Pherecydes of Syros c. 580 BC – c. 520 BC
Pherecydes of Syros (c. 580 BC – c. 520 BC) was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Pre-Socratic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
Pherecydes of Syros was a Greek thinker of the early sixth century BC, traditionally counted as the teacher of Pythagoras and the author of the first Greek prose work on the gods and the origin of the world, the Pentemychos or Five Recesses. The fragments preserved by Diogenes Laertius and other doxographers show a cosmogony in which the primordial figures of Zas, Chronos, and Chthonie produce the world out of an originally unformed seed-time, and in which the first marriage between Zas and Chthonie is celebrated by the weaving of the embroidered cloth that becomes the visible cosmos. He stands at the boundary between mythos and logos and exerted a deep influence on the Pythagorean tradition.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Pre-Socratic, Ancient Greek Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Pherecydes of Syros:
“Zas, Time, and Earth always were.”
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Attributed to Pherecydes of Syros:
“From the seed-time of the world the gods drew their distinctions, and from the gods the order of the visible cosmos.”
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Attributed to Pherecydes of Syros:
“The robe woven for the marriage of Zas and Earth is the world we live in.”
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Attributed to Pherecydes of Syros:
“The soul does not perish with the body; it returns to the source from which it came.”
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Attributed to Pherecydes of Syros:
“What was before the gods cannot be named; it can only be sung.”
Frequently asked about Pherecydes of Syros
- When did Pherecydes of Syros live?
- Pherecydes of Syros was born in c. 580 BC and died in c. 520 BC.
- Where was Pherecydes of Syros from?
- Pherecydes of Syros was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.
- What philosophical movements is Pherecydes of Syros associated with?
- Pherecydes of Syros was associated with Pre-Socratic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
- What was Pherecydes of Syros known for?
- Pherecydes of Syros was a Greek thinker of the early sixth century BC, traditionally counted as the teacher of Pythagoras and the author of the first Greek prose work on the gods and the origin of the world, the Pentemychos or Five Recesses.
- How many quotes are attributed to Pherecydes of Syros?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Pherecydes of Syros in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.