Who Was Alive
Zhang Qian
PHG, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Zhang Qian

Explorer

Born 28 September 200 BC · died c. 114 BC
Also known as Chang-Kien, Chang Kien, Chang Chien

Who was alive at the same time as Zhang Qian?

  1. Eratosthenes, 276–194 BC
  2. Apollonius of Perga, c. 262 – c. 190 BC
  3. Emperor Gaozu of Han, 256–195 BC
  4. Plautus, 250–184 BC
  5. Hannibal, 247–183 BC
  6. Antiochus III the Great, c. 242 – 187 BC
  7. Ennius, 239–169 BC
  8. Scipio Africanus, c. 235 – 183 BC
  9. Cato the Elder, c. 234 – 149 BC
  10. Antiochus IV Epiphanes, c. 215 – 164 BC
  11. Ptolemy V Epiphanes, 210–180 BC
  12. Polybius, c. 201 – c. 126 BC
  13. Zhang Qian, 200 – c. 114 BC
  14. Hipparchus, c. 190 – c. 120 BC
  15. Terence, c. 188 – 159 BC
  16. Apollodorus of Athens, c. 180 – c. 115 BC
  17. Tiberius Gracchus, 162–133 BC
  18. Gaius Marius, c. 158 – 86 BC
  19. Emperor Wu of Han, 156–87 BC
  20. Sima Qian, c. 140 – BC
  21. Tigranes the Great, 140–BC
  22. Sulla, 138–BC
  23. Posidonius, 135–BC
  24. Mithridates VI Eupator, c. 133 – BC

Drag across the timeline, or use the arrow keys, to see who was alive in any year and the age each person reached that year. Dashed lines mark world events. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.

When Zhang Qian was born, Hannibal was 46 or 47, Eratosthenes was 75 or 76, Plautus was 49 or 50, Ennius was 39 and Emperor Gaozu of Han was 55 or 56.

Born during Zhang Qian’s lifetime: Sima Qian, Terence, Hipparchus, Sulla, Tigranes the Great, Gaius Marius, Emperor Wu of Han and Mithridates VI Eupator.

Not quite contemporaries: Julius Caesar was born about 12 years after Zhang Qian died, Archimedes died about 12 years before Zhang Qian was born, Cicero was born about 5 years after Zhang Qian died and Qin Shi Huang died about 10 years before Zhang Qian was born.

Where Zhang Qian’s contemporaries were born

Zhang Qian is labelled; the others are the best-known people we track who lived at the same time. Each dot is a birthplace from Wikidata (32 of 49 placed); tap one to open that person.
Birthplaces as a list

Compare Zhang Qian

The 48 best-known contemporaries

48 of the people we track were surely alive at the same time as Zhang Qian. All of them are listed here. See also everyone alive in 158 BC.

  1. Sima Qian c. 140 – BC
  2. Hannibal 247–183 BC
  3. Eratosthenes 276–194 BC
  4. Plautus 250–184 BC
  5. Cato the Elder c. 234 – 149 BC
  6. Terence c. 188 – 159 BC
  7. Polybius c. 201 – c. 126 BC
  8. Hipparchus c. 190 – c. 120 BC
  9. Apollonius of Perga c. 262 – c. 190 BC
  10. Scipio Africanus c. 235 – 183 BC
  11. Sulla 138–BC
  12. Tigranes the Great 140–BC
  13. Ennius 239–169 BC
  14. Gaius Marius c. 158 – 86 BC
  15. Emperor Wu of Han 156–87 BC
  16. Emperor Gaozu of Han 256–195 BC
  17. Mithridates VI Eupator c. 133 – BC
  18. Antiochus III the Great c. 242 – 187 BC
  19. Posidonius 135–BC
  20. Antiochus IV Epiphanes c. 215 – 164 BC
  21. Ptolemy V Epiphanes 210–180 BC
  22. Apollodorus of Athens c. 180 – c. 115 BC
  23. Tiberius Gracchus 162–133 BC
  24. Ptolemy XII Auletes 117–BC
  25. Scipio Aemilianus c. 185 – 129 BC
  26. Ptolemy VI Philometor c. 185 – 145 BC
  27. Mithridates I of Parthia 195–132 BC
  28. Ptolemy IX Soter 142–81 BC
  29. Jugurtha 160–104 BC
  30. Carneades 213–129 BC
  31. Cleopatra II c. 186 – 116 BC
  32. Ptolemy VIII Physcon 182–116 BC
  33. Masinissa 238 – c. 149 BC
  34. Cleopatra III c. 161 – 101 BC
  35. Gaius Gracchus c. 154 – 121 BC
  36. Philip V of Macedon 238–179 BC
  37. Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus c. 228 – 160 BC
  38. Perseus of Macedon c. 212 – 166 BC
  39. Ptolemy X Alexander I c. 139 – BC
  40. Modu Chanyu 234–174 BC
  41. Attalus I 269–197 BC
  42. Eumenes II 221–159 BC
  43. Seleucus IV Philopator 217–175 BC
  44. Demetrius I Soter 187–150 BC
  45. Dionysius Thrax 170–BC
  46. Lucius Cornelius Cinna 135–BC
  47. Cleopatra IV c. 138 – 112 BC
  48. Alexander Jannaeus c. 127 – BC