The Milesians were the inhabitants of

Miletus Miletus (; gr, Μῑ́λητος, Mī́lētos; Hittite transcription ''Millawanda'' or ''Milawata'' (exonyms); la, Mīlētus; tr, Milet) was an ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in a ...

, an

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

city in

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

, modern-day

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

, near the coast of the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

and at the mouth of the Meander River. Settlers from

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

moved to Miletus sometime in 16th century BC. By the 6th century BC, Miletus had become a maritime empire, and the Milesians spread out across Anatolia and even as far as the

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

and

Olbia, Ukraine Pontic Olbia ( grc, Ὀλβία Ποντική, uk, Ольвія) or simply Olbia is an archaeological site of an ancient Greek city on the shore of the Southern Bug estuary (''Hypanis'' or Ὕπανις,) in Ukraine, near the village of Paruty ...

, founding new colonies. Noted Milesians: *

, the mythological founder of the city *

Cadmus of Miletus Cadmus of Miletus ( grc, Κάδμος ὁ Μιλήσιος, ''Kádmos ho Milésios'') was according to some ancient authorities, the oldest of the logographi. Scholars who accept this view, assign him to about 550 BC; others regard him as purely m ...

, a historian, perhaps mythical *

Arctinus of Miletus Arctinus of Miletus or Arctinus Milesius ( grc, Ἀρκτῖνος Μιλήσιος) was a Greek epic poet whose reputation is purely legendary, as none of his works survive. Traditionally dated between 775 BC and 741 BC, he was said to have been ...

, 8th century BC Greek epic poet *

Thales Thales of Miletus ( ; grc-gre, Θαλῆς; ) was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regarded him ...

(c. 624–c. 546 BC), considered by many the "first" Greek natural philosopher; "the father of science" *

Anaximander Anaximander (; grc-gre, Ἀναξίμανδρος ''Anaximandros''; ) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who lived in Miletus,"Anaximander" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 1, p. 403. a city of Ionia (in moder ...

(c. 610–c. 546 BC), philosopher; pupil of Thales * Anaximenes of Miletus (c. 585–c. 528 BC), philosopher; friend or pupil of Anaximander *

Hecataeus of Miletus Hecataeus of Miletus (; el, Ἑκαταῖος ὁ Μιλήσιος; c. 550 BC – c. 476 BC), son of Hegesander, was an early Greek historian and geographer. Biography Hailing from a very wealthy family, he lived in Miletus, then under Per ...

(c. 550–c. 476 BC), historian * Hippodamus of Miletus (498–408 BC), Greek architect, urban planner, physician, mathematician, meteorologist and philosopher, considered the "father of European urban planning" *

Aspasia Aspasia (; grc-gre, Ἀσπασία ; after 428 BC) was a ''metic'' woman in Classical Athens. Born in Miletus, she moved to Athens and began a relationship with the statesman Pericles, with whom she had a son, Pericles the Younger. Accordin ...

(c. 470-c. 400 BC), wife or courtesan of Pericles *

Timotheus of Miletus Timotheus of Miletus ( grc, Τιμόθεος ὁ Μιλήσιος; c. 446 – 357 BC) was a Greek musician and dithyrambic poet, an exponent of the "new music." He added one or more strings to the lyre, whereby he incurred the displeasure of the S ...

(c. 446–357 BC), Greek musician and poet * Theopompus, pirate captain who served under

Lysander Lysander (; grc-gre, Λύσανδρος ; died 395 BC) was a Spartan military and political leader. He destroyed the Athenian fleet at the Battle of Aegospotami in 405 BC, forcing Athens to capitulate and bringing the Peloponnesian War to an en ...

in the Battle of Aegospotami (405 BC) *

Eubulides Eubulides of Miletus ( grc, Εὐβουλίδης; fl. 4th century BCE) was a Greek philosopher of the Megarian school, a pupil of Euclid of Megara and a contemporary of Aristotle. He is famous for his logical paradoxes. Life Eubulides was a pu ...

(fl. 4th century BC), philosopher; formulated the " liar paradox" * Aristides of Miletus (fl. 2nd century BC), writer of shameless and amusing

Milesian tale The Milesian tale ( el, Μιλησιακά, ''Milesiaka''; Latin:''fabula milesiaca'', or ''Milesiae fabula'') is a genre of fictional story prominent in ancient Greek and Roman literature. According to most authorities, a Milesian tale is a short ...

s *

Alexander Polyhistor Lucius Cornelius Alexander Polyhistor ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Πολυΐστωρ; flourished in the first half of the 1st century BC; also called Alexander of Miletus) was a Greek scholar who was enslaved by the Romans during the Mithrida ...

or Alexander of Miletus (fl. first half of the 1st century BC), Greek historian and geographer * Aeschines of Miletus (fl. 1st century BC), Greek orator, a contemporary of Cicero * Hesychius of Miletus or Hesychius Illustrius, 6th century chronicler and biographer * Isidore of Miletus, 6th century Byzantine Greek architect Milesian tyrants: *

Aristagoras Aristagoras ( grc-gre, Ἀρισταγόρας ὁ Μιλήσιος), d. 497/496 BC, was the leader of the Ionian city of Miletus in the late 6th century BC and early 5th century BC and a key player during the early years of the Ionian Revolt a ...

(fl. late 6th century-early 5th century BC) * Histiaeus (died 493 BC) *

Timarchus of Miletus Timarchus or Timarch ( grc-gre, Τίμαρχος) was a tyrant of the ancient Greek city of Miletus in the 3rd century BC. He was put in power after the Ptolemaic conquest of Miletus in 279 BC. He with Ptolemy I Epigone led a revolt against Ptolem ...

(fl. 3rd century BC)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Ancient Milesians Ancient Milesians Ancient Greece-related lists