What is Ancient Greek Philosophy?

Ancient Greek Philosophy studies the philosophical activities and enquiries oI

the Greco-Roman thinkers. It covers a period oI 1,000 years; Irom the 6th century
BC to the 6th century AD. It starts Irom the theoretical novelty the early
Presocratic thinkers such as Thales and Anaximander and ends to the late
Neoplatonic and Aristotelian commentators such as Simplicius and Philoponus.
Ancient Greek philosophers can be Iound throughout the Greek-speaking
Mediterranean regions such as South Italy, Sicily, Asia Minor, Egypt and North
AIrica. The questions posed Irom the Greek thinkers concern the philosophical
areas oI Cosmology, Ethics, Epistemology, Logic, Metaphysics and Aesthetics
such as: What is the origin of the Universe? What is the nature of Cosmos? Is there
any transcendental reality beyond perceptual existence? Is there any true
knowledge? Is there any ethical standard for good life?
The Philosophers
Ancient Greek Philosophers were mainly pagans and Ior this reason their
philosophical activities were not totally welcomed by the rising Christianity. Hence
the end oI ancient philosophy is usually marked by the close oI the Platonic
Academy oI Athens by the emperor Justinian in 529AD. The last director oI the
Academy was Damascius.
The Writings
UnIortunately only a small part oI the ancient philosophical writings survive
nowadays. It is noteworthy that the works oI the Presocratic thinkers as well as oI
the Hellenistic philosophers survive only in Iragments mainly Irom late
doxographical sources. On the other hand, despite the Iragmentary evidences oI the
Greek philosophical thought, its theoretical completeness and originality can be
undoubtedly observed in the survived texts.
Time Periods
Ancient Greek Philosophy is usually divided into Iour time-periods: (1)
Presocratic Period (6th 5th century BC); (2) Classical Period (4th century BC);
(3) Hellenistic Period (late 4th 1st century BC); (4) Imperial Period (1st BC
6th century AD). Eminent thinkers and schools oI these philosophical periods are
the Iollowing:
O Presocratic Philosophy (6th 5th century BC)
- The Ionians (Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Xenophanes, Heraclitus)
- The Pythagorean School (Pythagoras, Philolaus, Archytas, Alcmaeon)
- The Eleatic School (Parmenides, Zeno and Melissus)
- The Pluralists and the Atomists (Empedocles, Anaxagoras and Democritus).
O Classical Philosophy (4th century BC)
- The Sophists (Protagoras, Gorgias, Antiphon, Hippias and Prodicus).
- Socrates
- Plato
- Aristotle
O Hellenistic Philosophy (late 4th century BC 1st century AD)
- Cynics (Antisthenes, Diogenes, Crates)
- Stoics (Zeno oI Citium, Cleanthes, Chrysippus)
- Epicureans (Epicurus, Metrodorus, Hemarchus, Polyaenus, Lucretius)
- Sceptics (Pyrrho oI Elis, Carneades)
O Imperial Philosophy (1st century AD 6th century AD)
- Middle-Platonism (Plutarch, Albinus, Apuleius, Atticus, Maximus Ammonius,
Philo)
- Neo-Pythagoreanism (Nicomachus, Moderatus oI Gades, Numenius)
- Early Neoplatonism (Plotinus, Porphyry, Amelius)
- Later Neoplatonists (Iamblichus, Proclus, Damascius)