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Jesus of Nazareth. Clever, sharp-tongued, confident, learned, intelligent, and incredibly quick-witted. He's very interesting to read about.
Churchill. Such a complex and odd man. A personal inspiration because it seems very likely that he had bipolar.
Octavius.
The dude was not only great during a period of his life, but almost all his life.
For understanding clearly what he have done, there is a fact that it's important to know : how much Romans hated the simple idea of royalty, king and all this kind of thing.
But nevertheless, that's exactly what Octavius became, a king, and almost no one complained or even tried to kill him (almost..), he was even maybe the most loved ruler of all Roman history.
He turned the old and rusty Roman republic into a real empire, which was still the republic from the Roman point a view but ruled differently
What a politician...
The dude was not only great during a period of his life, but almost all his life.
For understanding clearly what he have done, there is a fact that it's important to know : how much Romans hated the simple idea of royalty, king and all this kind of thing.
But nevertheless, that's exactly what Octavius became, a king, and almost no one complained or even tried to kill him (almost..), he was even maybe the most loved ruler of all Roman history.
He turned the old and rusty Roman republic into a real empire, which was still the republic from the Roman point a view but ruled differently
What a politician...
Alexander the Great. An incredibly skilled general, a visionary beyond the grasp of his contemporaries, a fascinating biography. Few men have changed the face of the world like him.
Louis XI, a sort of inspiration for many fictional villains and according to Romanticists, among the first dictators of modern history 
confused. Apparently weak in constitution and having a clumsy slow walk (he was remarked to have walked like a drunkard), he was the exact opposite of the French chivalric ideal. A cunning mind and silver, acid soaked tongue, he paved the way for France's absolute monarchs, though Charles VIII really harmed his long-term legacy. His long-term legacy is maybe unrivaled in France, as even Louis XIV leaves a mixed legacy.
Just a consistent, Machiavellian statesmen who is largely underrated and understudied.
confused. Apparently weak in constitution and having a clumsy slow walk (he was remarked to have walked like a drunkard), he was the exact opposite of the French chivalric ideal. A cunning mind and silver, acid soaked tongue, he paved the way for France's absolute monarchs, though Charles VIII really harmed his long-term legacy. His long-term legacy is maybe unrivaled in France, as even Louis XIV leaves a mixed legacy.Just a consistent, Machiavellian statesmen who is largely underrated and understudied.
Well, its a tie between Ghenghis Khan, who, simply put, owns, and Marcus Aurelius, becouse I find a man who can slaughter the german tribes and then sit on the riverbed and philosophise about the greatness and inherent meaninglessness of life a very, very interesting personality.
Close seconds are Buddha, simply for finding a completely new and in some ways still riddled approach to life, and Canute the Great, who gets a lot of negative points in my book for semi-converting.
Third ones would be Louis The Great of Hungary, for taking over a quite out-of-shape country, and battering it into a b*tch stretching from sea to sea, and Mohamed.
Golden Lion award goes to Gustav Adolph II, and his house occultist, Johannes Bureus (I guess you are all schocked now, aye?)
Ouroboros award goes to Jaques "my do curses work" de Molay.
Close seconds are Buddha, simply for finding a completely new and in some ways still riddled approach to life, and Canute the Great, who gets a lot of negative points in my book for semi-converting.
Third ones would be Louis The Great of Hungary, for taking over a quite out-of-shape country, and battering it into a b*tch stretching from sea to sea, and Mohamed.
Golden Lion award goes to Gustav Adolph II, and his house occultist, Johannes Bureus (I guess you are all schocked now, aye?)
Ouroboros award goes to Jaques "my do curses work" de Molay.
Muhamed Ali of Egypt. Great military leader and very ambitious, modernized the military and infrastructure of Egypt. Established a dynasty that would rule Egypt for 100 years. Rebeled against the Sultan like that other great man Skenderbeg did 400 years earlier.
Philip II of Spain. He has a mixed legacy but I don't think anyone can argue the fact that while he lived, Spain was unrivaled in power. He had a very complex personality, and he is truly fascinating to read about.
Galileo Galilei. Man with a vision who stuck by it despite what the church said.
Either him or one of the ancient greek philosophers.
Either him or one of the ancient greek philosophers.
Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna. One of the most prominent, perhaps the greatest, swedish statesmen responsible for "Stormaktsiden", the Golden Era of Sweden.
George Washington. I don`t know if he had a vision, but he was smart enough to keep the Continental Army together and wear down the Brits. Maybe not a inspiring political leader during his presidency, but a man with a sense for the realities.
Charles XII, Swedish king who enjoyed living the hardships of a simple soldier's life rather then living like a French god in his own country. And even after devastating dissapointments in his life he never lost his spirit to fight.
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The Lollard "hedge-priest" and co-leader of the Peasants' Revolt, John Ball. A medieval proto-communist who preached minor heresy and social equality.. in rhyme.
Rear-Admiral Pierre Andre, Bailli de Suffren, de Saint-Tropez. His meteoric brilliance was more in line with Horatio Nelson than it was with any French admiral before, then or since. His efforts during his naval campaign in the Indian Ocean are breath-taking despite eventual failure. To recognize his accomplishments, the Louis of the time (XV?) promoted him to be France's fourth (and unprecendented fourth) rear-admiral, a position that lapsed after his death.