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Pre- Socratic

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Thucydides. Thucydides (/θjuːˈsɪdɨdiːz/; Greek: Θουκυδίδης, Thoukudídēs; c. 460 – c. 395 BC) was an Athenian historian, political philosopher and general. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of "scientific history" because of his strict standards of evidence-gathering and analysis in terms of cause and effect without reference to intervention by the gods, as outlined in his introduction to his work.[1] He has also been called the father of the school of political realism, which views the relations between nations as based on might rather than right.[2] His text is still studied at advanced military colleges worldwide, and the Melian dialogue remains a seminal work of international relations theory.

Life[edit] In spite of his stature as a historian, modern historians know relatively little about Thucydides' life. Evidence from the Classical Period[edit] Later sources[edit] Pericles. Herodotus. Place in history[edit] Herodotus announced the size and scope of his work at the beginning of his Researches or Histories: Ἡροδότου Ἁλικαρνησσέος ἱστορίης ἀπόδεξις ἥδε, ὡς μήτε τὰ γενόμενα ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τῷ χρόνῳ ἐξίτηλα γένηται, μήτε ἔργα μεγάλα τε καὶ θωμαστά, τὰ μὲν Ἕλλησι, τὰ δὲ βαρβάροισι ἀποδεχθέντα, ἀκλεᾶ γένηται, τὰ τε ἄλλα καὶ δι' ἣν αἰτίην ἐπολέμησαν ἀλλήλοισι.[2] Herodotus of Halicarnassus, his Researches are here set down to preserve the memory of the past by putting on record the astonishing achievements of both the Greeks and the Barbarians; and more particularly, to show how they came into conflict.[3] His record of the achievements of others was an achievement in itself, though the extent of it has been debated.

His place in history and his significance may be understood according to the traditions within which he worked. Homer was another inspirational source.[16] Before the Persian crisis history had been represented among the Greeks only by local or family traditions. Zeno. Zeno is the common anglicised form of the Greek name Zenon (Ζήνων), derived from the theonym Zeus. It may refer to: Historical people[edit] Philosophers[edit] Zeno of Elea (c. 490 – c. 430 BC), philosopher, follower of Parmenides, famed for his paradoxesZeno of Citium (333 BC – 264 BC), founder of the Stoic school of philosophyZeno of Tarsus (200s BC), Stoic philosopherZeno of Sidon (1st century BC), Epicurean philosopher Other persons of antiquity[edit] As a surname[edit] Modern given name[edit] Zeno Roth (born 1956), German musicianZenon Grocholewski (born 1939), Polish cardinalZenon Jaskuła (born 1962), Polish cyclistZenon Konopka (born 1981), Canadian/Polish hockey playerZenon Mikhailidis, Greek shooterZenon Panoussis, Greek Scientology opponent in Sweden and the NetherlandsZenon Pylyshyn (born 1937), Canadian cognitive scientistZenon de Souza Farias (born 1954), Brazilian footballer Fictional characters[edit] Other[edit] See also[edit]

Parmenides. Parmenides of Elea (/pɑrˈmɛnɨdiːz əv ˈɛliə/; Ancient Greek: Παρμενίδης ὁ Ἐλεάτης; fl. 5th century BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher born in Elea, a Greek city on the southern coast of Magna Graecia. He was the founder of the Eleatic school of philosophy. The single known work of Parmenides is a poem, On Nature, which has survived only in fragmentary form. In this poem, Parmenides describes two views of reality. In "the way of truth" (a part of the poem), he explains how reality (coined as "what-is") is one, change is impossible, and existence is timeless, uniform, necessary, and unchanging. Life[edit] On Nature[edit] Parmenides is one of the most significant of the pre-Socratic philosophers.[12] His only known work, conventionally titled On Nature, is a poem which has only survived in fragmentary form.

Proem[edit] The Way of Truth[edit] For never shall this prevail, that things that are not are. There are extremely delicate issues here. For to be aware and to be are the same. Heraclitus. Heraclitus of Ephesus (/ˌhɛrəˈklaɪtəs/;[1] Greek: Ἡράκλειτος ὁ Ἐφέσιος, Hērákleitos ho Ephésios; c. 535 – c. 475 BCE) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, a native of the Greek city Ephesus, Ionia, on the coast of Asia Minor.

He was of distinguished parentage. Little is known about his early life and education, but he regarded himself as self-taught and a pioneer of wisdom. From the lonely life he led, and still more from the riddling nature of his philosophy and his contempt for humankind in general, he was called "The Obscure" and the "Weeping Philosopher". Heraclitus is famous for his insistence on ever-present change in the universe, as stated in the famous saying, "No man ever steps in the same river twice"[2] (see panta rhei, below).

He believed in the unity of opposites, stating that "the path up and down are one and the same", all existing entities being characterized by pairs of contrary properties. Life[edit] Ephesus on the coast of Asia Minor, birthplace of Heraclitus. Pythagoreanism. Pythagoreanism was the system of esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were considerably influenced by mathematics, music and astronomy. Pythagoreanism originated in the 5th century BC and greatly influenced Platonism. Later revivals of Pythagorean doctrines led to what is now called Neopythagoreanism. Two schools[edit] According to tradition, Pythagoreanism developed at some point into two separate schools of thought: the mathēmatikoi (μαθηματικοί, Greek for "learners") andthe akousmatikoi (ἀκουσματικοί, Greek for "listeners"). The mathēmatikoi[edit] The mathēmatikoi were supposed to have extended and developed the more mathematical and scientific work begun by Pythagoras.

The akousmatikoi[edit] The akousmatikoi focused on the more religious and ritualistic aspects of his teachings: they claimed that the mathēmatikoi were not genuinely Pythagorean, but followers of the "renegade" Pythagorean Hippasus. Natural philosophy[edit] Sophism. The term originated from Greek σόφισμα, sophisma, from σοφίζω, sophizo "I am wise"; confer σοφιστής, sophistēs, meaning "wise-ist, one who does wisdom," and σοφός, sophós means "wise man". Etymology[edit] The Greek word sophist (sophistēs) derives from the words sophia, and sophos, meaning "wisdom" or “wise” since the time of Homer and was originally used to describe expertise in a particular knowledge or craft.[1] Gradually, however, the word also came to denote general wisdom and especially wisdom about human affairs (for example, in politics, ethics, or household management).

This was the meaning ascribed to the Greek Seven Sages of 7th and 6th century BC (such as Solon and Thales), and it was the meaning that appeared in the histories of Herodotus. Richard Martin refers to the seven sages as "performers of political poetry Sophists of ancient Greece[edit] Protagoras was one of the most well-known and successful teachers. Gorgias is another well-known Sophist. Modern usage[edit]