List of ancient Greek philosophers
This article is missing information about the lives, and, or, significance of the philosophers as shown within the Notes column.(March 2021) |
This list of ancient Greek philosophers contains philosophers who studied in ancient Greece or spoke Greek. Ancient Greek philosophy began in Miletus with the pre-Socratic philosopher Thales[1][2] and lasted through Late Antiquity. Some of the most famous and influential philosophers of all time were from the ancient Greek world, including Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
↵Abbreviations used in this list:
- c. = circa
- fl. = flourished
Name | Life | School | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Acrion | 5th / 4th century BC | Pythagorean | visited by Plato |
Adrastus of Aphrodisias | 2nd century AD | Peripatetic | wrote commentaries on Aristotle's works and a commentary on Plato's Timaeus |
Aedesia | 5th century | Neoplatonic | wife of Hermias, and mother of Ammonius and Heliodorus |
Aedesius | 3rd / 4th century | Neoplatonic | studied under Iamblichus before founding his own school in Pergamum |
Aeneas of Gaza | 5th / 6th century | Neoplatonic | Christian convert who studied under Hierocles |
Aenesidemus | 1st century BC? | Pyrrhonist | wrote a book called Pyrrhonist Discourses which became a central text for the Pyrrhonists |
Aesara | 5th / 4th century BC | Pythagorean | wrote On Human Nature, of which a fragment is preserved by Stobaeus |
Aeschines of Neapolis | 2nd / 1st century BC | Academic skeptic | shared the leadership of the together with Charmadas and Clitomachus about 110 BC |
Aeschines of Sphettus | 5th / 4th century BC | Socratic | part of Socrates' circle and likely present at his death |
Aetius | 4th century AD | Peripatetic | Antiochean convert to Christianity who studied in Alexandria |
Agapius | 5th / 6th century AD | Neoplatonic | studied under Marinus of Neapolis. known for his learning |
Agathobulus | 1st / 2nd century AD | Cynic | known for his severe asceticism and teacher of Demonax |
Agathosthenes | uncertain date | geographer, historian or philosopher | referred to by Tzetzes as his authority in matters connected with geography. |
Agrippa the Skeptic | 1st / 2nd century AD | Pyrrhonist | thought to be the creator of the "five grounds of doubt" |
Albinus | 2nd century AD | Middle Platonist | |
Alcibiades | 450-404 BC | Socratic | Athenian General and Politician |
Alcinous | 2nd century AD? | Middle Platonist | |
Alcmaeon of Croton | 5th / 5th century BC | Pythagorean | interested in medicine |
Alexamenus of Teos | 5th century BC? | Socratic | may have been the first to write philosophical dialogues |
Alexander of Aegae | 1st century AD | Peripatetic | tutored the emperor Nero |
Alexander of Aphrodisias | 2nd / 3rd century AD | Peripatetic | influential commentator on the Corpus Aristotelicum |
Alexicrates | 1st / 2nd century AD | Pythagorean | |
Alexinus | 4th / 3rd century BC | Megarian | founded his own school which did not fare well |
Amelius | 3rd century AD | Neoplatonic | student of Plotinus who wrote voluminously |
Ammonius Hermiae | 5th / 6th century AD | Neoplatonic | |
Ammonius of Athens | 1st century AD | Middle Platonist | teacher of Plutarch |
Ammonius Saccas | 2nd / 3rd century AD | Neoplatonic | Plotinus' teacher |
Anaxagoras | 5th century BC | Pluralist | |
Anaxarchus | 4th century BC | Atomist | |
Anaxilaus | 1st century BC / 1st century AD | Pythagorean | |
Anaximander | 7th / 6th century BC | Milesian | |
Anaximenes of Miletus | 6th century BC | Milesian | |
Androcydes | 2nd century BC? | Pythagorean | |
Andronicus of Rhodes | 1st century BC | Peripatetic | |
Anniceris | 4th / 3rd century BC | Cyrenaic | |
Antiochus of Ascalon | 2nd / 1st century BC | Middle Platonist | |
Antipater of Cyrene | 4th century BC | Cyrenaic | |
Antipater of Tarsus | 2nd century BC | Stoic | |
Antipater of Tyre | 1st century BC | Stoic | |
Antisthenes | 5th / 4th century BC | Cynic | |
Antoninus | 4th century AD | Neoplatonic | |
Apollodorus of Athens | 2nd century BC | Stoic | |
Apollodorus of Seleucia | 2nd century BC | Stoic | |
Apollodorus the Epicurean | 2nd century BC | Epicurean | |
Apollonius Cronus | 4th century BC | Megarian | |
Apollonius of Tyana | 1st century AD | Neopythagorean | |
Apollonius of Tyre | 1st century BC | Stoic | |
Arcesilaus | 4th / 3rd century BC | Academic skeptic | |
Archedemus of Tarsus | 2nd century BC | Stoic | |
Archelaus | 5th century BC | Pluralist | |
Archytas | 5th / 4th century BC | Pythagorean | |
Arete of Cyrene | 4th century BC | Cyrenaic | |
Arignote | 6th / 5th century BC | Pythagorean | |
Aristarchus of Samos | 4th / 3rd century BC | Academic skeptic | presented the first known model that placed the Sun at the center of the known universe with the Earth revolving around it. |
Aristippus | 5th / 4th century BC | Cyrenaic | |
Aristippus the Younger | 4th century BC | Cyrenaic | |
Aristoclea | fl. 6th century BC | ||
Aristocles of Messene | 1st century AD? | Peripatetic | |
Aristocreon | 3rd / 2nd century BC | Stoic | |
Aristo of Alexandria | 2nd /1st century BC | Peripatetic | |
Aristo of Ceos | 3rd / 2nd century BC | Peripatetic | |
Aristo of Chios | 4th / 3rd century BC | Stoic | |
Aristotle | 4th century BC | Peripatetic | founder of Peripatetic school; student of Plato |
Aristotle of Cyrene | 4th / 3rd century BC | Cyrenaic | |
Aristotle of Mytilene | 2nd century AD | Peripatetic | |
Aristoxenus | 4th century BC | Peripatetic | |
Arius Didymus | 1st century BC | Stoic | |
Asclepiades of Phlius | 4th / 3rd century BC | Eretrian | |
Asclepiades the Cynic | 4th century AD | Cynic | |
Asclepigenia | 5th / 6th century AD | Neoplatonic | |
Asclepiodotus | 1st century BC | ||
Asclepiodotus of Alexandria | 5th century AD | Neoplatonic | |
Aspasius | 2nd century AD | Peripatetic | |
Athenaeus of Seleucia | 1st century BC | Peripatetic | |
Athenodoros Cananites | 1st century BC | Stoic | |
Athenodoros Cordylion | 2nd /1st century BC | Stoic | |
Athenodorus of Soli | 3rd century BC | Stoic | |
Attalus | 1st century BC / 1st century AD | Stoic | |
Atticus | 2nd century AD | Middle Platonist | |
Basilides (Stoic) | 2nd century BC | Stoic | Denied the existence of incorporeal entities |
Basilides the Epicurean | 3rd / 2nd century BC | Epicurean | Succeeded Dionysius of Lamptrai as the head of the Epicurean school at Athens |
Batis of Lampsacus | 3rd century BC | Epicurean | |
Bion of Borysthenes | 4th / 3rd century BC | Cynic | Once was a slave, later to be released |
Boethus of Sidon | 1st century BC | Peripatetic | |
Boethus of Sidon (Stoic) | 2nd century BC | Stoic | |
Bolus of Mendes | fl. 3rd century BC | Pythagorean | |
Brontinus | fl. 6th century BC | Pythagorean | |
Bryson of Achaea | fl. 330 BC | Megarian | |
Callicles | 5th century BCE | Sophist? | |
Calliphon | 2nd century BC | Peripatetic | |
Calliphon of Croton | 6th century BC | Pythagorean | |
Callistratus | fl. 3rd century AD | Sophist | |
Carneades | c. 214 BC – 129/8 BC | Academic skeptic | |
Carneiscus | c. 300 BC | Epicurean | |
Cassius Longinus | c. 213–273 | Middle Platonist | |
Cebes | c. 430–350 BC | Pythagorean | |
Celsus | 2nd century | ||
Cercidas | 3rd century BC | Cynic | |
Cercops | Pythagorean | ||
Chaerephon | Socratic | ||
Chamaeleon | 350-275 B.C. | Peripatetic | |
Charmadas | 164 BC - c. 95 BC | Academic skeptic | |
Chrysanthius | fl. 4th century | Neoplatonic | |
Chrysippus | 279-206 B.C. | Stoic | |
Cleanthes | 330-230 B.C. | Stoic | |
Clearchus of Soli | 4th-3rd century B.C. (fl. 320 B.C.) | Peripatetic | |
Cleinias of Tarentum | 4th century B.C. | Pythagorean | |
Cleomedes | Stoic | ||
Cleomenes | Cynic | ||
Clinomachus | 4th century B.C. | Megarian | |
Clitomachus | 187 BC - 109 BC | Academic skeptic | |
Colotes | 320-268 B.C. | Epicurean | |
Crantor | born c. 350 BC | Academic Platonist | |
Crates of Athens | died 268-265 BC | Academic Platonist | |
Crates of Mallus | fl. 2nd century B.C. | Stoic | |
Crates of Thebes | Cynic | ||
Cratippus of Pergamon | Peripatetic | ||
Cratylus | Ephesian | ||
Crescens the Cynic | Cynic | ||
Crinis | Stoic | ||
Critolaus | Peripatetic | ||
Cronius | fl. 2nd century A.D. | Neopythagorean | |
Damascius | born c. 458, died after 538 | Neoplatonic | |
Damis | 1st-2nd century A.D. | Neopythagorean | |
Damo | 5th century B.C. | Pythagorean | reportedly the daughter of Pythagoras and Theano |
Dardanus of Athens | 160-85 B.C. | Stoic | one of the several leaders of Stoa after the death of Panaetius |
Demetrius Lacon | fl. late 2nd century B.C. | Epicurean | |
Demetrius of Amphipolis | fl. 4th century BC | Academic Platonist | |
Demetrius Phalereus | Peripatetic | ||
Demetrius the Cynic | Cynic | ||
Democrates | Pythagorean? | ||
Democritus | Presocratic, Atomist | ||
Demonax | Cynic | ||
Dexippus | fl. 350 | Neoplatonic | |
Diagoras of Melos | Sophist | ||
Dicaearchus | Peripatetic | ||
Dio Chrysostom | Sophist | ||
Diocles of Cnidus | fl. 3rd or 2nd century BC? | Academic Platonist | |
Diodorus Cronus | Megarian | ||
Diodorus of Adramyttium | fl. 1st century BC | Academic skeptic | |
Diodorus of Aspendus | Pythagorean | ||
Diodorus of Tyre | Peripatetic | ||
Diodotus | Stoic | ||
Diogenes of Apollonia | Presocratic | ||
Diogenes of Babylon | Stoic | ||
Diogenes of Oenoanda | Epicurean | ||
Diogenes of Seleucia | Epicurean | ||
Diogenes of Sinope | Cynic | ||
Diogenes of Tarsus | Epicurean | ||
Dionysius of Chalcedon | Megarian | ||
Dionysius of Cyrene | Stoic | ||
Dionysius of Lamptrai | Epicurean | ||
Dionysius the Renegade | Stoic | abandoned Stoicism for Cyrenaicism | |
Dio of Alexandria | fl. 1st century BC | Academic skeptic | |
Diotima of Mantinea | |||
Diotimus | Stoic | ||
Domninus of Larissa | c. 420 - c. 480 | Neoplatonic | |
Echecrates | Pythagorean | ||
Ecphantus | Pythagorean | ||
Empedocles | Presocratic, Pluralist | ||
Epicharmus of Kos | Pythagorean | ||
Epictetus | Stoic | wrote The Enchiridion, a handbook of Stoic ethical advice | |
Epicurus | Epicurean | said that the purpose of philosophy was to attain tranquility characterized by ataraxia | |
Eubulides | Megarian | ||
Euclid of Megara | Megarian | ||
Eudemus of Rhodes | Peripatetic | ||
Eudorus of Alexandria | Peripatetic | ||
Eudoxus of Cnidus | 410/408 BC – 355/347 BC | Academic Platonist | |
Euenus | Sophist | ||
Euphantus | Megarian | ||
Euphraeus | |||
Euphrates | Stoic | ||
Eurytus | Pythagorean | ||
Eusebius of Myndus | fl. 4th century | Neoplatonic | |
Eustathius of Cappadocia | c. 400 | Neoplatonic | |
Evander | fl. c. 215 - c. 205 | Academic skeptic | |
Favorinus | Academic skeptic | ||
Gaius the Platonist | fl. 2nd century | Middle Platonist | |
Geminus | Stoic | ||
Gorgias | Sophist | ||
Hagnon of Tarsus | fl. 2nd century BC | Academic skeptic | |
Hecataeus of Abdera | Pyrrhonist | ||
Hecato of Rhodes | Stoic | ||
Hegesias of Cyrene | Cyrenaic | ||
Hegesinus of Pergamon | fl. c. 160 BC | Academic skeptic | |
Hegias | fl. c. 500 | Neoplatonic | |
Heliodorus of Alexandria | fl. 5th century | Neoplatonic | |
Heraclides Lembus | |||
Heraclides Ponticus | 387 BC - 312 BC | Academic Platonist | |
Heraclitus | Presocratic, Ephesian | claimed that "You cannot step in the same river twice" and "All is fire." | |
Heraclius | Cynic | ||
Herillus of Carthage | Stoic | ||
Hermagoras of Amphipolis | Stoic | ||
Hermarchus | Epicurean | ||
Hermias | born c. 410 - died c. 450 | Neoplatonic | |
Herminus | Peripatetic | ||
Hermippus of Smyrna | Peripatetic | ||
Hermotimus of Clazomenae | |||
Hicetas | Pythagorean | ||
Hierius | fl c. 500 | Neoplatonic | |
Hierocles of Alexandria | fl. c. 430 | Neoplatonic | |
Hierocles (Stoic) | Stoic | ||
Hieronymus of Rhodes | Peripatetic | ||
Himerius | Sophist | ||
Hipparchia of Maroneia | Cynic | ||
Hippasus | Pythagorean | ||
Hippias | Sophist | ||
Hippo | Presocratic | ||
Horus | Cynic | ||
Hypatia of Alexandria | born 350-370 – 415 | Neoplatonic | |
Iamblichus | c. 245-c. 325 | Neoplatonic | |
Ichthyas | Megarian | ||
Idomeneus of Lampsacus | Epicurean | ||
Ion of Chios | Pythagorean | ||
Isidore of Alexandria | fl. c. 475 | Neoplatonic | |
Jason of Nysa | Stoic | ||
Lacydes of Cyrene | before 241 - c. 205 BC | Academic skeptic | |
Leonteus of Lampsacus | Epicurean | ||
Leontion | Epicurean | ||
Leucippus | Presocratic, Atomist | ||
Lyco of Iasos | Pythagorean | ||
Lyco of Troas | Peripatetic | ||
Lycophron | Sophist | ||
Lysis of Taras | Pythagorean | ||
Marinus of Neapolis | born c. 450 | Neoplatonic | |
Maximus of Ephesus | died 372 | Neoplatonic | |
Maximus of Tyre | fl. 2nd century | Middle Platonist | |
Meleager of Gadara | Cynic | ||
Melissus of Samos | Presocratic, Eleatic | ||
Menedemus | Eretrian | ||
Menedemus of Pyrrha | fl. c. 350 BC | Academic Platonist | |
Menedemus the Cynic | Cynic | ||
Menippus | Cynic | ||
Metrocles | Cynic | ||
Metrodorus of Athens | |||
Metrodorus of Chios | Atomist | ||
Metrodorus of Cos | Pythagorean | ||
Metrodorus of Lampsacus (the elder) | Presocratic | ||
Metrodorus of Lampsacus (the younger) | Epicurean | ||
Metrodorus of Stratonicea | fl. 2nd century BC | Academic skeptic | |
Mnesarchus of Athens | Stoic | ||
Moderatus of Gades | Neopythagorean | ||
Monimus | Cynic | ||
Myia | Pythagorean | ||
Nausiphanes | Atomist | ||
Nicarete of Megara | Megarian | ||
Nicolaus of Damascus | |||
Nicomachus | Neopythagorean | ||
Nicomachus (son of Aristotle) | Peripatetic | ||
Numenius of Apamea | fl. c. 275 | Neopythagorean | |
Nymphidianus of Smyrna | fl. c. 360 | Neoplatonic | |
Ocellus Lucanus | Pythagorean | ||
Oenomaus of Gadara | Cynic | ||
Olympiodorus the Elder | Peripatetic | ||
Olympiodorus the Younger | c. 495-570 | Neoplatonic | |
Onasander | fl. 1st century | Middle Platonist | |
Onatas | Pythagorean | ||
Origen the Pagan | fl. c. 250 | Middle Platonist | |
Panaetius | Stoic | ||
Pancrates of Athens | Cynic | ||
Panthoides | Megarian | ||
Parmenides of Elea | Presocratic, Eleatic | held that the only thing that exists is being itself; teacher of Zeno of Elea | |
Pasicles of Thebes | Megarian | ||
Patro the Epicurean | Epicurean | ||
Peregrinus Proteus | Cynic | ||
Persaeus | Stoic | ||
Phaedo of Elis | Socratic, | ||
Phaedrus | Epicurean | ||
Phanias of Eresus | Peripatetic | ||
Phanto of Phlius | Pythagorean | ||
Philip of Opus | fl. 4th century BC | Academic | |
Philiscus of Aegina | Cynic | ||
Philiscus of Thessaly | Sophist | ||
Philo | 20 BC - 50 AD | Middle Platonist | |
Philo of Larissa | 159/158 BC – 84/83 BC | Academic skeptic | |
Philo the Dialectician | Megarian | ||
Philodemus | Epicurean | ||
Philolaus | Pythagorean | ||
Philonides of Laodicea | Epicurean | ||
Philostratus | Sophist | ||
Phintys | Pythagorean | ||
Plato | 428/427 BC - 348/347 BC | Academic | student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle; famous for the Theory of Forms |
Plotinus | c. 204 – 270 | Neoplatonic | |
Plutarch | c. 46 – 120 | Middle Platonist | |
Plutarch of Athens | c. 350 – 430 | Neoplatonic | |
Polemarchus | |||
Polemon of Athens | Stoic | ||
Polemon of Athens (scholarch) | before 314 BC - 270/269 BC | Academic | |
Polemon of Laodicea | Sophist | ||
Polus | |||
Polyaenus of Lampsacus | Epicurean | ||
Polystratus | Epicurean | ||
Porphyry | 234 – c. 305 | Neoplatonic | taught by Plotinus; wrote the Isagoge, an introduction to Aristotle's "Categories", |
Posidonius | Stoic | ||
Potamo of Alexandria | Eclecticism | ||
Praxiphanes | Peripatetic | ||
Priscian of Lydia | fl. c. 550 | Neoplatonic | |
Priscus of Epirus | c. 305-c. 395 | Neoplatonic | |
Proclus | 412 – 485 | Neoplatonic | |
Proclus of Laodicea | |||
Proclus Mallotes | Stoic | ||
Prodicus | Sophist | ||
Protagoras | Sophist | ||
Ptolemy-el-Garib | Peripatetic | ||
Pyrrho | Pyrrhonist | credited as being the first skeptic philosopher | |
Pythagoras | Pythagorean | ||
Sallustius | Neoplatonic | ||
Sallustius of Emesa | Cynic | ||
Satyrus | Peripatetic | ||
Secundus the Silent | Cynic | ||
Sextus of Chaeronea | |||
Sextus Empiricus | Pyrrhonist | ||
Simmias of Thebes | Pythagorean | ||
Simon the Shoemaker | Socratic | ||
Simplicius of Cilicia | c. 490 - c. 560 | Neoplatonic | |
Siro | Epicurean | ||
Socrates | Socratic | considered one of the founders of Western philosophy; credited as being the first moral philosopher | |
Sopater of Apamea | died before 337 | Neoplatonic | |
Sosigenes | Peripatetic | ||
Sosipatra | fl. c. 325 | Neoplatonic | |
Sotion | Neopythagorean | ||
Speusippus | c. 407 BC – 339 BC | Academic | |
Sphaerus | Stoic | ||
Stilpo | Megarian | ||
Strato of Lampsacus | Peripatetic | ||
Syrianus | died c. 437 | Neoplatonic | |
Telauges | Pythagorean | ||
Telecles of Phocis | died 167/166 BC | Academic skeptic | |
Teles the Cynic | Cynic | ||
Thales | Presocratic, Milesian | first philosopher; held that the first principle (arche) is water; one of the Seven Sages of Greece | |
Theagenes of Patras | Cynic | ||
Theano | Pythagorean | ||
Themista of Lampsacus | Epicurean | ||
Themistius | Neoplatonic | ||
Theodorus of Asine | fl. 3rd century | Neoplatonic | |
Theodorus the Atheist | Cyrenaic | ||
Theon of Smyrna | Neopythagorean | ||
Theophrastus | Peripatetic | ||
Thrasymachus | Sophist | ||
Thrasymachus of Corinth | Megarian | ||
Timaeus of Locri | Pythagorean | ||
Timaeus the Sophist | fl. between 1st and 4th centuries | Middle Platonist | |
Timon | Pyrrhonist | ||
Timycha | Pythagorean | ||
Tisias | Sophist | ||
Xenarchus of Seleucia | Peripatetic | ||
Xeniades | Pyrrhonist | ||
Xenocrates | c. 396 BC – 314 BC | Academic | |
Xenophanes of Colophon | Presocratic, Eleatic | claimed that if oxen were able to imagine gods, those gods would be in the image of oxen | |
Xenophilus | Pythagorean | friend and teacher of Aristoxenus | |
Xenophon | |||
Zenobius | 2nd century A.D. | Sophist | flourished in the times of the emperor Hadrian |
Zenodotus | fl. c. 475 | Neoplatonic | described as "the darling of Proclus" |
Zeno of Citium | 334-262 B.C. | Stoic | founder of the Stoic school of philosophy |
Zeno of Elea | Presocratic, Eleatic | famous creator of Zeno's paradoxes | |
Zeno of Sidon | 150-75 B.C. | Epicurean | sometimes termed the "leading Epicurean" |
Zeno of Tarsus | fl. 200 B.C. | Stoic |
See also[]
- List of ancient Platonists
- List of Cynic philosophers
- List of Epicurean philosophers
- List of Stoic philosophers
References[]
External links[]
Categories:
- Ancient Greece-related lists
- Ancient Greek philosophers
- Ancient Greek philosophy-related lists
- Greek philosophers
- Lists of philosophers