His account of the succession of gods (Ouranos to Cronus to Zeus) bears a nearly identical structure to the Hittite/Hurrian Song of Ullikummi .
Often called the first philosopher, Thales was said to have traveled to Egypt . He likely adapted Egyptian geometry and Babylonian astronomical records (which allowed him to famously predict an eclipse in 585 BCE). Early Greek Philosophy and the Orient
The mystical, soul-focused side of early Greek thought shares striking similarities with Indo-Iranian and Egyptian beliefs regarding reincarnation and the afterlife. 3. The Shift from Myth to "Logos" His account of the succession of gods (Ouranos
The Greeks adopted the Phoenician script. This literacy was the primary vehicle for recording philosophical thought. The mystical, soul-focused side of early Greek thought
Early Greek philosophy is best viewed as a . The Orient provided the "raw materials"—the mathematical tables, the astronomical observations, and the foundational myths—while the Greeks provided a new, critical framework that prioritized logical proof over divine revelation.
The first philosophers (Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes) lived in Miletus, a bustling port city on the coast of modern-day Turkey. Because Miletus was a gateway to the Persian Empire, these thinkers were exposed to centuries of Eastern knowledge.