The Ancient Greek Philosopher Anaximander of Miletus
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Anaximander holding a sundial from a third century AD Roman mosaic.
Anaximander of Miletus was a student and associate of the first philosopher, Thales, in the ancient Greek city of Miletus. Anaximander has been credited with many accomplishments: the introduction of the gnomon into Greek culture and the set up of a sundial in Sparta; first to mark the solstices and equinoxes; first to draw an outline of the earth and sea; and first to define the Indefinite (or apeiron) as the principle and fundamental element of nature. He was also the first of the Greeks to write a book in prose, which, except for a small fragment, has been lost to history. His work was not limited to science and philosophy; he was also involved in politics and was the leader of one the Milesian colonies.
Plato
The man known as Plato, with a name that was really his nickname, was one of the three great ancient Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle who together laid the foundation of Western philosophy and culture. Plato built upon the life and teachings of his mentor Socrates to develop a profound and detailed system of philosophy. His work was carried on by his brightest student, Aristotle, who expanded on Plato’s work into the natural philosophy of the physical world. Much of what we know of the life of Plato, which is sparse, comes from his own writings; unfortunately, Plato wrote very little about his own life in his dialogues. Another source of information comes from Aristotle, who spent 20 years studying at Plato’s Academy. In the third century CE, the historian Diogenes Laërtius completed a ten-volume book on the biographies of the ancient Greek philosophers, which included one book just on Plato. Though a detailed biography of Plato is not practical, he did l