Anaxagoras

@Greek Men, Timeline and Family ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Anaxagoras was a Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Greek Intellectuals & Academics Philosophers Anaxagoras of Clazomenae was an ancient Greek philosopher credited to be the first person to bring philosophy into Athens. He was a philosopher of nature and is best remembered for his cosmology. Even though ancient Greece had given birth to several great minds like Pythagoras even before Anaxagoras’ time, it was Anaxagoras who introduced the concept of philosophy to the Athenians. He was born in Ionia where he spent his early life observing nature and studying natural elements and forces. Such was his love for the sciences that in spite of hailing from a wealthy family he renounced all the riches and dedicated his life to gaining and imparting knowledge. Even though he lived thousands of years ago, he accurately stated that the moon did not produce its own light, but reflected the sun’s light. He claimed that the sun was a mass of molten metal and had correctly given the reason behind the occurrences of eclipses. He moved to Athens—the center of Greek culture—around 480 BC and played a pivotal role in influencing the scientific and cultural development of the city. He is believed to have written several texts though only a few fragments of his works have been preserved.

Personal Details

Birthday: 510 BC Nationality: Greek Famous: Greek Men, Intellectuals & Academics, Philosophers Birth Place: Clazomenae Gender: Male Born in: Clazomenae Famous as: Philosopher Information Detail Birthday 510 BC Nationality Greek Famous Greek Men, Intellectuals & Academics, Philosophers Birth Place Clazomenae Gender Male Born in Clazomenae Famous as Philosopher Died at Age 82

Clazomenae

Anaxagoras born at Unsplash Birth Place

After being forced to leave Athens, he went to Lampsacus where he spent his last years. He died around 428 BC. Unsplash Personal Life

An altar to Mind and Truth was erected in his memory by the citizens of Lampsacus who observed his death anniversary for years. Unsplash Personal Life

Anaxagoras was born around 510 BC in Clazomenae, Ionia. He hailed from an aristocratic and wealthy family. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Not much is known about his early life except for the fact that he was blessed with a brilliant mind and had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He probably spent his youth in Ionia, learning about new things and becoming interested in the scientific study of the world. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Realizing that his life’s purpose was to search for knowledge, he renounced his riches and devoted himself to science. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He moved to Athens around 480 BC. Although many great philosophers including Pythagoras had been born in Ionia, the new study of philosophy was alien to Athens. Unsplash Later Life

Anaxagoras introduced the concept of philosophy to Athenians. During his lifetime Socrates, who would one day become a major philosopher himself, was a young boy. Thus Anaxagoras is considered to be an eminent philosopher of the Pre-Socratic period. Unsplash Later Life

Athens at that time was fast developing as the center of Greek culture, and Anaxagoras played a significant role in the scientific and cultural developments of that period. Unsplash Later Life

During his stay in Athens, Pericles rose to power. Pericles was a prominent statesman and general of Athens who had a profound influence on the Athenian society. He took a liking to Anaxagoras and was impressed by his pursuit of scientific enquiry. Unsplash Later Life

Even though Anaxagoras and the would-be philosopher Socrates both lived in Athens, there are no accounts to suggest that the two ever met. However, there are reports that Archelaus, one of the pupils of Anaxagoras later became the teacher of young Socrates. Unsplash Later Life

The Pre-Socratic philosopher Anaxagoras is credited to have introduced the Athenians to the concept of philosophy. His contributions to the field of cosmology have been immense as he was probably the first person to state the correct reason behind the occurrence of eclipses. Unsplash Major Works

He claimed that the sun was not a god as people of his time believed, but a heavenly body composed of blazing metal. This observation of his led to him being charged of impiety. Unsplash Major Works

Information	Detail
Birthday	510 BC
Nationality	Greek
Famous	Greek Men, Intellectuals & Academics, Philosophers
Birth Place	Clazomenae
Gender	Male
Born in	Clazomenae
Famous as	Philosopher
Died at Age	82

Anaxagoras

Greek

510 BC

Biography

Personal Details

Clazomenae