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
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 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 Academy at Athens 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 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 | first Greek to attempt the problem of squaring the circle |
Anaxilaus | 1st century BC / 1st century AD | Pythagorean | Banished from Rome for practising magic |
Anaximander | 7th/6th century BC | Milesian
|
First to conceive a mechanical model of the world |
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 – 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 BC | Peripatetic | |
Charmadas | 164 - c. 95 BC | Academic skeptic
|
|
Chrysanthius | fl. 4th century | Neoplatonic
|
|
Chrysippus | 279-206 BC | Stoic | |
Cleanthes | 330-230 BC | Stoic | |
Clearchus of Soli | 4th/3rd century BC (fl. 320 BC) | Peripatetic | |
Cleinias of Tarentum | 4th century BC | Pythagorean | |
Cleomedes | Stoic | ||
Cleomenes | fl. c. 300 BC | Cynic | |
Clinomachus | 4th century BC | Megarian | |
Clitomachus | 187 - 109 BC | Academic skeptic
|
|
Colotes | 320-268 BC | Epicurean
|
|
Crantor | born c. 350 BC | Academic Platonist | |
Crates of Athens | died 268-265 BC | Academic Platonist | |
Crates of Mallus | fl. 2nd century BC | Stoic | |
Crates of Thebes | c. 365 – c. 285 BC | Cynic | husband of Hipparchia of Maroneia |
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 BC | Pythagorean | reportedly the daughter of Pythagoras and Theano |
Dardanus of Athens | 160-85 BC | Stoic | one of the several leaders of Stoa after the death of Panaetius |
Demetrius Lacon | fl. late 2nd century BC | Epicurean
| |
Demetrius of Amphipolis | fl. 4th century BC | Academic Platonist | |
Demetrius Phalereus
|
Peripatetic | ||
Demetrius the Cynic | Cynic | ||
Democrates | Pythagorean? | ||
Democritus | c. 460 – c. 370 BC | 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
|
412/404 - 323 BC | Cynic | Lived in a clay wine jar |
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 | 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 – 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 - 312 BC | Academic Platonist | |
Heraclitus | 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) | 2nd century CE | Stoic | |
Hieronymus of Rhodes | c. 290 – c. 230 BC | Peripatetic | |
Himerius | Sophist | ||
Hipparchia of Maroneia | fl. c. 325 BC | Cynic | Genus of butterflies, Hipparchia (butterfly), named after her |
Hippasus | Pythagorean | ||
Hippias | Sophist | ||
Hippo | 5th century BC | 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 | 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 | 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
|
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 | Eretrian | Originally founded the School of Elis; it was later transferred to Eretria by his pupil Menedemus. | |
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 – 84/83 BC | Academic skeptic
|
|
Philo the Dialectician | Megarian | ||
Philodemus | Epicurean
|
||
Philolaus | Pythagorean | ||
Philonides of Laodicea | Epicurean
|
||
Philostratus | Sophist | ||
Phintys | Pythagorean | ||
Plato | 428/427 - 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 - 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 | fl. c. 300 AD | Peripatetic | |
Pyrrho | Pyrrhonist
|
credited as being the first skeptic philosopher | |
Pythagoras | c. 570 – c. 495 BC | Pythagorean | Credited with discovering the Pythagorean theorem |
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 | c. 470–399 BC | 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 – 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
|
c. 626/623 – c. 548/545 BC | 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 | c. 340 – c. 250 BCE | 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 – 314 BC | Academic | |
Xenophanes of Colophon | 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 BC | Stoic | founder of the Stoic school of philosophy |
Zeno of Elea | Eleatic
|
famous creator of Zeno's paradoxes | |
Zeno of Sidon | 150-75 BC | Epicurean
|
sometimes termed the "leading Epicurean" |
Zeno of Tarsus | fl. 200 BC | Stoic |
See also
- List of ancient Platonists
- List of Cynic philosophers
- List of Epicurean philosophers
- List of Stoic philosophers