# Who was the last statesman known by their epithet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036 "2009-03-19T16:27:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![G1llyB4tes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@G1llyB4tes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G1llyB4tes)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/21 "2009-03-19T17:42:43Z")
‘Dick’ Cheney ? ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/22 "2009-03-19T17:46:23Z")
Super Dave Osborne ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/23 "2009-03-19T20:06:36Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > What about “Der Fuhrer”? > > Or “Il Duce”? I’m not sure that these, of “Stalin”, really count; these are names these figures crafted for themselves. Also, I doubt the Dalai Lama or the Thai King’s titles count, either. They are titles that more or less come with the position. Similarly, mere nicknames which are not descriptive are not what I’m thinking of. I think to count the name has to be: (a) descriptive of some quality of the particular person; and (b) given to that person by other people - not a self-chosen title. So, “Mahatma” Gandhi counts (and so far, he’s the leader of the pack), Kemal “Atatürk”, and Ludwig “the Mad”. Gandhi’s the guy to beat. Any later than him? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/24 "2009-03-19T20:13:46Z")
> [@G1llyB4tes](#): > > ‘Dick’ Cheney ? I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/25 "2009-03-19T20:15:58Z")
Reagan was often called “The Great Communicator” but he was not primarily known by that name. Of the examples given in the OP, were those names used by their contemporaries, or are they historical titles? (Also Alexander the Great, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/26 "2009-03-19T20:22:30Z")
Not sure if it was an epithet or just a nickname, but Marshal Josip Broz of Yugoslavia was known primarily as Tito. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/27 "2009-03-19T20:24:20Z")
How about Saparmurat “Turkmenbashi” Niyazov? He died only a couple years ago. Even more recent, Kim Jong-Il is known throughout North Korea as “Dear Leader” (and more recently, as “Great Leader”, a title formerly held only by his father). If you’re looking for epithets of the form “_X_ the _Y_”, you’ll probably have to go back at least a hundred years. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/28 "2009-03-19T20:41:02Z")
For someone still holding office, the Governator. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/29 "2009-03-19T20:52:28Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Not sure if it was an epithet or just a nickname, but Marshal Josip Broz of Yugoslavia was known primarily as Tito. It was just a nickname (of uncertain origin). Not an honorific. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/30 "2009-03-19T21:06:50Z")
Tricky Dick Peanut The Gipper Poppy Slick Willie Dubya or Shrub ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/31 "2009-03-19T21:17:18Z")
> [@Telperion](#): > > What about the Dalai Lama? Dalai Lama is just a title; it’s like saying “the Pope” or “the Queen”. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/32 "2009-03-19T21:56:22Z")
The Decider ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/33 "2009-03-19T22:09:01Z")
> [@Telperion](#): > > What about the Dalai Lama? It’s a title, like “Pope” or “Patriarch of Constantinople” or “Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem” Besides, according to Tibetan Buddhism, the same guy has held the title through a bunch of lifetimes. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/34 "2009-03-19T22:26:34Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I’m not sure that these, of “Stalin”, really count; these are names these figures crafted for themselves. Though how likely was it that the epithets attached to those ancient statesmen did in fact originate with the statesmen themselves ? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/35 "2009-03-19T22:29:48Z")
Fidel Castro has been El Lider to Cubans, along with a handful of other sobriquets. How about the Duvaliers, Papa Doc and Baby Doc? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/36 "2009-03-19T22:59:36Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Though how likely was it that the epithets attached to those ancient statesmen did in fact originate with the statesmen themselves ? Well I suppose that Ivan may have wanted to be known as “the Terrible”, but I doubt that Ludwig really wanted to be known as “the Mad”. 😃 Though one never knows. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/37 "2009-03-19T23:11:52Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Well I suppose that Ivan may have wanted to be known as “the Terrible”, If the [Wikipedia](of the [Ivan the Terrible - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_IV_of_Russia#Sobriquet))explanation is to be beleived then he may well have done: > [@](#): > > The English word terrible is usually used to translate the Russian word grozny in Ivan’s nickname, but the modern English usage of terrible, with a pejorative connotation of bad or evil, does not precisely represent the intended meaning. Grozny’s meaning is closer to the original usage of terrible—inspiring fear or terror, dangerous (as in Old English in one’s danger), formidable, threatening, or awesome. Perhaps a translation closer to the intended sense would be Ivan the Fearsome, or Ivan the Formidable. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/38 "2009-03-20T02:06:11Z")
Gandhis opponent (and fellow Barrister) Muhammad Ali Jinnah who founded Pakistan is usually known as _Quaid-e-Azam_, the “Great Leader”, or the “Best Leader”. Translations difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/39 "2009-03-20T02:19:01Z")
I think Queen Elizabeth’s husband is often referred to as Philip the Greek. But I guess he’s not in any actual political position, any more than the first wife is. He is a prince of Greece and Denmark, though I don’t know if those are meaningful in any way politically. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036/40 "2009-03-20T02:28:21Z")
Not in the running for most recent, but **Vlad the Impaler** should be mentioned for completeness sake. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-statesman-known-by-their-epithet/490036.md?page=3)