When did Anaximenes live?

Anaximenes was born in 585 BC and died in 528 BC.

Where was Anaximenes from?

Anaximenes was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.

What philosophical movements is Anaximenes associated with?

Anaximenes was associated with Pre-Socratic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.

How many quotes are attributed to Anaximenes?

There are 7 attributed quotations from Anaximenes in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.

Anaximenes 585 BC – 528 BC

Anaximenes (585 BC – 528 BC) was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Pre-Socratic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.

Anaximenes of Miletus was a Greek philosopher and the third of the Milesian school, after Thales and Anaximander. Born around 585 BC, he held that air is the underlying principle of all things, becoming other substances through the processes of rarefaction and condensation. By tying qualitative change to a single quantitative process, he offered an early model of how a unified material substrate could give rise to the diversity of nature. His thought marks the close of the Milesian tradition and influenced later Pre-Socratic accounts of the elements.

Key facts

Nationality: Greek
Era: Ancient
Movements: Pre-Socratic, Ancient Greek Philosophy

Selected quotes

Attributed to Anaximenes:

“Just as our soul, being air, holds us together, so do breath and air encompass the whole world.”
Attributed to Anaximenes:

“Air differs in essence in accordance with its rarity or density.”
Attributed to Anaximenes:

“When it is dilated so as to be rarer, it becomes fire; when condensed, wind, then cloud, then water, then earth, then stones.”
Attributed to Anaximenes:

“The earth is flat and rides upon the air.”
Attributed to Anaximenes:

“The stars are fixed like nails in the crystalline vault of the heavens.”

Read all Anaximenes quotes

Anaximenes by topic

Anaximenes on Nature 5 quotes

Frequently asked about Anaximenes

When did Anaximenes live?: Anaximenes was born in 585 BC and died in 528 BC.
Where was Anaximenes from?: Anaximenes was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.
What philosophical movements is Anaximenes associated with?: Anaximenes was associated with Pre-Socratic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
What was Anaximenes known for?: Anaximenes of Miletus was a Greek philosopher and the third of the Milesian school, after Thales and Anaximander.
How many quotes are attributed to Anaximenes?: There are 7 attributed quotations from Anaximenes in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.