Sites from Classical Antiquity


Ionian, Roman and Byzantine Theater	Theater Steps	The Agora

Miletus was a thriving seaport on the Ionian coast (present day western Turkey) in the 7th century B.C. It was the home of the three recognized earliest figures in Greek philosophy and science - Thales (585 B.C.), Anaximander (555 B.C.) and Anaximenes (535 B.C.). Today Miletus is several miles from the sea because the port has been silted in from the run off of the Meander river. There is really nothing at the site but ruins situated on a broad, flat plain. Since the city was occupied for several thousand years, the architecture is a jumble of Ionian, Roman, Byzantine and Turkish styles.

Thales is said to be the first person to have predicted a solar eclipse. His era is dated from the date of a known eclipse which passed through the region, 585 B.C. Most scholars now believe that if Thales did indeed predict an eclipse that he got the necessary information from the Babylonians, who had discovered the 18 year saros cycle. More importantly, Thales speculated about nature of the universe on a (mostly) rational basis. His most famous theory is that everything is water. This is not as ridiculous as it might first appear. After all, astronomers today believe that over 90% of the visible matter in the universe is hydrogen, and hydrogen is one component of water.

Anaximander is best known for speculating that the earth is cylindrical in shape, along with a host of theories about the origin of natural phenomena. For example, he believed that lighting was caused by the wind splitting clouds in two. Anaximenes' thoughts on the origin of the universe and life can seem quite modern, as he conceived of a development over time from simple matter to more complex structures, much like what we call evolution. The importance of the Milesians is that they "discovered nature", that is, they attempted to explain all aspects of the world as arising from natural causes, not by the capricious will of gods or other forms of supernatural beings.


Artemas	Hadrian's Temple	Mosaic

Ephesus is a few miles up the coast from Miletus and is one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world. It is probably best known, not for a philosopher, but for St. Paul's letter to the Christian churches there (the book of Ephesians in the New Testament). In St. Paul's time (the first century A.D.), the Ephesians worshiped the Earth-mother goddess, Artemis (Diana to the Greeks). Note that the statue of Artemis in the picture (above left), has a quite recognizable zodiac circling her neck. Here we can see Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, and Capricornus. Note that Libra (to the right of Scorpius) is a figure holding scales. The figure symbolized Cesar holding the scales of justice. Today, we drop Cesar and retain only the scales.


Aegean Sea at Dawn	Island of Samos	Samos Museum

The islands which dot the Aegean Sea between modern day Turkey and mainland Greece were home to many notable philosophers. Samos in particular had two famous sons: Pythagoras (570 B.C.) and Aristarchus(310 B.C.- 230 B.C.). Pythagoras is widely known for the Pythagorean Theorem (the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides). Pythagoras and his followers fused mathematics and mysticism which has influenced mathematics every since. The Pythagoreans were to first of assert that the earth is a sphere, although, as far as known. their beliefs were due to aesthetic considerations, not empirical arguments.

Aristarchus, on the other hand, was closer to what we recognize as a scientist. He is known for attempting to measure the distance to the Moon, the Sun and to estimate the size of these bodies. His methods were sound, but his measurements were inadequate, leading to values at variance with modern figures. Aristarchus is best known, however, as a supporter of the heliocentric ( sun centered) solar system. Although the book he wrote on this subject has been lost, his theory is mentioned by several ancient authors, usually with a quite critical view of the theory.


Acropolis	Agora	Modern Athens

Athens is the center of Greek culture, and, although they may have been born elsewhere, most of the famous philosophers of the Greek "Golden Age", worked, taught, or at least passed through Athens. The Acropolis, crowned by Pericles' Parthenon dominates the city skyline today much as it did in ancient times. Below the Acropolis, the Agora (central market place) still stands. It was in Athens that Plato and Aristotle founded the Academy and the Lyceum, the first universities.