Portrait of Anaxagoras

Anaxagoras

5th-century BC Greek philosopher

Lived
499 BC–427 BC

Updated September 2026

About Anaxagoras

Anaxagoras was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher. Born in Clazomenae at a time when Asia Minor was under the control of the Persian Empire, Anaxagoras came to Athens. In later life he was charged with impiety and went into exile in Lampsacus.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.