The History of Philosophy- The Ancient World (700 BCE-250 CE)

624-546 BCE
THALES OF MILETUS- said to be the 1st philosopher, “the universe is made of water”- It means that water can change
its form but the substance still is said to be “remaining under it.”
569 BCE
PYTHAGORAS- greek thinker who was one of the philosophers who combined Math and Philosophy, 1 st man to claim
that he’s a philosopher, pythagorean theorem
551 BCE
KONG FUZI/ CONFUCIUS- his philosophy centered on respect and tradition, Golden rule: Do not do to others what
you do not want done to yourself- it means treating others the way you want others to treat you.
508 BCE
ATHENS ADOPTED A DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUTION- The powerful greek city-state allowed all male citizens
to have equal political rights and freedom of speech.  Athens developed a culture of philosophy, science, and culture.
480 BCE
SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA/ THE BUDDHA DIED- founder of philosophy and religion “Buddhism”- a path of
practice and spiritual development, he also said that life is marked by suffering but one cannot reach nirvana (meaning
transcendence) if he/she focuses on satisfying his/her selfish desires and self-denial.
In 469 BCE
SOCRATES- developed a method of questioning designed to expose weaknesses during interrogation. The maieutic
method- the questioner acts as a midwife, helping to give birth to others' thoughts
460 BCE
EMPEDOCLES- proposed his theory of the four classical elements which combine to form matter (water, air, fire, and
earth are the basic "stuff”), the last Greek philosopher to record his ideas in verse.
404 BCE
ATHENS DEFEATED IN THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR- The Athens’ political power declined, the most culturally
advanced Greek state was brought into final eclipse.
c.385 BCE
PLATO- Founded the Academy, the first institution of learning in the western world, most famous for his theory of forms
335 BCE
ARISTOTLE- Plato’s student, history's first logician and biologist, founded the Lyceum and tutored Alexander the
Great
c.332-265 BCE
ZENO OF CITIUM- Stoicism from “stoa” meaning porch where the movement’s founder taught. He taught that the
world is governed by unshakable laws laid down by God
In 323 BCE
ALEXANDER THE GREAT- died, Macedonian ruler and one of history’s greatest military minds who established the
largest empire the ancient world had ever seen. His death signaled the end of the cultural and political dominance of
Greece in the ancient world.
100-178 CE
PTOLEMY- a roman citizen of Egypt, proposed an idea that Earth is the center of the universe, presented the Ptolemaic
model, a geocentric model
122 CE
HADRIAN’S WALL- its construction began in Britain, it marked the northernmost border of the Roman Empire
c.150 BCE
GALEN OF PERGAMUM- a Greek physician, produced extraordinary medical research that remained unsurpassed
until the work of Vesalius in 1543. One of successes: removed cataracts from patient’s eyes
220 CE
HAN DYNASTY- collapsed marking the end of a unified China. The period of disunity begins.