The Pre-Socratic Atlas

A map of the cities that gave us the Pre-Socratics and the Sophists

Of the early Greek philosophers, surprisingly few were born in Athens. I had always equated early philosophy with that city, but the Pre-Socratics lived along the edges of the Greek world. They lived in Ionia, Magna Graecia, Sicily, and Thrace. Many later traveled to Athens, and some settled there, but this map shows how wide their world actually was.

Pre-Socratics:

• Thales • Miletus (Ionia) • 625 - 545 BC

• Anaximander • Miletus (Ionia) • c. 610–546 BC

• Anaximenes • Miletus (Ionia) • c. 585–528 BC

• Pythagoras • Samos (born); Croton (school) • c. 570–495 BC

• Alcmaeon • Croton (Magna Graecia) • c. 570–490 BC

• Xenophanes • Colophon (Ionia); lived in Magna Graecia • c. 570–475 BC

• Heraclitus • Ephesus (Ionia) • c. 535–475 BC

• Parmenides • Elea (Magna Graecia) • c. 515–445 BC

• Melissus • Samos • c. 470–430 BC

• Zeno • Elea (Magna Graecia) • c. 490–430 BC

• Empedocles • Acragas (Sicily) • 495 - 435 BC

• Hippasus • Metapontum (Pythagorean) • c. 500–450 BC

• Philolaus • Croton/Tarentum (Pythagorean) • c. 470–385 BC

• Ion of Chios • Chios • c. 480–420 BC

• Hippo • Samos or Rhegium • 5th century BC

• Anaxagoras • Clazomenae (Ionia); lived in Athens • c. 500–428 BC

• Archelaus • Athens (Miletus origins) • 5th century BC

• Leucippus • Miletus or Abdera • c. 460–? BC

• Democritus • Abdera (Thrace) • c. 460–370 BC

• Diogenes of Apollonia • Apollonia • 5th century BC

Sophists:

• Gorgias • Leontini, Sicily (worked in Athens) • c. 483 – c. 375 BCE

• Protagoras • Abdera (worked in Athens) • c. 490 – c. 420 BCE

• Prodicus • Ceos (Iulis) • c. 465 – c. 395 BCE

• Hippias • Elis • c. 460 – c. 399 BCE

• Antiphon • Athens (Rhamnus) • c. 480 – 411 BCE

• Thrasymachus • Chalcedon (worked in Athens) • c. 459 – c. 400 BCE

• Critias • Athens • c. 460 – 403 BCE

• Lycophron • Unknown (associate of Gorgias) • 5th – early 4th century BCE

• Callicles • Acharnae, Athens • 5th century BCE (fl. c. 420 BCE)

• Euthydemus • Chios (later Thurii) • 5th century BCE (fl. c. 420 BCE)

• Dionysodorus • Chios (later Thurii) • 5th century BCE (fl. c. 420 BCE)