Link an historical character to the cited advantage

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by whswhs

...fewer stories are told of beautiful men.

I'll bite. Paul Heinreid, Christopher Plummer, Peter O'Toole and as a Dark Horse David Dukes (not to be confused with David Duke).

[jason taylor]

Will:

Natan Sharansky. Thumbing one's nose at the KGB while being tortured takes a lot.

Raoul Wallenberg for locking horns with Eichmann.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

I'll bite. Paul Heinreid, Christopher Plummer, Peter O'Toole and as a Dark Horse David Dukes (not to be confused with David Duke).

Aren't all of these modern men whose pictures can be seen readily online? I was looking for men whose name got into premodern legends. Got an example?

I'd mention, by the way, that when I ask Duck Duck Go for images of attractive men, what I get seems incredibly European (including American) centered. I see very few Iranians, for example, though to my tastes they're one of the most attractive human ethnicities physically. Nor do I see many East Asians, though they're a huge share of the human population. Though of course some of the same biased sampling turns up in legends, because most of us don't know Asian, African, or indigenous American legends in anything like the same depth.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Aren't all of these modern men whose pictures can be seen readily online? I was looking for men whose name got into premodern legends. Got an example?

I'd mention, by the way, that when I ask Duck Duck Go for images of attractive men, what I get seems incredibly European (including American) centered. I see very few Iranians, for example, though to my tastes they're one of the most attractive human ethnicities physically. Nor do I see many East Asians, though they're a huge share of the human population. Though of course some of the same biased sampling turns up in legends, because most of us don't know Asian, African, or indigenous American legends in anything like the same depth.

My list was more Hollywood centered then anything else. Entertainers are obviously the best place to look for good looks. And of course I know what they looked like. I don't know what Alexander looked like. Probably some guy covered in scars and not all that good looking of scars although his teenage statue looked pretty good.

If it is a good looking Asian woman you are looking for, then Asian epic productions can pick positively radiant women.

A Persian I can't think of right off the bat. Scheherazade?

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

It is possible by TL11 according to Biotech.

So are Doesn't Sleep and Unaging, but that doesn't mean anyone in history had those traits.

[mr beer]

Transcendent seems flat out inhuman to me. There's no-one in media I can think of that qualifies and those historical personages that do so, well let's just say people exaggerate and especially about famous people. I think a combination of Very Beautiful plus Status and/or Reputation and/or Charisma and/or Sex Appeal and/or Diplomacy should be sufficient to explain any historical personage.

[Culture20]

Originally Posted by whswhs

By reputation ... Of course these are all women; fewer stories are told of beautiful men.

Well, older history is often told from a male perspective.
King David reportedly was good looking, but not as much as his older brothers (or at least not as big physically).
Tales and myth tend to describe male appearance more, e.g. Narcissus, who fell in love with himself. If you ask an ancient Greek, that story might be considered history.
Was Casanova considered handsome or just charismatic?

And this entirely omits women (and men) of ... regions of the Earth without written records.

To be fair, we are looking specifically for historical, which implies a record of some sort.

[mr beer]

Originally Posted by khorboth

Strength - Sultan Murad IV of the Ottoman Empire.

He would frequently wrestle several men at once. Historical accounts relate his "effortless" and "tireless" skill with his giant mace wielded in one hand. That mace survives today and weighs about 110 lbs.

Hmm.

"Oh your majesty is indefatigable! You have defeated us all...again!"

Yeah I'd rather use that line than risk annoying a guy who has unlimited powers over my person and no qualms about having people who annoy him executed by torture.

[Culture20]

The closest we come to transcendent are the composite images of many pretty faces which some people rate as highest beauty and others rate as creepy because their faces are too symmetrical and have no blemishes.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by mr beer

Hmm.

"Oh your majesty is indefatigable! You have defeated us all...again!"

Yeah I'd rather use that line than risk annoying a guy who has unlimited powers over my person and no qualms about having people who annoy him executed by torture.

Rustam couldn't have wielded a 110 pound mace.