Living from roughly 484-420 B.C.E., Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian and geographer, his most notable work being the Histories, an expansive account of the Greco-Persian Wars. Much like Homer, his works are known for their storytelling quality. Although the Histories contain many fantastical elements, much of the narrative's content has been found to be credible and accurate. As the creator of the first cohesive and comprehensive account of such an extensive topic, Herodotus has been deemed "The Father of History."

A Greek historian who lived c. 170 to c. 240. He wrote History of the Roman Empire since Marcus Aurelius, which was published after the year 240.

See Pembroke, Mary Sidney Herbert

Welsh-born poet and priest, George Herbert is associated with the Metaphysical literary movement and best remembered for his religious poetry and strong dictional selection.

Hero known for his strength, stamina, and courage, and particularly for his accomplishment of a series of extraordinary labors.

Eastern Roman Emperor whose reign lost Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Byzantine Mesopotamia to the Islamic Rashidun Caliphate.

A representative of the Tudor line and father to Elizabeth I, Henry became king in 1509. He led the separation of the Church of England from papal authority and the Roman Catholic church. A patron of the arts, he was a capable musician and poet in his own right.

King of England, reigning from when he seized the crown from Richard III in August 1485 to his death in April 1509.

The timid and reclusive King of England and proclaimed King of France, Henry VI was an ineffective ruler who inherited a turbulent political climate. Henry VI's reign saw the continuation of the Hundred Years' War, and his ineptitude as a king led to the dynastic conflict which resulted in the Wars of the Roses.

The son of Henry IV, father of Henry VI, and Prince of Wales prior to his coronation as king, Henry V continued the Lancaster dynasty and became known as one of the greatest warrior kings for his success in the Hundred Years' War against France, particularly his victory in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Henry V's profligate youth was dramatized by Shakespeare in his Henriad plays. Although Henry V was known to be occasionally cruel and unchivalrous, he was generally acknowledged to be a brave, pious, and honorable king.