Thales of Miletus was an Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. Thales was one of the Seven Sages, founding figures of Ancient Greece.
Posthumous portrait of Thales by Wilhelm Meyer, based on a bust from the 4th century
The Ionic Stoa on the Sacred Way in Miletus.
Thales may have been educated in Egypt.
Thales depicted at the Baths of the Seven Sages.
Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC. Philosophy was used to make sense of the world using reason. It dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including astronomy, epistemology, mathematics, political philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, ontology, logic, biology, rhetoric and aesthetics. Greek philosophy continued throughout the Hellenistic period and later evolved into Roman philosophy.
Four Greek philosophers: Socrates, Antisthenes, Chrysippos, Epicurus; British Museum
The philosopher Pyrrho of Elis, in an anecdote taken from Sextus Empiricus' Outlines of Pyrrhonism (upper) PIRRHO • HELIENSIS • PLISTARCHI • FILIVS translation (from Latin): Pyrrho • Greek • Son of Plistarchus (middle) OPORTERE • SAPIENTEM HANC ILLIVS IMITARI SECVRITATEM translation (from Latin): It is right wisdom then that all imitate this security (Pyrrho pointing at a peaceful pig munching his food) (lower) Whoever wants to apply the real wisdom, shall not mind
