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Going back a few years, add Judah the Hammer to the list.
Although a lot of the stories surrounding the Maccabees may be apocryphal (or Apocryphal if you are Catholic) and are generally taken on faith, the basic facts remain that they led a successful insurgency against the Seleucid Emperor Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) and established an independent Judean kingdom which lasted for 100 years until an internal power struggle led to Roman intervention.
Does anyone have any thoughts on another historical figure about whom much legend has been wrapped - William Wallace? My impression is that the real Wallace was a good guerrilla leader but only a fair conventional commander, and that his greatest gifts were charismatic and ideological, such that even with his defeats and death, his single-minded dedication to Scottish independence continued to inspire.
Regards,
Dave
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