Storiascopio · Era 5 of 12 · primary year 5
Thales studies nature
about 585 BC · Miletus, Ionia (now Turkey)
In short
Thales of Miletus was one of the first people to look for explanations of nature without turning to myths about the gods. He thought that water was the origin of all things. According to the historian Herodotus, he predicted an eclipse of the Sun that really happened in 585 BC, right in the middle of a battle. It is also said that he measured the height of the Egyptian pyramids by comparing their shadow with the shadow of a stick.
Why it matters Philosophy begins with him: the idea of understanding the world by using reason.
Source: Treccani, entry “Talete”
Where we are in the era “Ancient Greece”
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about 800 BCEvent 7 of 25about 100 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/thales-studies-nature/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class