginning of 20th century Belarusians constituted a majority in the regions around Smolensk.

Noticeable numbers have emigrated to the United States, Brazil and Canada in the early 20th century. During Soviet times, many Belarusians were deported or migrated to various regions of the USSR, including Siberia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

Since the breakup of the USSR several hundred thousand have emigrated to the European Union, United States, Canada and Russia.

Languages

The most spoken language in Belarus is Russian, principally spoken by 72% of the population, while the other official language, Belarusian, is only used by 11,9% in every day life. Statistical data shows that Belarusian is fluently communicated, read and written by 29,4%, while 52,5% of the population can communicate and read in Belarusian. Belarusian is a language of the Eastern Slavic group.

Genetics

Belarusians show the characteristic R1a genes of the male ancestorship at 51%, similar to other East slav groups. Such large frequencies of R1a have been found only in East Europe and India.

Genetical studies show that genetically Belarusians have close genetical similarities with Poles, Russians and Ukrainians, which belong to the same group. A study of the Y chromosome in East Slavs groups shows that there is no significant variation in the Y chromosome between Belarusians, Poles, central-southern Russians and Ukrainians, and it is overlapped by their vast similarities, thus revealing an overwhelmingly shared patrilineal ancestry.

A genetic portrait of modern Belarusians documents A separation of subpopulations along the south-north line, which is demonstrated particularly in distribution of Y chromosomal lineages R1b, I1a and I1b, N3 and G-chromosomes, has been noted; east-west gradient is insignificant.

Name

The name ''Belarus'' can be literally translated as ''White Ruthenia'' that is a historical region in the east of modern Republic of Belarus, known in Latin as ''Ruthenia Alba''. This name was in use in the West for some time in history, together with ''White Ruthenes'', ''White Russians'' (though not to be confused with the political group of White Russians that opposed the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War) and similar forms. Belarusians trace their name back to the people of Rus'.

250px|left|thumb|[[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Commonwealth of Polish Kingdom and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 17th century ]]

History

The Belarusian people trace their distinct culture to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and earlier Kievan Rus and the Principality of Polatsk. Most Belarusians are descendants of the East Slav tribes Dregovichs, Krivichs and Radimichs, as well as of a Baltic tribe of Jotvingians who lived in the west and north-west of today's Belarus.

In 13th-18th centuries Belarusians were mostly known under the name of ''Ruthenians'' which refers to the Eastern part of state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (''Litva'', ''Vialikaja Litva'') of which the White Ruthenian, Black Ruthenian and Polesian lands were part of since the 13th-14th centuries and where Ruthenian language which developed in Old Belarusian language gradually became the dominant written language in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, that replaced Latin. Casimir's Code of 1468 and all three editions of Statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1529, 1566, and 1588) were written in Old Belarusian language. Eventually it was replaced by Polish.

On the grounds of the dominance of Ruthenian language (which later evolved into modern Belarusian and Ukrainian Languages) culture in the Eastern parts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, some modern Belarusian scholars and people in Belarus count that Grand Duchy of Lithuania was mostly Belarusian state when it existed.

Between 1791 and 1917 much of Belarus, with its Christian and Jewish populations, was acquired by the Russian Empire in a series of military conquests and diplomatic manoeuvres, and was part of a region known as the Pale of Settlement.

After World War I Belarusians revived their own statehood, with varying degrees of independence - first as the short-lived Belarusian National Republic under German occupation, then as the Byelorussian SSR from 1919 until 1991, which merged with other republics to become a constituent member of the Soviet Union in 1922). Belarus gained full independence with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Cuisine

See also

Demographics of Belarus

Dregovichs

History of Belarus

List of Belarusians (ethnic group)

Litvins

Radimichs

References and notes

External links

Ethnographic Map (New York, 1953)

CIA World Fact Book 2005

"ЧТО ТАКОЕ БЫТЬ БЕЛОРУСОМ?", ("What does it mean to be a Belarusian? ") a 2009 survey

* Category:Ethnic groups in Kazakhstan Category:Ethnic groups in Europe Category:Slavic nations Category:Rus

ar:بيلاروس an:Belarrusos be:Беларусы be-x-old:Беларусы bs:Bjelorusi bg:Беларуси cv:Белоруссем cs:Bělorusové da:Hviderussere de:Weißrussen et:Valgevenelased es:Bielorrusos eo:Belorusoj fa:روس‌های سپید fr:Biélorusses ko:벨라루스인 hr:Bjelorusi os:Белоруссаг адæм it:Bielorussi ka:ბელარუსები kk:Беларустар la:Rutheni Albi lv:Baltkrievi lt:Baltarusiai hu:Belaruszok mk:Белоруси nl:Wit-Russen ja:ベラルーシ人 pl:Białorusini pt:Bielorrussos ro:Belaruși ru:Белорусы simple:Belarusians sk:Bielorusi cu:Бѣлороуси sl:Belorusi sr:Белоруси sh:Belorusi fi:Valkovenäläiset sv:Vitryssar tt:Беларуслар tr:Beyaz Ruslar udm:Белорусъёс uk:Білоруси zh:白俄罗斯族

birth name	Jared Joseph Leto
birth date	December 26, 1971
birth place	Bossier City, Louisiana, U.S.
other names	Bartholomew Cubbins, Angakok Panipaq
occupation	Musician, composer, singer, songwriter, producer, actor, director, photographer
years active	1992–present
relatives	Shannon Leto (brother) }}

Jared Joseph Leto (born December 26, 1971) is an American actor, director, producer and musician. Leto has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing brooding heartthrob Jordan Catalano in the cult hit teenage drama ''My So-Called Life'' (1994), becoming a teen idol. He later made his film debut in the drama ''How to Make an American Quilt'' (1995) and received first notable critical praise for his performance in ''Prefontaine'' (1997). Leto obtained recognition for his subsequent work in supporting roles in ''The Thin Red Line'' (1998) and ''Girl, Interrupted'' (1999), as well as the leading role in the successful horror film ''Urban Legend'' (1998), and earned critical acclaim after portraying heroin addict Harry Goldfarb in Darren Aronofsky's ''Requiem for a Dream'' (2000). He has collaborated with director David Fincher in ''Fight Club'' (1999) and ''Panic Room'' (2002). Since the 2000s, Leto has been nominated for awards for his work in such films as ''American Psycho'' (2000), ''Highway'' (2002), ''Lord of War'' (2005), ''Lonely Hearts'' (2006), ''Chapter 27'' (2007), and ''Mr. Nobody'' (2009).

Aside from his film career, Leto is the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter for the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. He formed the band in 1998 in Los Angeles, California, along with his older brother Shannon Leto. Signed with Immortal and Virgin, 30 Seconds to Mars released their self-titled debut album in 2002 to positive reviews. The band's follow-up album, ''A Beautiful Lie'' (2005), was a breakthrough success, going platinum in several countries. However their record label Virgin, filed a $30 million lawsuit against the Leto brothers accusing them as breaching their contract. The lawsuit was later annulled as the band decided to resign to Virgin, and ''This Is War'', the band's third album, arrived in December 2009 to critical praise. Leto has also directed several critically acclaimed band's music videos, including the MTV Video Music Award nominated "The Kill" (2006), "Kings and Queens" (2009), and "Hurricane" (2010).

Early life and education

Jared Joseph Leto was born December 26, 1971, in Bossier City, Louisiana. His parents divorced when he was a child, leaving him in the care of his mother, Constance. This separation led to a traveling life with young Jared moving with his family – mother Constance Leto, older brother Shannon Leto and grandfather – from his native Louisiana to different cities in Colorado, Virginia, Wyoming, and Haiti. "My mom's father was in the Air Force," Leto explained, "so moving around a lot was a normal way of life." His father remarried and died soon after. Leto has two younger half-brothers from his father's second marriage. Leto wanted to help his family and became a dishwasher at small snack-bar at 12, and he was a doorman at 16. Constance Leto always encouraged children’s craving for art. "I grew up in environment of actors, musicians, photographers, artists and different theatrical persons," he stated in an interview with ''Kerrang!''; "Through this atmosphere there were no any clear boundaries and straight lines. We were proclaiming a freedom of creation and self-expression." His first musical instrument was a broken-down piano and he grew up singing classic rock, from Pink Floyd to Led Zeppelin.

After dropping out briefly in the 10th grade, Leto decided to return and focus on his education at the private Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia, but graduated from Emerson Preparatory School in Washington, D.C., in 1989. When he finished school, Leto enrolled at Philadelphia's University of the Arts and majored in painting. However, after developing an interest in acting, he transferred to New York City's School of Visual Arts, where he majored in filmmaking. While he was a student there, he wrote and starred in his own short film, ''Crying Joy''.

Acting career

1992–97: Early work

In 1992, Leto moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. Starring and writing his own film while in school, Leto got his first roles in such shows as ''Camp Wilder'' (1992) and ''Almost Home'' (1993) before he becoming a regular in the 1994 series ''My So-Called Life'' as the object of Claire Danes' affection, Jordan Catalano. In 1994, Leto also made his television film debut in ''Cool and the Crazy''. Gaining a reputation as a teen idol, Leto landed his first film role in the 1995 drama ''How to Make an American Quilt''. Leto later co-starred with Christina Ricci in ''The Last of the High Kings'' and appeared in ''Switchback''.

1997–99: Early critical success

Leto took his first leading role in 1997's ''Prefontaine'', a docudrama that chronicles the tragic life of Steve Prefontaine, an Olympic hopeful in long-distance running; he starred opposite Ed O'Neill in this acclaimed film. For this challenging role, the actor immersed himself in the athlete's life, meeting with members of the family and Prefontaine's friends. He bore a striking resemblance to the real Prefontaine, also adopting athlete's voice and upright running style. The transformation was so complete, that when the runner's sister, Linda, first saw him in character, she broke down and cried. Critical response praised Leto's acting; Peter Stack of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' wrote, "With hypnotic blue eyes and dirty blond hair, Leto captures the rock-star style Prefontaine affected, and he looks natural in fiery performances on the track, as well as off, where Pre affected a brash, confrontational style," while Lisa Alspector of the ''Chicago Reader'' felt that "As the driven competitor who learns to make hubris work for him, Jared Leto gives a complex performance that suggests a deep, intriguing interior to the character even as he maintains a convincing one-dimensional facade."

After landing the lead role of a British aristocratic in the 1998 drama ''Basil'', Leto starred in the teen horror hit ''Urband Legend'', one of the more successful exploitations of the teen horror genre. He plays a school journalist and love interest of Alicia Witt’s character. Together, they go up against a crazed killer that is recreating urban legend massacres. The film was a massive success commercially, though critics mostly disliked the film. Leto was then pleased to get a role in the World War II film ''The Thin Red Line'', as part of a cast including Sean Penn, Nick Nolte and Adrien Brody. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and was a moderate success at the box office. In 1999, he appeared as a gay high school teacher who attracts the attentions of Robert Downey, Jr. in James Toback's ''Black and White''. The same year, he co-starred with Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie in James Mangold's ''Girl, Interrupted'', a film that tells the story of mental patient Susanna Kaysen, and which was adapted from Kaysen's memoir of the same name. Leto was nominated for a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor for his performance, but lost to Michael Clarke Duncan for ''The Green Mile''. He was also seen in David Fincher's cult classic ''Fight Club'', a film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same name. While Edward Norton and Brad Pitt were the lead roles, Leto took the supporting role of a bleached blond Angel Face that was beaten almost beyond recognition.

2000–06: Worldwide recognition

Leto played the supporting role of Paul Allen in Mary Harron's ''American Psycho'', a film based on Bret Easton Ellis's novel of the same name. He then starred as heroin addict Harry Goldfarb in Darren Aronofsky's ''Requiem for a Dream''. To prepare for his role in the film, Leto decided to live on the streets of New York City and refrain from having sex with his then fiancé, Cameron Diaz, for two months prior to shooting. He also starved himself for months, losing 28 pounds to realistically play his heroin addict character. After the shooting of the film, Leto moved to Portugal, shaved his head and lived in a monastery for several months to gain weight. He admits that playing the part of Harry Goldfarb was "sadomasochistic... the hardest thing I've done". The same year, Leto played Glen Walker, an up-and-coming country rocker, in Adam Collis' directorial debut ''Sunset Strip''. In 2001, he co-produced and had uncredited parts in ''Sol Goode''.

After the critical success of ''Requiem for a Dream'', Leto's next role was as the lead character in 2002's ''Highway''. Set in 1994, Leto is caught with a gangster's wife and flee to Seattle with his best friend Jake Gyllenhaal in the week preceding Kurt Cobain's suicide. He was nominated for a Video Premiere Award for his performance. In 2002, Leto worked again with director David Fincher in ''Panic Room'', playing a villain who terrorizes Jodie Foster. The film grossed over $30 million in its opening weekend in the United States, the best performance of a film Leto has appeared in to date. He was also in ''Phone Booth'', playing an actor in a theater production of ''Drockula''. He and Colin Farrell's character have a quick scene in an alley. The scene was deleted from the film, but restored when the film was aired on television.

After spending two years pursuing a career in music, Leto returned to film work in 2004 in the supporting role of Hephaestion in Oliver Stone's ''Alexander''. The film failed domestically, with Stone attributing its poor reception to disapproval of the depiction of Alexander's bisexuality, but it succeeded internationally, with revenue of $139 million outside the United States. The following year Leto portrayed Nicolas Cage’s younger brother Vitaly Orlov in the action-drama ''Lord of War''. The film was well-received by most critics and received a special mention for excellence in film making from the National Board of Review. In 2005, he was also in ''Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow'', a documentary on the life and work of writer Hubert Selby, Jr. Leto later starred in 2006's ''Lonely Hearts''. Playing Fernandez, he co-starred with Salma Hayek who played the role Martha. The film received mixed responses but Leto's performance was praised by many critics who wrote "it's worth seeing for Leto's performance alone."

2007–present: Recent roles and the future

Following ''Lonely Hearts'', Leto starred in Jarrett Schaefer's directorial debut ''Chapter 27'', which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. In the film, he plays Mark David Chapman, the murderer of John Lennon. Leto gained 67 pounds for the role. Gaining the weight, he said, was tougher than dieting himself into skeletal shape for his role as drug addict Harry Goldfarb in ''Requiem for a Dream''. The abruptness of Leto's weight gain gave him gout. He had to use a wheelchair due to the stress of the sudden increase in weight put on his body. After the shooting of the film, Leto quickly went on an liquid diet. He explained, "I've been fasting ever since. I've been doing this very strange, like, lemon and cayenne pepper and water fast. I didn't eat any food for 10 days straight; I think I lost 20 pounds that first 10 days." Losing the excess weight after ''Chapter 27'' proved a challenge. "It took about a year to get back to a place that felt semi-normal," he said; "I don't know if I'll ever be back to the place I was physically. I'd never do it again; it definitely gave me some problems." The film received mixed to negative reviews, and was generally considered a disappointment. Leto's performance, however, was well-received by critics; Joe Neumaier of the ''New York Daily News'' wrote "Jared Leto gives such a gripping portrayal it's equally hard to look away" and continued "Leto's drawling, blotchy, creepy performance sets it apart," while Rex Reed praised Leto saying "a galvanizing performance by an unrecognizable Jared Leto that can truly be called unforgettable."

During this period Leto focused increasingly on his band, turning down such films as Clint Eastwood's World War II film ''Flags of Our Fathers''. On having to say no to Eastwood, Leto explained: "That's a dream come true when Clint Eastwood asks you to be in his film. I was devastated that I couldn't be a part of the film. But I had commitments, a record I had worked on for a couple of years was coming out. It was a very, very important time. It was a make or break time. It was one of those decisions that you make where you can see two paths and I think I made the right decision for myself. I'd love to work with Clint Eastwood in the future, he's one of my heroes." He was also chosen by Joby Harold to play Clayton Beresford in 2007's ''Awake''. He later turned down the role due to scheduling conflicts with his band and was replaced by Hayden Christensen.

In 2009, Leto returned to acting with ''Mr. Nobody''. Leto's role as Nemo Nobody required him to play the character as far aged as 118. The film was mostly funded through European financiers, and was given limited release. ''Variety'''s Boyd Van Hoeij praised Leto, saying "The closest the film comes to having a gravitational center are in the scenes set in 2092. What makes them soar is not the imaginative staging of the future, but Leto's performance." Bruce Kirkland of Jam! described Leto's acting as "marvelously full-blooded, brain-spinning, tour-de-force performance." Leto was nominated for the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 66th Venice International Film Festival for his performance.

In 2011, Leto narrated ''TT3D: Closer to the Edge'', a documentary film about the TT, the world-famous annual motorcycle race that takes place on the Isle of Man. The film was well-received both critically and commercially. Grossing £1.14 million, it is the seventh biggest documentary hit of all time in the United Kingdom.

Music career

1998–2002: Early years

Leto told ''Lime'' magazine, "I’ve been creating music since when I was a child. It's an inseparable part of my life. There have always been lots of people around me who love music, even in my childhood. My brother began to play drums when he was only 5 years old." In 1998, Leto founded 30 Seconds to Mars along with his older brother Shannon Leto. The band's name, said Leto, "has little to do with space, the universe or anything like that. It is a name that works on several different levels. Most importantly, it is a good representation of our sound. It's a phrase that is lyrical, suggestive, cinematic, and filled with immediacy. It has some sense of otherness to it." In 1998, 30 Seconds to Mars signed a contract with Immortal and Virgin. In 2001, guitarists Kevin Drake and Solon Bixler and bassist Matt Wachter joined the band. When 30 Seconds to Mars first started, Jared refused to let his name be used to promote the band. He wrote the majority of their songs. Even before the album was released, Puddle of Mudd invited 30 Seconds to Mars to open a six-week tour for them in the spring of 2002. The band later embarked on a North American tour to support Incubus.

2002–04: Debut album and early success

30 Seconds to Mars released the self-titled debut album in 2002, produced by Bob Ezrin, Brian Virtue and the band itself. It received generally positive reviews, and was compared to Pink Floyd, Tool, and Brian Eno. The album debuted and peaked at number 107 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number one on the Top Heatseekers. It produced two singles, "Capricorn (A Brand New Name)" and "Edge of the Earth", which reached the top ten on the UK Rock Chart. The former also became a Mainstream Rock top 40 hit and reached number one on the Heatseekers Songs. Over the years, the album has sold more than two million copies worldwide. In 2003, Solon Bixler left the band due to issues primarily related to touring and was replaced by Tomo Miličević. 30 Seconds to Mars toured extensively opening concerts for bands such as Our Lady Peace, Sevendust, and Chevelle, and took a slot on the 2003 Lollapalooza tour.

2005–08: ''A Beautiful Lie'' and mainstream success

It took three years to record ''A Beautiful Lie'', with the bandmates traveling to four different continents to work with Leto on his film sets. ''A Beautiful Lie'' differs notably from the band's self-titled debut album, both musically and lyrically. Whereas the eponymous concept album's lyrics focus on human struggle and astronomical themes, ''A Beautiful Lie'''s lyrics are more personal and the music introduces intense screaming vocals and synth effects. "On the first record I created a world, then hid behind it," Leto said. "With ''A Beautiful Lie'', it was time to take a more personal and less cerebral approach. Although this record is still full of conceptual elements and thematic ideas it is ultimately much more wrapped around the heart than the head. It's about brutal honesty, growth, change. It's an incredibly intimate look into a life that is in the crossroads. A raw emotional journey. A story of life, love, death, pain, joy, and passion. Of what it is to be human."

Released in 2005, ''A Beautiful Lie'' was the band's mainstream breakthrough. It has since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has reached platinum and gold status in several countries, with a sales total of over 3.5 million. It was led by "Attack" which was the most added track on alternative radio in its first week, becoming a Modern Rock top 30 hit. 30 Seconds to Mars began their first headlining tour, ''Forever Night Never Day'', in March 2006. At the same time, the band released the album's second single, "The Kill", which enjoyed mainstream success; it set a record for the longest-running hit in the history of the Hot Modern Rock Tracks when it remained on the national airplay chart for more than 50 weeks, following its number three peak in 2006. Leto directed the music video for the single under the pseudonym of Bartholomew Cubbins, a recurring character in the Dr. Seuss universe. Inspired by themes of isolation and insanity present in the Stanley Kubrick's ''The Shining'', Leto said, "The idea of isolation, identity, and self discovery were all elements present in the song. I thought this light homage was a good starting point and it soon grew to include many more elements outside of Kubrick's original piece." Nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards, the band won the MTV2 Award. The music video garnered a lot of recognition, including two MTV Australia Awards and a Chainsaw Award. In October 2006, the band began their ''Welcome to the Universe Tour'', sponsored by MTV2 and were supported by Head Automatica, The Receiving End of Sirens, Cobra Starship, Rock Kills Kid, and several other bands including Street Drum Corps.

In 2006, Leto created the cover art for ''The 97X Green Room: Volume 2'', a compilation of live music in which appears 30 Seconds to Mars song "Was It a Dream?". Proceeds from the album's sales benefited The Nature Conservancy. "From Yesterday", the third single from ''A Beautiful Lie'', had major success, reaching number one on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks and becoming 30 Seconds to Mars second top 10 hit. The short film for the single, directed by Leto, is the first ever American music video shot in the People's Republic of China in its entirety. Leto said that the video was inspired by Bernardo Bertolucci's ''The Last Emperor'' as well as the work of the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. He explained, "That and the passion and the history of the Chinese culture. I thought it would be the perfect setting to tell the story of 'From Yesterday,' and it ended up one of those really unique things that the song and the visual images kind of collided and made something completely new." The video was voted the greatest epic video of all time on Yahoo! Music Australia, and received awards and nominations from ''Kerrang!'', ''Rock Sound'', and ''Rock on Request''. In March 2007, Matt Wachter left the group to spend more time with his family and was replaced by Tim Kelleher, performing live only.

"A Beautiful Lie" was released as the album's fourth single in some territories, including Portugal, where it reached number eight on the chart. The music video for the song, directed by Leto under the pseudonym of Angakok Panipaq, was the first one ever to be shot 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland. The video was filmed in an entirely environmentally friendly character. Proceeds from the video's sales benefited the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Shooting in Greenland was a dream come true and one of the most exciting adventures we've ever had as a band," Leto said. "Although incredibly challenging and at times it seemed just out of our reach, once we finally arrived the beauty and magnificence of the terrain, the wonderful culture of the people, and the amazing journey itself were all inspiring beyond belief. Almost everyone has heard of global warming by now but for the people of Greenland it is a real and tangible problem of today, not an issue of tomorrow. This journey changed our lives." The music video received a largely positive response, winning the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video and the MTV Asia Award for Favorite Video. In 2008, Leto also remixed "The Only One" for The Cure's extended play ''Hypnagogic States''.

2008–09: Virgin Records lawsuit

Despite their growing momentum, 30 Seconds to Mars soon found themselves at war with their label, Virgin Records. The band had attempted to sign with a new label after the ''A Beautiful Lie Tour'', prompting Virgin to file a lawsuit for $30 million, claiming that the band had failed to produce three of the five records they were obligated to deliver under their 1999 contract with the now-defunct Immortal Records. Leto responded to some of the claims in the suit stating, "under California law, where we live and signed our deal, one cannot be bound to a contract for more than seven years." 30 Seconds to Mars had been contracted for nine years, so the band decided to exercise their "legal right to terminate our old, out-of-date contract, which, according to the law is null and void."

After nearly a year of the lawsuit battle, the band announced on April 28, 2009, that the case had been settled. The suit was resolved following a defence based on a contract case involving actress Olivia de Havilland decades before. Leto explained, "The California Appeals Court ruled that no service contract in California is valid after seven years, and it became known as the De Havilland Law after she used it to get out of her contract with Warner Bros." 30 Seconds to Mars then decided to re-sign with EMI (the parent label of Virgin). Leto said the band had "resolved our differences with EMI" and the decision had been made because of "the willingness and enthusiasm by EMI to address our major concerns and issues, (and) the opportunity to return to work with a team so committed and passionate about 30 Seconds to Mars".

2009–present: ''This Is War'' and critical acclaim

Leto described the band's third album, ''This Is War'', as a concept album, saying it was created in an "intense two-year period, where it felt like the whole world was falling apart and massive changes were going on." In a bid to involve their fans for ''This Is War'', 30 Seconds to Mars held The Summit where they invited fans to provide backing vocals and percussion. At the first, in Los Angeles, people showed up from all over the world, so they repeated The Summit in eight countries and extended the event digitally. The band also invited fans to submit close-up shots of their faces in order to make 2,000 different individual covers for the album.

''This Is War'' was released in December 2009, produced by Flood, Steve Lillywhite and 30 Seconds to Mars. The album peaked at number one on the Tastemaker Albums, number two on the Alternative Albums and Digital Albums, number four on the Rock Albums, and number 18 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Its first two singles, "Kings and Queens" and "This Is War", peaked at number one on the Alternative Songs and reached number four on the Rock Songs. The short film for "Kings and Queens", called "The Ride," was directed by Leto and premiered at The Montalban Theater in Los Angeles on November 9, 2009. The music video features a Critical Mass Crank Mob movement and celebrates the community of riders on a night time journey from downtown L.A. to Santa Monica Pier, a fitting love letter to the city of Los Angeles. "It's a lyrical and slightly metaphorical surreal journey through the city of Angels, from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica Pier," Leto said. The video received four nominations at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of Best Art Direction, Best Direction, Best Rock Video, and Video of the Year, winning the Best Rock Video Award. The band shot the music video for "This Is War" with director Edouard Salier in 2010, but was released a year later, in April 2011. Leto told MTV News, "'This Is War' is the first video that I let someone else direct, and let's just say we won't be doing that again anytime soon."

The third single, "Closer to the Edge", reached number seven on the Alternative Songs, becoming the band's fifth Modern Rock top 10 hit. It holds the record for most weeks spent at the number one during 2010 on the UK Rock Chart when it remained at the top for eight consecutive weeks. The song's music video was directed by Leto and premiered on June 7, 2010, in New Zealand. The short film is a collage of tour footage, fan commentary and pictures of the band from their youth. It was shot in 89 cities in 27 different countries during the band's ''Into the Wild Tour''. The music video was received with highly positive reviews by critics and garnered awards and nominations from ''Rock Sound'', Fuse, and MTV.

}} In 2009, Kanye West announced that he and Leto recorded together a song named "Hurricane". However, West's vocal contribution to the song was ultimately removed because of legal issues surrounding the rights of each record company. The collaboration was later released on the deluxe edition of ''This Is War'' and became the album's fourth single in some territories. The music video for the single was directed by Leto and premiered on MTV on November 29, 2010. "Hurricane" is a psychologically thrilling meditation on sexually deviancy, and as Leto himself put it, "a meditation on the violence of sex, and the sex of violence." He described the concept saying, "It's a surrealistic nightmare dream-fantasy through the desolate empty streets of New York City at night. There's no people, there's no cars and you see the band as we encounter some fears and some fetishes, a series of challenges. It's a really ambitious, really cinematic short film." "Hurricane" was controversially received and was censored because of its elements of violence, nudity and sex. The short film was later released with a clean version that can air on television. Despite its censorship, "Hurricane" was praised by critics and was nominated for several awards, including the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction. It was named the Most Epically Unforgettable Video of 2010 by MTV and won the O Music Award for Best NSFW Music Video.

Other projects

Television work

In 1998, Leto appeared and provided additional photography for "Alaska's Bush Pilots," an hour long episode of ''Wild Life Adventures'', a series hosted predominately by celebrity personalities. He also guest hosted "Posehn, Papa and Mars", an episode from the second series of ''Player$''. Leto is also featured in ''Hollywood High'', a documentary television film about the depiction of drug addiction in film. In 2006, he narrated the Andrew Goldberg's documentary ''The Armenian Genocide''. Leto hosted the 2008 MTV Asia Awards on August 2, 2008, at the Arena of Stars in Genting, Malaysia.

Leto has appeared in several television commercials: one for the U.S. market, a Levi's Jeans commercial that aired in 1993. Other commercial appearances came in television spots for Hugo Boss in 2011. Leto, who is the face of the campaign for the HUGO Just Different fragrance, was directed by Jonas Åkerlund.

Philanthropy

Leto attended the Amnesty International campaign to support human rights, marking the 60th anniversary of the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As part of the campaign, he also made a short film. In October 2008, he attended the Carousel of Hope Gala to raise money for the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes. He supports the The Art of Elysium, which encourages working actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions. He donated an item to watchmaker Nixon to be made into a watch, the sale of which benefitted the MusiCares MAP Fund—a pool of resources set aside to address addiction and recovery needs of members of the music community.

In June 2008, Leto and his bandmates joined forces with Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity to work on a home being repaired and renovated through the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles Area's "A Brush With Kindness" programme. In advance of the build, the band organized an auction of "build slots" to give fans the opportunity to volunteer alongside them and their family and friends. In less than a week, six extra workers were enlisted and over $10,000 was raised to fund additional Habitat for Humanity projects. Leto also supported Habitat for Humanity Malaysia in Sentul in August 2008.

In April 2009, he attended An Evening of Women, an event that raises funds for legal, social, and cultural services of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. In October 2009, Leto raised money to the campaign against California Proposition 8, an initiative to overturn the state Supreme Court decision that had legalized same-sex marriage. Leto spoke out in support of LGBT rights group Freedom Action Inclusion Rights (FAIR). He took part in an online auction of celebrity-signed prints of Shepard Fairey's "Defend Equality Love Unites," a poster in support of gay marriage. Leto decided to make his poster different than the rest, by writing the words of the Proposition 8 ballot on it and then setting it on fire. He then placed the ashes in a jar, writing on it: "Here lies within, the remains of Proposition 8, may it rest in peace."

After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Leto and his bandmates have employed eBay to raise $100,100 for Haitian relief. The charity auction included concert tickets, an exclusive backstage meet and greet, and dinner with the band. 30 Seconds to Mars has also supported the people of Haiti through the Echelon Project "House for Haiti" and the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief. Leto released a book of photographs taken during his trip to Haiti in 2011, in a bid to raise funds for the earthquake-ravaged country. He has connected with and helped various organizations since arriving in Haiti, including Sean Penn's J/P Haitian Relief Organization. Leto spent a year in the Caribbean country during his childhood, and he returned there in January 2011 to "reconnect" with his former home following the devastating tremor of January 2010.

An auction of exclusive personal items and memorabilia donated by 30 Seconds to Mars raised funds to help the Red Cross support people affected by the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

In the media

Leto was twice named one of ''People'' magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 1996 and 1997, and was listed among the "Teen Idols of the '90s". He appeared on ''People'''s "Hottest Bachelors" in 2006 and 2007, and "Best Chests" in 2009. Leto was nominated several times as one of the "Sexiest Vegetarians" by PETA. He won a Chainsaw Award for Price of Darkness in 2006. In 2011, he was nominated the NME Award for Hottest Man and TRL Award for Best Look.

Personal life

Relationships

Leto began dating Cameron Diaz in 1999 and the couple became engaged in 2000. In 2003, they ended their four-year relationship.

In July 2011, Leto began dating model and actress Katharina Damm. On July 18, he was spotted with Damm on the beach in Saint-Tropez.

Political convictions

Leto is vegan and a strict vegetarian. In 2008, he supported the Proposition 2 and attended the Yes! On Prop 2 benefit gala to stop animal cruelty held in Los Angeles, California. In July 2010, he supported WWF's Text For Tigers charity campaign to aid in saving wild tigers from extinction.

In October 2006, Leto and his bandmates began their ''Welcome to the Universe Tour'', which was "environmentally sound" according to an interview with then-bassist Matt Wachter. "Jared and Shannon put together this thing called Environmentour which is illustrating ways—alternatives—to kind of clean up some of the mess we leave behind. We fueled the bus with vegetable oil," he explained. In March 2011, Leto attended the Night of Generosity in Los Angeles, California. The event raised over $100,000 for Generosity Water, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the clean water crisis in developing countries.

The Leto-directed music video of "A Beautiful Lie" was the first one ever to be shot 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland. Determined to offset the impact that filming would have on the environment, Leto and the band worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council to develop strategies that would minimize fuel consumption on the shoot and purchased North American Blend Green Tags (a renewable energy certificate product) from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. 30 Seconds to Mars also launched abeautifullie.org, which includes information about current environmental issues, ways to participate in environmental activities and more. In addition, people can make donations through the site to support the Natural Resources Defense Council.

In the 2008 presidential election, Leto supported Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. At the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, Leto and his bandmates wore Obama T-shirts, and he also asked the crowd to stand in honour of the Democratic senator.

Filmography

+ Actor
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1995	''How to Make an American Quilt''	Beck
1996	''''	Frankie Griffin	Also known as ''Summer Fling''
1997		Steve Prefontaine
1997		Lane Dixon
1998		Basil
1998		Paul Gardener
1998	''''	Second Lieutenant Whyte
1999		Casey
1999		Angel Face
1999		Tobias "Toby" Jacobs	Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
2000		Paul Allen	Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated—National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor
2000	''Requiem for a Dream''	Harry Goldfarb
2000		Glen Walker
2001	''Sol Goode''	Rock Star Wannabe	Uncredited cameo
2002		Jack Hayes
2002	''Panic Room''	Junior
2002		Actor	Uncredited cameo
2004		Hephaestion
2005	''Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow''	Himself	Documentary film
2005	''Lord of War''	Vitaly Orlov	Nominated—National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor
2006			Austin Film Festival
2007	''[[Chapter 27''	Mark David Chapman	[[Zurich Film Festival
2009		Nemo Nobody	Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival Award for Best PerformanceSitges Film Festival Award for Best ActorNominated—Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Award for Best ActorNominated—Stockholm Film Festival Award for Best ActorNominated—Venice Film Festival – Volpi Cup for Best Actor
2011	''TT3D: Closer to the Edge''	Narrator	Documentary film

+ Director
! Year	! Title	Notes
2006	""	Music videoFuse Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Video Inspired by FilmKerrang! Readers Choice Award for Best VideoMTV Australia Video Music Award for Best Rock VideoMTV Australia Video Music Award for Video of the YearMTV Video Music Award – MTV2 AwardNominated—MTV Australia Video Music Award – Viewer's ChoiceNominated—MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock VideoNominated—Virgin Media Music Award for Best Video
2006	"From Yesterday"	Music videoRock on Request Award for Best VideoYahoo! Australia Music Award for Greatest Epic Video of All TimeNominated—Kerrang! Readers Choice Award for Best VideoNominated—Rock Sound Readers Choice Award for Best Video
2008	""	Music videoMTV Asia Award for Favorite VideoMTV Europe Music Award for Best VideoMTV Gold Video Plays AwardRock on Request Award for Best VideoNominated—Kerrang! Award for Best VideoNominated—Rock Sound Readers Choice Award for Best VideoNominated—TMF Award for Best International Video
2009		Music videoMTV Gold Video Plays AwardMTV Video Music Award for Best Rock VideoRock on Request Award for Best VideoRock Sound Readers Choice Award for Best VideoNominated—Fuse Award for Best VideoNominated—Kerrang! Award for Best VideoNominated—MTV Europe Music Award for Best VideoNominated—MTV Video Music Award for Best DirectionNominated—MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
2010	"Closer to the Edge"	Music videoCMA Wild and Young Award for Best International VideoMTV Gold Video Plays AwardNominated—Rock Sound Readers Choice Award for Best Video
2010		Music videoMTV Buzzworthy Award for Most Epically Unforgettable Video of the YearMTV Fan Music Award for Best Group VideoO Music Award for NSFW Music VideoNominated—Kerrang! Award for Best VideoNominated—MTV Video Music Award for Best CinematographyNominated—MTV Video Music Award for Best DirectionNominated—MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing
2011	''Artifact''	Post-production

+ Producer
! Year	! Title	Notes
2001	''Sol Goode''	Co-producer
2007	''Chapter 27''	Executive producer
2011	''Artifact''	Post-production

+ Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1992–1993	''Camp Wilder''	Dexter	2 episodes
1993		Rick Aiken	Episode: "The Fox and the Hound"
1994–1995	''My So-Called Life''	Jordan Catalano
1994	''Cool and the Crazy''	Michael	TV film
1998		Himself	Episode: "Alaska's Bush Pilots"
2003		Himself	Episode: "Posehn, Papa and Mars"
2003		Himself	Documentary film
2006	''''	Narrator	Documentary film

Discography

;30 Seconds to Mars studio albums

''30 Seconds to Mars'' (2002)

''A Beautiful Lie'' (2005)

''This Is War'' (2009)

References

External links

Category:1971 births Category:30 Seconds to Mars members Category:Actors from Louisiana Category:American activists Category:American environmentalists Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American film producers Category:American humanitarians Category:American male singers Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American music video directors Category:American photographers Category:American record producers Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:American vegans Category:American vegetarians Category:American voice actors Category:English-language singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Louisiana Category:People from Bossier City, Louisiana Category:School of Visual Arts alumni Category:University of the Arts (Philadelphia) alumni

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This is a list of people whose names in English are commonly appended with the phrase "''the Great''", or who were called that or an equivalent phrase in their own language. Other languages have their own suffixes such as ''e Bozorg'' and ''e azam'' in Persian and Urdu respectively.

In Persia, the title "the Great" at first seems to be a colloquial version of the Old Persian title "Great King". This title was first used by the conqueror Cyrus II of Persia.

The Persian title was inherited by Alexander III of Macedon (336–323 BC) when he conquered the Persian Empire, and the epithet "Great" eventually became personally associated with him. The first reference (in a comedy by Plautus) assumes that everyone knew who "Alexander the Great" was; however, there is no earlier evidence that Alexander III of Macedon was called "''the Great''".

The early Seleucid kings, who succeeded Alexander in Persia, used "Great King" in local documents, but the title was most notably used for Antiochus the Great (223–187 BC).

Later rulers and commanders began to use the epithet "the Great" as a personal name, like the Roman general Pompey. Others received the surname retrospectively, like the Carthaginian Hanno and the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great. Once the surname gained currency, it was also used as an honorific surname for people without political careers, like the philosopher Albert the Great.

As there are no objective criteria for "greatness", the persistence of later generations in using the designation greatly varies. For example, Louis XIV of France was often referred to as "The Great" in his lifetime but is rarely called such nowadays, while Frederick II of Prussia is still called "The Great". A later Hohenzollern - Wilhelm I - was often called "The Great" in the time of his grandson Wilhelm II, but rarely later.

Rulers

Abbas I of Persia (1571-1629), Shah of Iran

Akbar (1542-1605), ruler of the Mughal Empire of South Asia, mainly India

Alain I of Albret (1440-1522), French aristocrat

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), King of Macedonia, Persia, Greece, Egypt, and all of Mesopotamia

Alexander I of Georgia (1386–1446), King of Georgia

Alfonso III of León (c. 848-910), King of León, Galicia and Asturias

Alfred the Great (848/849-899), King of Wessex

Antiochus III the Great (c. 241–187 BC), ruler of the Seleucid Empire

Ashoka the Great (c. 304–232 BC), Indian emperor of the Maurya dynasty

Ashot I of Iberia “the Great”(died 826/830), presiding prince of Iberia (modern Georgia),

Askia Mohammad I (c. 1442–1538), ruler of the Songhai Empire

Bhumibol Adulyadej (born 1927), King of Thailand

Bolesław I Chrobry (967-1025), sometimes called "the Great", first King of Poland

Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the following section)

Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (1736-1809), founder and ruler of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (in what is now Thailand)

Cnut the Great (c. 985 or 995-1035), King of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden

Casimir III the Great (1310-1370), King of Poland

Catherine the Great (1729-1796), Empress of Russian

Chandragupta II (reigned 375-413/415), also known as Vikramaditya, ruler of the Gupta empire in India

Charlemagne (died 814), King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans

Chulalongkorn (1853-1910), King of Siam (now Thailand)

Chlothar II (584-629), King of Neustria and King of the Franks

Conrad, Margrave of Meissen (c. 1097-1157), Margrave of Meissen

Constantine I (c. 272-337), Roman Emperor

Cyrus the Great (c. 600 BC or 576 BC–530 BC), founder and ruler of the Persian or Achaemenid Empire

Darius the Great (550 – 486 BC), third ruler of the Persian Empire

Devapala (died 850), ruler of the Pala Empire in the Indian subcontinent

Dionysius I, Greek tyrant of Syracuse

Ferdinand I of León and Castile (c. 1015–1065), King of León and Count of Castile

Frederick the Great (1712-1786), King of Prussia

Genghis Khan (1162?-1227), founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire

Gero (c. 900–965), ruler of Marca Geronis, a very large march in Europe

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594-1632), King of Sweden, founder of the Swedish Empire, and noted military leader

Gwanggaeto the Great, King of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea

Hanno the Great, the name of three leaders of Carthage, in the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries BC

Henry I, Duke of Burgundy (946–1002)

Henry IV of France (1553-1610), King of France and King of Navarre

Herod the Great (73/74 BC-4 BC), King of Judea

Hugh the Great (898-956), Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris

Hugh Magnus of France (1007-1025), co-King of France

Hugh I, Count of Vermandois (1057-1101)

Humphrey I de Bohun (died c. 1123), Anglo-Norman aristocrat

Ivan III of Russia (1440-1505), Tsar of Russia

John I of Portugal (1358-1433), King of Portugal and the Algarve

John II of Aragon (1398-1479), King of Aragon and, through his wife, King of Navarre

Justinian I (483-565), Byzantine Emperor

Kamehameha I (c. 1758-1819), first King of Hawai'i

Kanishka (died c. 127), ruler of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia and parts of India

Kvirike III of Kakheti (1010-1029), King of Kakheti in eastern Georgia

Kublai Khan (1215-1294), Mongol ruler in the 13th century and Emperor of China; founder of the Yuan Dynasty

Llywelyn the Great (c. 1172–1240), Prince of Gwynedd and de facto ruler of most of Wales

Louis I of Hungary (1326-1382), King of Hungary, Croatia and Poland

Mangrai the Great (1238-1317), Lanna, northern Thailand

Emperor Meiji (1852-1912), Emperor of Japan

Mircea I of Wallachia (1355–1418)

Mithridates II of Parthia (died 88 BC), ruler of the Parthian Empire (in present day Iran)

Mithridates VI of Pontus (134 BC–63 BC), ruler of Pontus and the Bosporan Kingdom

Mstislav I of Kiev (1076-1132), Grand Prince of Kievan Rus

Narai (1633-1688), King of Ayutthaya (in what is now modern Thailand)

Naresuan (1555-1605), King of Ayutthaya

Odo the Great (died c. 735), Duke of Aquitaine

Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (912-973)

K'inich Janaab' Pakal (603-683), ruler of the Mayan city-state of Palenque

Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa (1123–1186), King of Sri Lanka

Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia (died 1075), King of Croatia

Peter the Great (1672-1725), Tsar of Russia

Peter III of Aragon (1239-1285), King of Aragon and King of Sicily

Pompey (106 BC-48 BC), military and political leader of the late Roman Republic, rival of Julius Caesar

Radama I (1793–1828), first king of greater Madagascar

Raja Raja Chola I (c. 947-1014), Indian emperor of the Cholas.

Rajendra Chola I (reigned 1014-1044), Tamil King of India

Ramesses II (reigned 1279 BC – 1213 BC), considered the greatest pharaoh of Ancient Egypt

Ram Khamhaeng (around 1237 to 1247-1298), King of Sukhothai (in present day Thailand)

Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona (1082-1131), also Count of Provence and various other counties

Rhodri the Great (c. 820–878), King of Gwynedd (in present day Wales)

Roman the Great (after 1160-1205), Grand Prince of Kiev

Samudragupta (c. 335–375), ruler of the Gupta empire in the Indian subcontinent

Sancho III of Navarre (c. 992-1035), King of Kingdom of Navarre

Sargon of Akkad (died c. 2215 BC), ruler of the Akkadian Empire

Sejong the Great (1397-1450), Korean king

Shapur II (309-379), king of the Sassanid Empire, Persia

Simeon I of Bulgaria (864/865-927), ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire

Stephen III of Moldavia (1433-1504), Prince of Moldavia (Romania)

Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia (c. 1308-1355), King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks

Taksin (1734-1782), King of the Thonburi Kingdom (Thailand)

Timur (1336-1405), better known as Tamerlane, founder of the Timurid Dynasty

Theobald II, Count of Champagne (1090–1151), Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV, Count of Champagne and of Brie

Theodoric the Great (454-526), King of the Ostrogoths, regent of the Visigoths and a viceroy of the Byzantine Empire

Theodosius I (347-395), Roman emperor

Tigranes the Great (140-55 BC), Emperor of Armenia

Tiridates III of Armenia (285-339), King of Armenia

Umar (c. 586 to 590–644), second caliph of the Muslim Empire

Valdemar I of Denmark (1131-1182), King of Denmark

Valentinian I (364-375), Roman Emperor

Vladimir I of Kiev (c. 958-1015), ruler of Kievan Rus

Vytautas (c. 1350-1430), archduke of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy

William I, Count of Burgundy (1020-1087), Count of Burgandy and Mâcon

William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969-1030), also Count of Poitou

Xerxes I (519-465 BC), King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire (Persia)

Yu the Great (c. 2200-2100 BC), legendary ruler in ancient China

Religious figures

Abraham the Great of Kashkar (ca. 492-586), monk and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East

Abraham Kidunaia (died c. 366, hermit, priest, and Christian saint of Mesopotamia

Albertus Magnus (1193/1206–1280), medieval German philosopher and theologian

Anthony the Great (c. 251–356), early Christian saint of Egypt

Babai the Great (c. 551–628), Assyrian church leader

Basil of Caesarea (330-379), Greek bishop and theologian

Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the previous section)

Euthymius the Great (377-473), abbot and Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint

Gertrude the Great (1256-c. 1302), German Benedictine, mystic, theologian and Roman Catholic saint

Pope Gregory I (c. 540-604)

Hiyya the Great, 3rd-century rabbi, Palestine

Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)

Pope Leo I (c. 391 or 400-461)

Macarius of Egypt (c. 300-391), Egyptian hermit

Pope Nicholas I (c. 800-867)

Photius I of Constantinople (c. 810–c. 893), Eastern Orthodox saint and Patriarch of Constantinople

William of Maleval (died 1157), founder of the Catholic congregation of Williamites

Other

Beli Mawr, a figure in medieval Welsh literature and genealogies

Emmy the Great, folk singer

Matteo Rosso the Great, Roman politician and father of Pope Nicholas III

Prokop the Great, Hussite general in Bohemia

See also

Epithet

List of monarchs by nickname

List of nicknames of European Royalty and Nobility: G-I

James, son of Zebedee, also known as James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus

Ajax (mythology), called Ajax the Greater

Notes

Category:Monarchs Great, List of people known as The Category:Greatest Nationals Category:Epithets

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