The dates correspond to what the ancients called the akme: the point at which the person in question reached his maturity, or the height of his activity and renown. The sign +/- indicates that the date is approximate. This is very often the case for the period in which the philosophers were active.
Before The Common Era (B.C.E.)
850-750 Composition of the Homeric poems.
700? HESIOD, Greek poet, author of Works and Days.
650+/-? ARISTEAS of Proconnesus travels to Central Asia and compose his poem Arimaspeia.
640+/- EPIMENIDES carries out an expiatory sacrifice in Athens.
600-550 The first thinkers appear in the Greek colonies of Asia Minor; THALES of Mileutus (who predicts the solar ecliptic of May 28, 585) ANAXIMANDER, ANAXIMENES.
600+/- The SEVEN SAGES (historical and legendary figures): SOLON, PITTACUS of Mytilene, CHILON of Sparta, BIAS of Priene, PERIANDER of Corinth, CLEOBULUS of Lindos, THALES of Miletus.
594+/- SOLON, Athenian statesman and poet, later considered one of the Seven Sages.
560+/-? ABARIS, linked to Pythagoras in the Pythagorean and Platonic traditions.
540+/-? XENOPHANES of Colophon emigrates from Colophon, a Greek colony in Asia Minor, and arrives at Elea, a Greek colony in southern Italy.
540+/-? THEOGNIS, elegiac poet of aristocratic ethics.
532+/- PYTHAGORAS, originally from the island of Samos, he emigrates to the Greek colonies of southern Italy, Crotona, and then Metapontum. He is said to be a reincarnation of the (legendary) philosopher HERMOTIMUS of Clazomenae.
504+/- HERACLITUS of Ephesus (Ephesus is a Greek colony in Asia Minor)
500+/- BUDDHA and CONFUCIUS teach their doctrines.
490-429 Life span of the Athenian statesman, PERICLES.
470+/- ANAXAGORAS of Clazomenae.
460+/- EMPEDOCLES of Agrigentum.
450+/- PARMENIDES of Elea, ZENO of Elea, MELISSUS of Samos.
450+/- Heyday of the Sophistic movement, whose adherents include: PROTAGORAS, GORGIAS, PRODICUS, HIPPIAS, THRASYACHUS, ANTIPHON, CRITIAS.
450+/-HERODOTUS, historian.
440+/-DEMOCRITUS of Abdera.
435+/- SOCRATES teaches in Athens.
432 ANAXAGORAS is tried for impiety in Athens and is forced to flee the country.
432-431 SOCRATES takes part in the battle of Potidaea.
431-416 ALCIBIADES, Athenian statesman and disciple of Socrates.
430+/- THUCYDIDES writes his History of the Peloponnesian War.
423+/- Production of ARISTOPHANES’ play The Clouds, which ridicules Socrates’ teaching.
399 SOCRATES is tried for impiety and condemned to death.
399+/- ANTISTHENES, ARISTIPPUS of Cyrene, and EUCLIDES of Megara, disciples of Socrates, found their own schools.
390+/- ISOCRATES opens a school in Athens, where he teaches "philosophy" as overall culture.
389+/- PLATO makes his first trip to southern Italy and to Sicily. Meets DIO of Syracuse.
388-387 PLATO founds his own school in Athens, in the gymnasium called the Academy (Academia). The main members of the Academy are EUDOXUS, HERACLIDES, XENOCRATES, SPEUSIPPUS, ARISTOTLE, and THEAETETUS. There are also two women, AXIOTHEA and LASTHENEIA.
370-301 Chinese philosopher, CHUANG-TZU, who portrays LAO-TZU as his master.
367-365 EUDOXUS of Cnidus replaces Plato as head of the Academy during the latter’s second trip to Sicily to visit Dionysius II of Syracuse.
361-360 HERACLIDES of Pontus replaces Plato as head of the Academy during the latter’s third trip to Sicily.
360+/- DIOGENES THE CYNIC, disciple of Antisthenes.
360+/-? AESCHINES of Sphettos, disciple of Socrates, teaches in Athens and composes dialogues in which Socrates is a character.
350+/-? XENOPON, disciple of Socrates, writes his memoirs of Socrates.
349-348 Death of PLATO. SPEUSIPPUS succeeds him as head of the school.
339-338 XENOCRATES is elected scholar of the Academy, succeeding Speusippus.
The Hellenistic Period B.C.E.
336 ALEXANDER THE GREAT assumes the throne of Macedonia.
335 ARISTOTLE founds his own school in Athens. Important members of the school include THEOPHRASTUS, ARISTOXENUS, DICEARCHUS, CLEARCHUS. According to epigraphic documents, CLEARCHUS travels to a Greek city which eventually becomes Ai Khanoum in Afghanistan.
334 Expedition of Alexander to Persia and to India. ANAXARCHUS of Abdera (a student of Democritus), PYRRHO, and ONESICRITUS all take part in this expedition.
328+/- First generation of disciples of Diogenes The Cynic: MONIMUS, ONESICRITUS, CRATES, HIPPARCHIA, METROCLES, MENIMUS, and MENEDEMUS.
326-323 The Indian Sage, CALANUS, meets the Greeks during Alexander’s stay at Taxila, and commits suicide shortly after Alexander’s death.
323 Death of Alexander in Babylon. During the unsettled years that follow, various Hellenistic monarchies form.
322+/- Death of Aristotole, who is succeeded by THEOPHRASTUS.
321 The comic poet, MENANDER, who may have been influenced by Epicurus.
320+/- Philosophical activity of PYRRHO of Elis. His disciples include PHILO of Athens and TIMON of Athens.
312 Death of Xenocrates. POLEMON succeeds him as head of the Academy.
306 EPICURUS founds his school in Athens. His first disciples include HERODOTUS, PYTHOCLES, HERMARCHUS, METRODORUS, POLYAENUS, LEONTEUS OF LAMPSACUS, THEMISTA, LEONTION, COLOTES, APOLLONIDES, and IDOMENEUS.
301+/- ZENO of Citium founds the Stoic school at Athens. His first disciples include PERSEUS, ARISTON of Chios, and CLEANTHES of Assos.
300+/- EUCLID of Alexandria writes his Elements.
300+/- CRANTOR becomes scholarch of the academy.
295+/- Ptolemy I founds a center of scientific studies in Alexandria called the Museum, with which the Aristotelian DEMETRIUS of Phalerum is associated. At the end of the Third Century, its teachers included the astronomer, ARISTARCHUS of Samos, and the physician, HEROPHILUS.
287-286 STRATO of Lampsacus succeeds Theophrastus.
283-239 ANTIGONOS GONATAS, King of Macedonia, shows favor to philosophers, particularly to Stoics like Cleanthes.
276-241 ARCESILAUS, scholarch of the Academy, gives the school a "critical" orientation.
268+/- LYCON succeeds Strato of Lampsacus as scholarch of the Peripatetic school.
262+/- CLEANTHES becomes head of the Stoic school upon the death of Zeno.
235+/- The Stoic SAHAIROS, disciple of Zeno and Cleanthes, acts as counselor to the Spartan King, Cleomenes III, and probably to his predecessor, Agis IV. He recommends social reforms.
230+/- CHRYSIPPUS becomes head of the Stoic school upon the death of Cleanthes.
212 ARCHIMEDES of Syracuse, astronomer, mathematician, and engineer, is killed by Roman soldiers at the siege of Syracuse.
165+/- CARNEDES is scholarch of the Academy.
155 The Athenians send an embassy to Rome, to request that the city of Athens be exempt from heavy fine. Its members include three philosophers: the Academic, CARNEADES, the Aristotelian, CRITOLAUS, and the Stoic, DIOGENES of Babylon.
150+/- ANTIPATER (or ANTIPATROS) of Tarsus is head of the Stoic School.
149-146 Macedonia and Greece submit to Rome.
144+/- The Stoic, PANAEYIUS, is admitted into the circle of the Scipios. In 129, he succeeds Antipater as head of the Stoic School.
133+/- In Roma, the Stoic BLOSSIUS, a disciple of Antipater, inspires the social reforms of Tiberius Gracchus, and perhaps also at Pergamum, the revolt of Aristonicus, who seeks freedom for all slaves and the equality of all citizens.
110+/- PHILO of Larissa and CHARMADAS teach at the Academy.
106-43 CICERO, Roman statesman, whose philosophical treaties are largely inspired by the Academy of his time (Carneades, Philo of Larissa, Charmadas, Antiochus of Ascalon).
99+/- QUINTUS MUCIUS, SCAEVOLA PONTIFEX and RUTILIUS RUFUS, Roman statesmen and Stoics.
97-95 LUCRETIUS, Epicurean philosopher and poet; author of De Rerum Natura.
95-46 CATO of Utica, Roman statesman and Stoic philosopher.
86 Athens is taken by the Romans, and Sulla’s troops pillage the city.
79+/- ANTIOCHUS of Ascalon opens his own school in Athens and opposes the "critical" attitude (the Academy’s stance from the time of Arcesilaus to that of Philo of Larissa).
60+/- Various manifestations of a renewal of Pythagoreanism.
50+/- APOLLOPHANES of Pergamum, Epicurean philosopher.
50+/- PHILODEMUS of Gadara, Epicurean philosopher and friend of Calpurnius Piso (father-in-law of Julius Caesar). Many of his writings will be found in the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum.
49+/- DIODORUS SICULUS, historian.
44 Julius Caesar is assassinated.
43 Julius Brutus, Roman statesman and assassin of Caesar, attends classes given in Athens by the Platonist THEOMNESTES, who is the last philosopher teaching at Athens to be called "Academic" - that is to say, "critical." The educational institutions founded by Plato, Aristotle, and Zeno disappear in the last years of the Roman Republic; only the institution founded by Epicurus survives. New schools, which take up the doctrinal heritage of Plato, Aristotle, and Zeno, open in Athens and other cities.
35+/- EUDORUS of Alexandria, Platonic philosopher.
30 Battle of Actium. Death of Cleopatra, last queen of Egypt.
30? An Epicurean inscription is engraved by DIOGENES of Oinoanda in his native town. (Some scholars date this inscription to the Second Century C.E.)
7+/- AMYNIAS of Samos, Epicurean philosopher.
The Roman EmpireThe Common Era (C.E.)
27 Octavian receives imperium and the title of Augustus from the Senate; end of Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire. Flourishing of Latin literature (HORACE, OVID). ARIUS DIDYMUS, counselor to Augustus, writes a doxographic manual on the "dogmas" of the various philosophical schools. SEXTIUS, father and son, Roman philosophers, adopt Stoic and Pythagorean ideas, which also have a great influence on the thought of SENECA.
29-30 JESUS of Nazareth is crucified in Jerusalem.
40+/- PHILO of Alexandria, a Platonist and one of the most important authors of Hellenistic Judaism. He will have a strong influence on Christian "philosophy."
48-65 SENECA, Stoic philosopher, tutor and then counselor to the emperor Nero.
60 The Platonist, AMMONIUS, teaches at Athens. PLUTARCH of Chaeronea is his auditor.
93-94 The emperor Domitian expels all philosophers from Rome. Chased out of Rome, the Stoic EPICTETUS, student of MUSONIUS RUFUS, founds a school at Nicopolis, on the Greek coast of the Adriatic.
96 The emperor Nerva comes to power.
100+/- PLUTARCH of Chaeronea, Platonist of the "critical" tendency, writes Parallel Lives and Moralia.
120+/- Beginning of literary activity by the Christian Apologists, in particular JUSTIN, ATHENAGORAS, and THEOPHILUS of Antioch, who present Christianity as a philosophy.
129-200 Life span of GALEN of Pergamun, physician and philosopher.
133+/- BASILIDES, the first "historically identifiable" Gnostic, teaches at Alexandria.
140 The Gnostic, VALENTINUS, teaches at Rome during the reign of Antoninus the Pious.
140+/- FAVORINUS of Arles, Platonist of the "critical" tendency.
146 The Platonist CALVISIUS TAURUS teaches at Athens. His students include AULUS GELLIUS.
147 CLAUDIS PTOLEMAEUS (PTOLEMY) astronomer, mathematician, and geographer.
150+/- The Platonist APULEIUS of Madaura.
150+/-? The Platonist NUMENIUS and CRONIUS.
150+/-? ALCINOOS, Platonist philosopher and author of Didaskalilos, a summary of Platonism.
150+/-? The Platonist ALBINUS, author of Introduction to the Dialogues of Plato, teaches at Smyrna.
155+/- MAXIMUS of Tyre, rhetor and Platonist philosopher.
160+/- The satirist, LUCIAN, influenced by Cynicism.
161-180 Reign of the emperor MARCUS AURELIUS, a Stoic highly influenced by Epicetus.
176 In Athens, MARCUS AURELIUS founds chairs of philosophy (financed by Imperial funds) for the four principal sects: Platonist, Aristotelian, Stoic, and Epicurean.
176+/- ATTICUS occupies the chair in Platonism founded by Marcus Aurelius and teaches in Athens.
177+/- AULUS GELLIUS composes his Attic Nights.
177+/- CELSUS, Platonist philosopher and anti-Christian polemicist.
180 Alexandria and Caesarea in Palestine become centers for the teaching of Christian "philosophy." Proponents include PANTAENUS, CLEMENT of Alexandria, ORIGEN, GREGORY THE WONDER-WORKER, EUSEBIUS of Caesarea.
190+/- SEXTUS EMPIRICUS, physician and Skeptic philosopher, spreads the teachings of such earlier Skeptics as AENESIDEMUS (mid-first century B.C.E.?) and AGRIPA (date?).
198+/- ALEXANDER of Aphrodisias teaches Aristotelian philosophy, possibly in Athens, and publishes numerous commentaries on Aristotle’s works.
200+/- DIOGENES LAERTIUS writes his Lives, Doctrines, and Sayings of the Illustrious Philosophers.
244-270 PLOTINUS, a student of AMMONIUS SACCAS, founds a Platonic (Neoplatonic) school at Rome. His disciples include PORPHYRY, AMELIUS, CASTRICIUS, and ROGATIANUS. Some of his writings contain discussions with Gnostics
300+/- Beginning of Christian monasticism. ANTHONY retires into the desert. ATHANASIUS of Alexandria will write a biography of Anthony in 356.
The Christian Empire
312-313 The emperor Constantine converts to Christianity. He promulgates the Edict of Milan, which ensures the practice of the Christian cult.
313+/- IAMBLICHUS founds a Platonic (neoplatonic) school in Syria, probably in Apamea. He strongly influences later Neoplatonism through the importance he attributes to the Pythagorean tradition and to theurgic practices. He writes numerous commentaries on Plato, Aristotle. His disciples include AIDESIOS of Cappadocia and THEODORUS of Asine.
361-363 The reign of the EMPEROR JULIAN, Neoplatonist philosopher and student of MAXIMUS of Ephesus, who belongs to the Iamblicean tradition. Beginning of a Neoplatonically inspired reaction against Christianity.
360+/- Flourishing of "learned monasticism." Adherents include BASIL of Caesarea, GREGORY NAZIANZEN, GREGORY of Nyssa, and EVAGRIUS of Pontus.
375+/- PLUTARCH OF ATHENS. Birth of the Platonic (Neoplatonic) school of Athens.
386-430 The literary career of AUGUSTINE.
400 Flourishing of Neoplatonic thought in Athens and Alexandria (private schools); teachers include SYRIANUS, PROCLUS, DAMASCIUS, HIEROCLES, HREMIAS, AMMONIUS, SIMPLICIUS, and OLYMPIODORUS. In the Fifth and Sixth Centuries, there are no important doctrinal differences between Neoplatonists teaching in Athens and those who, like HIEROCLES, HERMIAS, AMMONIUS and OLYMPIODORUS, teach in Alexandria. Numerous commentaries on Plato and Aristotle are written by SYRIANUS, PROCLUS, HERMIAS, AMMONIUS, OLYMPIODORUS, PHILOPONUS, SIMPLICIUS, and others. Neoplatonism is a center of resistance to Christianity.
529 The emperor Justinian bars pagans from teaching. The Neoplatonist philosophers DAMASCUS, SIMPLICIUS, and PRISCIAN leave Athens to take refuge in Persia. After a peace treaty is concluded between Chosroes and Justinian, they establish themselves in Carrhae (Byzantine territory, but under Persian influence) where they continue their teaching.
529+/- The Neoplatonist, JOHN PHILOPONUS, converts to Christianity, probably because of the measures taken by Justinian to bar pagans from teaching.
540+/- DOROTHEUS of Gaza, monastic writer.
| Last Updated: 10/19/22 |