Timeline of Greek Philosophers

Timeline of Greek Philosophers

Juan Juan
30 min read
PeriodPhilosopherKey Idea
624–546 BCThales of MiletusWater was the fundamental substance (arche) of the cosmos
610–546 BCAnaximander Pupil of ThalesDeveloped a cosmological vortex
585–525 BCAnaximenesAir was the arche. Used condensation and expansion to explain how air changed into other elements
570–495 BCPythagorasFounded a religious and philosophical school – numbers were the ultimate reality
535–475 BCHeraclitusChange is the only reality. His arche was fire
515–445 BCParmenidesFounded the Eleatic school – change is an illusion and reality is a single, unchanging, and uniform sphere
500—428 BCAnaxagorasFixed essence or substance
490–430 BCEmpedoclesFour Classical Elements moved by Love and Strife
480-420 BCLeucippusFounder of Atomism – universe is made of indivisible atoms moving in a void
460–370 BCDemocritusStudent of Leucippus
470–399 BCSocratesSocratic Method
435-350 BCArychtasDialectics
428–348 BCPlato Pupil of SocratesFounded the Academy. Developed the Theory of Forms – non-physical Forms represent the most accurate reality
384–322 BCAristotle Pupil of PlatoFounded the Lyceum. Developed Formal Logic and systematic studies in biology, physics, ethics, and politics. Introduced concepts of teleology (purpose)
341–270 BCEpicurusFounded Epicureanism – the goal of life is ataraxia (freedom from fear) and aponia (absence of pain)
334–262 BCZeno of CitiumFounded Stoicism – virtue is the only good, people should with nature and reason, accepting what they cannot control
360–270 BCPyrrhoFounded Pyrrhonian Skepticism – genuine knowledge is impossible and advocated for the suspension of judgment to achieve tranquility
100–170 ADClaudius PtolemyGeocentric 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)

🌿 Philosopher tree

Lineage & key concepts — with lifespans

Ionian & physicalist line

<!-- Thales → Anaximenes → Anaximander → Anaxagoras → Empedocles → Descartes -->
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  <!-- Thales -->
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      <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Thales <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">c. 624–546 BC</span></span>
      <span class="text-sm text-sky-700 bg-sky-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">water</span>
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  <div class="pl-6 text-stone-300 text-sm">↓</div>
  
  <!-- Anaximenes -->
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      <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Anaximenes <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">c. 586–526 BC</span></span>
      <span class="text-sm text-sky-700 bg-sky-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">air</span>
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  <div class="pl-6 text-stone-300 text-sm">↓</div>
  
  <!-- Anaximander -->
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      <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Anaximander <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">c. 610–546 BC</span></span>
      <span class="text-sm text-sky-700 bg-sky-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">vortex from water</span>
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  <div class="pl-6 text-stone-300 text-sm">↓</div>
  
  <!-- Anaxagoras -->
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      <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Anaxagoras <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">c. 500–428 BC</span></span>
      <span class="text-sm text-sky-700 bg-sky-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">Substance (nous)</span>
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  <div class="pl-6 text-stone-300 text-sm">↓</div>
  
  <!-- Empedocles -->
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      <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Empedocles <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">c. 494–434 BC</span></span>
      <span class="text-sm text-sky-700 bg-sky-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">2 Forces (Love & Strife)</span>
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  <div class="pl-6 text-stone-300 text-sm">↓</div>
  
  <!-- Descartes (bridge to modern) -->
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      <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">René Descartes <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">1596–1650</span></span>
      <span class="text-sm text-sky-700 bg-sky-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">mind–body dualism</span>
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<!-- Pythagoras → Timeaus (geocentric) -->
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  <h3 class="text-xs uppercase tracking-wider font-semibold text-stone-400 border-b border-stone-200 pb-1 mb-4">Pythagorean line</h3>
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        <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Pythagoras <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">c. 570–495 BC</span></span>
        <span class="text-sm text-amber-700 bg-amber-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">math, harmony</span>
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    <div class="pl-6 text-stone-300 text-sm">↓</div>
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        <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Timaeus (of Locri) <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">c. 420–380 BC</span></span>
        <span class="text-sm text-amber-700 bg-amber-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">geocentric</span>
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<!-- Heraclitus → Cratylus → Plato → Aristotle (geocentric) -->
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  <h3 class="text-xs uppercase tracking-wider font-semibold text-stone-400 border-b border-stone-200 pb-1 mb-4">Heraclitean → Platonic → Aristotelian</h3>
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      <div class="philosopher-card bg-white p-3 rounded-xl shadow-sm border border-stone-200 flex flex-col">
        <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Heraclitus <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">c. 535–475 BC</span></span>
        <span class="text-sm text-orange-700 bg-orange-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">flux, fire</span>
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    <div class="pl-6 text-stone-300 text-sm">↓</div>
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        <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Cratylus <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">c. 5th cent. BC</span></span>
        <span class="text-sm text-orange-700 bg-orange-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">radical flux</span>
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    <div class="pl-6 text-stone-300 text-sm">↓</div>
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        <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Plato <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">c. 428–348 BC</span></span>
        <span class="text-sm text-orange-700 bg-orange-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">Shapes & Forms</span>
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    <div class="pl-6 text-stone-300 text-sm">↓</div>
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        <span class="font-semibold text-stone-800">Aristotle <span class="text-xs font-normal text-stone-400 ml-1">384–322 BC</span></span>
        <span class="text-sm text-orange-700 bg-orange-50 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full w-fit mt-1">geocentric</span>
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Eleatic & mathematical line

Xenophanes c. 570–478 BC rejection of anthropomorphic gods
↓
Parmenides c. 515–450 BC The One
↓
Zeno of Elea c. 490–430 BC Paradoxes
↓
Leonhard Euler 1707–1783 identity (eiπ+1=0)
↓
Bernhard Riemann 1826–1866 zeta function
↓
Albert Einstein 1879–1955 fabric of spacetime

Socratic & atomist line

Socrates c. 470–399 BC True Nature, Dialectics
↓
Leucippus c. 5th cent. BC Atom
↓
Democritus c. 460–370 BC Atom
↓
Isaac Newton 1643–1727 Matter (corpuscles)

Medical lineage

Asclepiadae mythical healing lineage
↓
Hippocrates c. 460–370 BC humors
↓
Polybus c. 400 BC Hippocratic corpus
Erasistratus c. 304–250 BC pneuma

(Alexandrian anatomy, pneuma theory)

🌊 water 💨 air 📐 math 🔥 flux/fire ⚛️ One/paradox 💧 atom/dialectic 🩺 humors/pneuma

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