Sometimes, looking at the mountain of bills at the end of the month, you regret it. But here are a few historic families whose members have never had to count pennies and read Platsjournalen.
From Alexander the Great's Bodyguard: The Ptolemies
The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled for almost 300 years - from 305 to 30 BC. The founder of the dynasty is Ptolemy I Soter, who arrived in northern Greece from Macedonia.
Ptolemy was one of the generals and bodyguards of Alexander the Great. After the death of Alexander in 323 BC. Chr. Ptolemy was appointed governor of a province in Egypt and in 305 BC. Chr. proclaimed himself king.
Then he began to be called Ptolemy I Soter, that is, "savior" or "deliverer." The family ruled Egypt until the Roman conquest, the last queen of the Ptolemaic clan was Cleopatra VII, who, according to the hypothesis, gave birth to a son by Julius Caesar.
The bank bears the family name: Rothschilds
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The very name of this family breathes with wealth. What could be more prestigious than owning a solid bank bearing a family name.
In addition, the family boasts one of the world's most famous wine houses, Château Mouton Rothschild. The vineyards are located in the Poyjk commune of the Medoc region in Bordeaux. Wine connoisseurs know that this wine belongs to the highest class according to the French classification of 1855. Not everyone can afford a bottle, let alone a box of such wine. For many, this is more of an investment than a drink for dinner.
The founder of the dynasty was Mayer Amschel (1743-1812), who turned out to be a skillful manager of capital. His descendants followed the beaten path and laid the foundation for the banking movement. The family continues to manage the inheritance of the founding father.
The most important dynasty of England: Plantagenets
This genus is considered the most important of all for England. It began with the Angevin royal house (1154-1216) and broke off at York (1461-1485), after which the era of the Plantagenets came to an end, and the throne passed to the Tudors. The first king of the dynasty, Henry II, ruled not only England, but also Wales, Normandy, Anjou, Gascony, and other French regions. He was succeeded by King Richard the Lionheart.
Henry III laid the foundation for the English Parliament at Westminster. Under him, the now prestigious universities of Oxford and Cambridge were founded. At the same time, the Magna Carta was written, which established the rights and obligations of the nobility and the royal house.
The document states: “No free person will be arrested or imprisoned, or deprived of possession, or declared outlawed, or expelled, or in any way deprived, and we will not go to him or send him otherwise, as under the legal sentence of his equal and under the law of the country."
Most influenced Indian politics: Gandhi-Nehru
No family has had a greater influence on Indian politics than this clan. The head was Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), who fought for the independence of India and became its first prime minister.
His daughter Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) followed in her father's footsteps. In 1955, she became the chairman of the Congress party, and in 1966 - the country's prime minister.
At the time, she was the only woman in the world to head government. Although the first was Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1960-1965.
In October 1984, Indira Gandhi was shot and killed by her Sikh bodyguard.
Rajiv's son (1944-1991) also served as prime minister, but he was also killed. Then his wife Sonya took up politics. She is now the leader of the Congress Party.
Son of Sonia and Rajiv Rahul and their sister Priyanka are also interested in political issues. Rod is in no hurry to fade away.
Power and Death: Khans
The Mongol warrior Genghis Khan (Genghis Khan, 1162-1227) is called the world's greatest conqueror. His mere sight inspired respect and fear. He showed himself to be a stern warrior who knows no pity.
It is estimated that up to a million people fell victim to Genghis Khan's campaigns. With his army, he subdued more and more lands, his possessions stretched from China in the east to the Volga in the West, which is twice the size of the Roman Empire under Trajan and almost twice the size of the kingdom of Alexander the Great.
After the death of Genghis Khan, power passed to his sons, and none of them began to rest on their laurels. The sons of the sons were not idle either.
Perversion, madness, intrigue: Julia-Claudia
Many detailed explanations even now begin with the words "even the ancient Greeks …", but when it comes to a dysfunctional family, it is better to forget about the Greeks and turn to the ancient Romans.
The founder of the Juliev-Claudian dynasty was the statesman Julius Caesar, who himself was not an emperor (Caesar), but gave this title his name.
Caesar adopted a relative of Octavian, who later became the first emperor of Rome. He was followed by Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero. Emperors became famous for their love of violence and sexual perversion, a tendency to insanity, as well as intrigues in order to increase their power and outwit close or distant relatives.
Over time, the borders of the clan's possessions reached the territory of modern Germany.
Poor monk founded China's most powerful dynasty: Zhu and Ming
The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was one of the most powerful and influential families in China. The ancestor was Zhu Yuanzhang, who was born in 1328 in a peasant family and grew up in poverty.
At first he helped the family and worked as a peasant, but then he became a monk. Later he joined the anti-Mongol movement of the Red Stripes and married the daughter of the leader. Zhu showed his talent as a ruler and military strategist early and soon became the leader of the movement himself. He soon proclaimed himself emperor and took the dynastic name Ming, which means "shining."
The dynasty developed an army and a navy and at the best of times had up to a million soldiers. Many consider the Ming Dynasty to be the pinnacle of Chinese civilization.
Marriage alliances: Habsburgs
The roots of this family can be traced back to 950, but its golden age was from the middle of the 15th to the middle of the 18th century.
The family then supplied the Vatican with popes and ruled over vast lands, including Spain and Austria. Austria was ruled by the Habsburgs from 1278 to 1918 (Habsburg Empire). The princely house spread its influence through marriage alliances.
The motto was “Let others fight, and happy Austria marry”.
One of the most prominent representatives of the dynasty is Empress Maria Theresa (1740-1780), who ruled over all the hereditary lands of the Habsburgs.
Patrons of Leonardo da Vinci: Medici
The Florentine clan of financiers had tremendous influence from the 13th to the 18th century. Three popes came from this family.
The Medici made their fortune trading textiles, and the family established their own bank with the proceeds from the trade. The Medici family ruled Florence, but later became related to the royal houses of France and England.
During the Renaissance, the Medici were renowned patrons of the arts. Lorenzo the Magnificent took Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci under his patronage.
For a long time, the family was considered the richest in Europe.
Fat and Grumpy Genus: Capetian
No European genus has spread as widely as the Capetian. The dynasty was founded by Hugh Capet, king of France in 987-996. After him, the throne passed in a straight descending line from father to son until 1328 and King Charles the Fair. In the Capetian era, the throne was visited by such kings as Louis the Tolstoy, Louis the Grumpy and Louis the Posthumous (John the Posthumous - approx. Trans.).
Charles the Fair had no male heir, and power passed to the offshoots of the Capetian dynasty - the Valois and the Bourbons.
The descendants of the Hugo Capet clan were kings of France, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, Albania, Navarra, Poland, Spain, Hungary.
Today's King of Spain and Grand Duke of Luxembourg are descendants of the House of Bourbons, a branch of the Capetian dynasty.
Peter Thunborg