Thales

Date of Birth: c. 624 BCE

Zodiac Sign: Unknown

Date of Death: c. 546 BCE

Biography

Thales of Miletus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He is often considered the first philosopher in the Western tradition. Thales is renowned for his belief that water is the essential substance, or arche, underlying all of nature. He is also credited with various geometrical theorems and with predicting a solar eclipse. Thales was one of the Seven Sages of Greece and made significant contributions to the early development of philosophy, particularly in natural philosophy and mathematics. His thoughts laid the groundwork for subsequent thinkers and established a rational approach to understanding the natural world.

5 Interesting Facts about Thales

1. Thales is credited with predicting the solar eclipse of May 28, 585 BCE, which halted a battle between the Lydians and the Medes.

2. He is often regarded as the first individual in Western history to engage in scientific philosophy rather than mythological explanations.

3. Thales introduced the concept of deductive reasoning in geometry, which influenced later mathematicians such as Euclid.

4. He was one of the first to suggest that the Earth is a flat disc floating on water.

5. Thales was reputed to have traveled to Egypt, where he learned geometry and other scientific knowledge which he then introduced to Greece.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Thales

1. “The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself.”

2. “Hope is the only good that is common to all men; those who have nothing else possess hope still.”

3. “The past is certain, the future obscure.”

4. “What man is happy? He who has a healthy body, a resourceful mind, and a docile nature.”

5. “Time is the wisest of all things that are; for it brings everything to light.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

As an ancient philosopher, Thales did not accumulate wealth in the modern sense, and his net worth is not documented. His contributions were primarily intellectual and cultural rather than financial.