Who are the most influential people of the past 2000 years?

One of the most consistent things I've found about being in a large group is that, regardless of the topic, the loudest and most vocal person will usually have a greater influence on the group's decisions than nearly anyone else in the group. <br><br>If we extrapolate this to a global and historical scale, as humanity has grown in both population size and connectivity, this effect will be magnified to the point where in our modern global society the most vocal person has more influence than anyone else in the past. On top of that, we're connected to so many people who are also influential that the effect is magnified in ways it could never have been before. <br><br>However, earlier in history, particularly in the past 2000 years, there have been people with enormous influence, who have shaped global society and still remain prominent today. <br><br>So the question remains, who are the most influential people of the past 2000 years?<br><br>They could be religious leaders, like the Pope or Martin Luther, who have shaped the spiritual beliefs and traditions of billions of people. <br><br>They could be world leaders, like Alexander the Great or Joseph Stalin, who have controlled and shaped the world through conquest, politics, and atrocities. <br><br>Or they could be widely influential people, like Plato and Marx, who have shaped global culture and belief systems. <br><br>So who would be in the top ten?