Natural Philosophy Advancement of Learning Advancement of Learning Does the stability of empire encourage trade and an exchange of ideas? Astronomy and Math originally Babylonian Greeks in contact with Eastern cultures learned pragmatic approach Literature Cadmus Phoenician Founder of Thebes Brought the Phoenician Alphabet Palamedes Mythical inventor Letters, written laws, weights and measures The Seven Sages: Thales of Miletus (624-547 BC.) Solon of Athens (c.624-560) Pittacus of Mitylene (650-570) Bias of Priene (flourit ca. 570) Chilon of Sparta (Ephor in 556) Cleobulus of Lindus (6th. cent.) Myson of Chen (6th. cent.) Or: Periander of Corinth (late 7th. Cent) The Greek World Myson Pittacus Solon Bias Thales Chilon Cleobulus Tripods etc. Golden tripod offered to “the wisest.” Golden bowl “who has done the most with his wisdom” Golden goblet All of the Sages refused the award… is the point. The Presocratics: Kosmos (order) Chaos (disorder) Nature (physis) Sought the origin (arche) of all things Milesians: Thales Anaximander Anaximenes Essence, Arché Thales Of Miletus A descendant of Cadmus 624 - 547 Learned Geometry in Egypt Five Theorems of Elementary Geometry Foretold of the eclipse of 28 May, 585 Water is the arche. Anaximander The earth floats free in space Celestial bodies circle the earth. Anaximenes Student of Anaximander B. ca. 526 BC Air is the ‘arche’ "Being made finer it [air] becomes fire, being made thicker it become wind, then cloud, then (when thicker still more) water, then earth, then stones; and the rest come into being through these" (Phys. 24. 26). Air is arche, ergo eternal, ergo divine Parapegma Ancient Star charts Used to predict the change of seasons Used to schedule religious observations Stone versions at Miletus and Athens Parapegma of Euctemon: Extant written version The Pleiades Atlas = Pleione Alcyone Merope Celaeno Electra Sterope Taygete Maia = Zeus Hermes When the sisters died, they were placed amongst the stars Visible in Greece from May to November Signal the farming and sailing seasons Pleidades Pleiades Natural Philosophy Pythagoras of Samos 569 – 476 Captive in Babylon Philo (love) sophia (wisdom) Lovers of wisdom – but no man can be wise Harmonic ratios 2:1, 3:2 and 4:3 used in music. "Golden Mean" 1:1:2:3:5:8:13:21:34:55:89 Ration of 1 to 1.618 Earth rotates around the sun Transmigration of the soul b = 89 a = 55 a Relativism: Xenophanes of Colophon ca. 550 BC “Mortals made their gods, and furnished them with their own body, voice and garments. Our gods have flat noses and black skin, say the Ethiopians. The Thracians say, our gods have red hair and hazel eyes”.