The Friends of Wisdom

The School of Athens by Raphael

The School of Athens by Raphael (1510-1511)
The fresco depicts Plato and Aristotle (center),
as well as other Greek Friends of Wisdom,
inside a Temple under the statues of
Apollo (top left) and Athena (top right)

The Greek Friends of Wisdom (philosophos) developed a body of philosophical concepts, particularly during the flowering of Greek civilization between 800 BCE and 500 CE. Greek philosophy formed the basis of all later philosophical speculation in the Western world. The intuitive hypotheses of the ancient Greeks foreshadowed many theories of modern science, and many of the religious ideas of the Hellenic religion made by the Greek philosophers have been incorporated into modern religions. The political ideas set forth by Greek thinkers have influenced many different political leaders throughout history. Moreover, modern aesthetic discourse derives to a great extent from the ancient Greek preoccupation with the study of the nature and perception of beauty.

F R I E N D S

  • HOMER (9th century BCE)
  • HESIOD (8th century BCE)
  • PYTHAGORAS (c.582-c.500 BCE)
  • SOCRATES (c.470-c.399)
  • PLATO (c.428-c.347 BCE)
  • ARISTOTLE (384-322 BCE)
  • PLUTARCH (c.46-120 CE)
  • PLOTINUS (205-270 CE)
  • IAMBLICHUS (c.250-c.330 CE)
  • JULIAN, EMPEROR (c.331-363 CE)
  • SALLUSTIUS (4th century CE)
  • PROCLUS (412-485 CE)
  • DAMASCIUS

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