Ancient philosophy facts for kids

An owl on the Akropolis in Athens

Ancient philosophy refers to the philosophies of Ancient China, Greece, Rome, India, Iran, etc. These places had large empires before 200 BC. This time is sometimes called the Axial Age of thought.

Greece and Rome

Ancient philosophy in Europe refers mainly to that of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Diogenes Laërtius, a 3rd-century scholar wrote Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, which summarized the position of many Ancient Greek philosophers. This work was translated into Latin and meant that Ancient Greek philosophy remained known even after Library of Alexandria lost its influence. Most of Ancient philosophy was forgotten after the 6th century. After this, it was mainly through Islamic thinkers such as Avicenna (11th century), Averroës (12th century), or the Jewish philosopher Maimonides (12th century) that Ancient philosophy became known again. Medieval philosophy, such as that of Albertus Magnus (13th century) or Thomas Aquinas meant that the works of thinkers such as Aristotle were well known.

Images for kids

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  Plotinus

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  Vyasa, at middle of the picture

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  Buddha.

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  Zarathustra as depicted in Raphael's The School of Athens beside Raphael who appears as the ancient painter Apelles of Kos.