the Great

[keannu]

What kind of people is this title "the great" for? I know Alexander the Great, but he was a king. So is this term applied to various kinds of people?

330-100
ex)A young carpenter, at the beginning of his career, came to Halcolm, the Great, in distress. He had studied diligently to master carpentry. At the completion of his apprenticeship, the master carpenters said that his technical competence and skill were unmatched for one so young. Yet, Halcolm could also see that the young carpenter was in great distress. "What troubles you?" he asked gently...

[bhaisahab]

What kind of people is this title "the great" for? I know Alexander the Great, but he was a king. So is this term applied to various kinds of people?

330-100
ex)A young carpenter, at the beginning of his career, came to Halcolm, the Great, in distress...

What is the context?

[keannu]

I added more, anyway, Halcolm is a renowned, great master in carpentry to advise him, as shown in further context.

[HanibalII]

I don't think it's as much a title as it is an admiration.

[Chicken Sandwich]

NOT A TEACHER

I don't think it's as much a title as it is an admiration.

I agree. However, I think that it makes more sense to leave out the comma: 'A young carpenter, at the beginning of his career, came to Halcolm the Great, in distress.' (But I realise now that by leaving out the comma it becomes a title...)

b) used in the title of a person or event that was very important in the past Peter/Catherine etc the Great
I’m reading a biography of Alexander the Great.
the Great Depression

Source: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.

The text in the original source(?) is slightly different and makes no mention of Halcolm being great.