Who's the most underrated figure in history?

I may be biased as he's someone I've admired for years, but I've met maybe 2 or 3 people in my entire life who even know who Marcus Aurelius was.

One of the "Five Good Emperors" of Rome, he led the Roman Empire during a period of being attacked on several fronts. Defeated the Persians to the east, and took the city of Ctesiphon (modern Baghdad), defeated over a dozen united Germanic tribes in the Marcomannic Wars, holding off the Germanic migration for a time. He also put down a large revolt in the East swiftly and without much bloodshed.

In the midst of all these successful wars, he instituted tolerant policies throughout the empire, and directed the empire to take a direct role in assisting it's people. He opened up food reserves to help regions suffering from famine, and expanded the Roman welfare system which gave free food to citizens too poor to afford it.

And again, while doing all this he was also one of the greatest philosophers of his era. He's widely considered to be one of the cornerstones of the Stoic school of philosophy. His book Meditations is something I'd highly recommend people read, if only to get inside the head of a Roman Emperor. But it's also a masterpiece of Stoicism. Containing quotes such as:

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.

and

If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed.*

The guy was the perfect realisation of the even handed Philosopher-King. One of the greatest rulers in history, and relatively unknown for some reason.

/r/AskReddit Thread