Thales  was  born  at  Miletus,  a  Greek  colony  in
Asia  Minor.  The  date  of  his  birth  is  extremely
doubtful ;  but  the  first  year  of  the  35th  Olympiad
is  generally  accepted  as  correct.  He  belonged  to
one  of  the  most  illustrious  families  of  Phoenicia ;
and  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  all  the  political

*  We  are  forced,  though  unwillingly,  to  follow  other  his
torians  in  the  use  of  the  word  physiology  in  its  primitive
sense.  It  has  another  and  very  different  meaning  in  English,
always  signifying  biology.  But  we  have  no  other  word
wherewith  to  translate  tpuo-ioXoyoi,  or  "  inquirers  into  external
nature."


THALES.  27

affairs  of  his  country  :  a  part  which  earned  for  him
the  highest  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens.  His  im
mense  activity  in  politics  has  been  denied,  by  later
writers,  as  inconsistent  with  the  tradition,  counte
nanced  by  Plato,  of  his  having  spent  a  life  of  soli
tude  and  meditation  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  his
affection  for  solitude  has  been  questioned  on  the
ground  of  his  political  activity.  It  seems  to  us
that  the  two  things  are  perfectly  compatible.  Me
ditation  does  not  necessarily  unfit  a  man  for  action ;
nor  does  an  active  life  absorb  all  his  time,  leaving
him  none  for  meditation.  The  wise  man  will
strengthen  himself  by  meditation,  before  he  acts  ;
and  he  will  act,  to  test  the  truth  of  his  opinions.
Thales  was  one  of  the  Seven  Sages.  This  reputa
tion  is  sufficient  to  settle  the  dispute.  It  shows
that  he  could  not  have  been  a  mere  Speculative
Thinker ;  for  the  Greek  Sages  were  all  moralists
rather  than  metaphysicians.  It  shows  also  that  he
could  not  have  been  a  mere  man  of  action.  His
magnificent  aphorism  "  know  thyself"  reveals  the
solitary  meditative  thinker.
