Timeline of Greek Philosophers

Table of Contents

Period	Philosopher	Key Idea
624–546 BC	Thales of Miletus	Water was the fundamental substance (arche) of the cosmos
610–546 BC	Anaximander Pupil of Thales	Developed a cosmological vortex
585–525 BC	Anaximenes	Air was the arche. Used condensation and expansion to explain how air changed into other elements
570–495 BC	Pythagoras	Founded a religious and philosophical school – numbers were the ultimate reality
535–475 BC	Heraclitus	Change is the only reality. His arche was fire
515–445 BC	Parmenides	Founded the Eleatic school – change is an illusion and reality is a single, unchanging, and uniform sphere
500—428 BC	Anaxagoras	Fixed essence or substance
490–430 BC	Empedocles	Four Classical Elements moved by Love and Strife
480-420 BC	Leucippus	Founder of Atomism – universe is made of indivisible atoms moving in a void
460–370 BC	Democritus	Student of Leucippus
470–399 BC	Socrates	Socratic Method
435-350 BC	Arychtas	Dialectics
428–348 BC	Plato Pupil of Socrates	Founded the Academy. Developed the Theory of Forms – non-physical Forms represent the most accurate reality
384–322 BC	Aristotle Pupil of Plato	Founded the Lyceum. Developed Formal Logic and systematic studies in biology, physics, ethics, and politics. Introduced concepts of teleology (purpose)
341–270 BC	Epicurus	Founded Epicureanism – the goal of life is ataraxia (freedom from fear) and aponia (absence of pain)
334–262 BC	Zeno of Citium	Founded Stoicism – virtue is the only good, people should with nature and reason, accepting what they cannot control
360–270 BC	Pyrrho	Founded Pyrrhonian Skepticism – genuine knowledge is impossible and advocated for the suspension of judgment to achieve tranquility
100–170 AD	Claudius Ptolemy	Geocentric model for the next 1,300 years in the Almagest

Philosopher

650 BC 500 BC 400 BC 300 BC 200 BC 100 BC 0 200 AD

Thales

624–546 BC

Anaximander

610–546 BC

Pythagoras

570–495 BC

Heraclitus

535–475 BC

Socrates

470–399 BC

Plato

428–348 BC

Aristotle

384–322 BC

Epicurus

341–270 BC

Zeno

334–262 BC

Ptolemy

100–170 AD

Calculated on a scale of 850 years (650 BC to 200 AD)

Timeline of Greek Philosophers

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