The Seven Sages or Seven Wise Men was the title given to seven philosophers, statesmen, and law-givers of the 7th–6th centuries BCE who were renowned for their wisdom.
The Seven Sages or Seven Wise Men was the title given to seven philosophers, statesmen, and law-givers of the 7th–6th centuries BCE who were renowned for their wisdom.
Solon (/ˈsoʊlən/; Ancient Greek: Σόλων; c. 630 – c. 560 BC) was an archaic Athenian statesman, lawmaker, political philosopher, and poet. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece and is credited with laying the foundations for Athenian democracy. Solon's efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline resulted in his constitutional reform overturning most of Draco's laws.
Solon's reforms included debt relief later known and celebrated among Athenians as the seisachtheia (shaking off of burdens). He is described by Aristotle in the Athenian Constitution as "the first people's champion". Demosthenes credited Solon's reforms with starting a golden age.
Pittacus (/ˈpɪtəkəs/; Ancient Greek: Πιττακός; c. 640 – 568 BC) was an ancient Mytilenean military general and one of the Seven Sages of Greece.
Thales of Miletus (/ˈθeɪliːz/ THAY-leez; Ancient Greek: Θαλῆς; c. 626/623 – c. 548/545 BC) was an Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. Thales was one of the Seven Sages, founding figures of Ancient Greece.
Beginning in eighteenth-century historiography, many came to regard him as the first philosopher in the Greek tradition, breaking from the prior use of mythology to explain the world and instead using natural philosophy. He is thus otherwise referred to as the first to have engaged in mathematics, science, and deductive reasoning.
Periander (/ˌpɛriˈændər/; Greek: Περίανδρος; died c. 585 BC) was the second tyrant of the Cypselid dynasty that ruled over ancient Corinth. Periander's rule brought about a prosperous time in Corinth's history, as his administrative skill made Corinth one of the wealthiest city states in Greece. Several accounts state that Periander was a cruel and harsh ruler, but others claim that he was a fair and just king who worked to ensure that the distribution of wealth in Corinth was more or less even. He is often considered one of the Seven Sages of Greece, men of the 6th century BC who were renowned for centuries for their wisdom. (The other Sages were most often considered to be Thales, Solon, Cleobulus, Chilon, Bias and Pittacus.)
Chilon of Sparta (Ancient Greek: Χείλων) (fl. 6th century BC) was a Spartan politician credited with the militarization of Spartan society, and one of the Seven Sages of Greece.
Cleobulus (/ˌklioʊˈbjuːləs, kliˈɒbjələs/; Greek: Κλεόβουλος ὁ Λίνδιος, Kleoboulos ho Lindios; fl. 6th century BC) was a Greek poet and a native of Lindos. He is one of the Seven Sages of Greece.
Bias (/ˈbiˈ.ɑːs/; Ancient Greek: Βίας fl. 6th century BC) of Priene was a Greek sage. He is widely accepted as one of the Seven Sages of Greece and spent his life working as a legal advocate free of charge for those who had been wronged. He also served as an envoy for Priene during mediation in a conflict with Samos, but he was unsuccessful. Bias is known for his belief that most men are bad. He is also reported as saying that it is unfortunate not to be able to bear misfortune, that one should fear the gods and credit them for one's good deeds, and that wealth and material possessions are unimportant. Several tales are associated with Bias, saying that he refused a tripod rewarded to him for being the wisest man alive, that he paid the ransom for kidnapped girls from Messenia, and that he fooled the Lydian king Alyattes into thinking Priene was too well-stocked to besiege. Bias is said to have died while arguing a case before the court in his old age. He was celebrated in his home town of Priene, and he received praise from Heraclitus, who was known for disdaining historical figures.