Writers of the Ancient World

The atlas holds 32 people and 482 moments here, from 620 BC to 430. The most recorded lives are Plutarch, Aesop and Sun Tzu.

Notable people

  1. Plutarch

    from 66 to 95

    4 moments here

    Greek Platonist philosopher, biographer, essayist, magistrate, and Delphic priest. He was born at Chaeronea between 45 and 47 CE and died after 119…

  2. Aesop

    from 620 BC to 564 BC

    2 moments here

    Greek fabulist and storyteller traditionally credited with Aesop’s Fables. His historical existence and biography are uncertain; this atlas records…

  3. Sun Tzu

    from 544 BC to 496 BC

    2 moments here

    Sun Tzu (traditionally Sun Wu) was a Chinese military strategist traditionally placed in the late Spring and Autumn period.…

  4. Aristophanes

    from 446 BC to 424 BC

    2 moments here

    Athenian comic playwright of Old Comedy. The surviving biographical record is unusually sparse: reliable evidence securely places him in Athens at…

  5. Sappho

    in 600 BC

    2 moments here

    Archaic Greek lyric poet from Lesbos, active from the late seventh into the early sixth century BC.…

  6. Heraclitus

    in 500 BC

    2 moments here

    Heraclitus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher associated with Ephesus in Ionia, active around 500 BC.…

  7. Ptolemy

    from 127 to 141

    2 moments here

    Claudius Ptolemy was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and music theorist.…

  8. Euclid

    in 300 BC

    1 moment here

    Ancient Greek mathematician and geometer, conventionally known as Euclid of Alexandria. Biographical evidence is exceptionally sparse: his birthplace…

Moments

  1. 484 BC Spent the final retreat at Beluva The Buddha
  2. 483 BC Crossed the Kakkuttha River The Buddha
  3. 483 BC Died at Kushinagar The Buddha
  4. 483 BC Stayed in Cunda's grove at Pava The Buddha
  5. 480 BC Military service at Salamis Aeschylus
  6. 480 BC Birth on Salamis Euripides
  7. 480 BC Victory paean after Salamis Sophocles
  8. 479 BC Fought at Plataea Aeschylus
  9. 479 BC Buried beside the Sishui River Confucius
  10. 479 BC Dies in Lu Confucius
  11. 469 BC Born in the deme of Alopece Socrates
  12. 468 BC First Dionysia victory Sophocles
  13. 458 BC Final Sicilian visit to Gela Aeschylus
  14. 456 BC Death at Gela Aeschylus
  15. 455 BC First City Dionysia competition Euripides
  16. 446 BC Birth in Athens Aristophanes
  17. 440 BC Samian campaign Sophocles
  18. 432 BC Serves at Potidaea Socrates
  19. 428 BC Born in Athens Plato
  20. 424 BC Production of The Knights at the Lenaia Aristophanes
  21. 424 BC Retreats from Delium Socrates
  22. 422 BC Fights at Amphipolis Socrates
  23. 420 BC Reception of Asclepius at his house Sophocles
  24. 409 BC Residence in Magnesia Euripides
  25. 408 BC Final competition in Athens Euripides
  26. 408 BC Journey to Archelaus's court Euripides
  27. 406 BC Death in Macedon Euripides
  28. 406 BC Mourning appearance at the City Dionysia proagon Sophocles
  29. 404 BC Summoned to the Tholos by the Thirty Socrates
  30. 399 BC Attends Socrates’ trial Plato
  31. 399 BC Appears at the Royal Stoa Socrates
  32. 399 BC Defends himself at trial Socrates
  33. 399 BC Spends his final day in the state prison Socrates
  34. 396 BC Studies with Euclid in Megara Plato
  35. 394 BC Returns to Athens Plato
  36. 394 BC Studies in the grove of Hecademus Plato
  37. 387 BC First visit to Syracuse Plato
  38. 387 BC Taken to Aegina and offered for sale Plato
  39. 387 BC Travels through southern Italy Plato
  40. 387 BC Visits the craters of Etna Plato
  41. 383 BC Establishes the Academy Plato
  42. 366 BC Accompanies Chabrias up the Acropolis Plato
  43. 366 BC Confined in the Syracusan acropolis Plato
  44. 366 BC Returns to tutor Dionysius II Plato
  45. 365 BC Reunites with Dion at the Academy Plato
  46. 361 BC Begins third Syracuse mission Plato
  47. 360 BC Removed to soldiers’ quarters Plato
  48. 360 BC Returns permanently to Athens Plato
  49. 347 BC Dies and is buried at the Academy Plato
  50. 341 BC Birth on Samos Epicurus

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