Thales

Born the first year of the 35th Olympiad — ^Died in the 58th, aged 92 years.

TalLBS, the Milesian, was of Phoenidan extraction, and was descended from Cadmus, the son of Agenor. His parents were compelled to quit their comitry in consequence of the indignation which they conceived against the tyrants by whom the more wealthy classes were continuaQy oppressed. They therefore fixed their residence at Miletus, a town in Ionia; where, in the first year of the 35th Olymphid, or 639 years before Christ, Thales was bom. He it was who first acquired the honorable title of Saob, and to him we are indebted for the philosophy which has been styled the Ionian, from the country that gave hun birth.

For tome time Hiales wag occupied m.th the cares of the magistracy; but, after acquitting himself with the greatest o^dit in sevend of its principal offices, anxiety to become acquainted with the mysteries of uatiilre impeded him to throw off the burthen of public business, and he retired into Egypt, at that time lAie scat of the sciences. He there de?oted several years to cultivating the acqumntuice and gaining the oonfidenoe of the priests. Who were also the most learned men of their country. He made himself acquainted with the principles of their rdigion, and pud great attention to geometry and astronomy. He attached himself to no particular master; and, excepting his intercourse with Hie 'prieifts of Egypt, during his sojourn in that coimtry, he was solely indebted to experience and profound reflection for the valuable ideas with which lie 6nriclied philosophy.

Thales possessed an elevated mind. He spoke little, and thought much. Of his own interests he w«s tt0gligent, but tliose of the Sme eA^M his utmost seal. Juvand, speakfaig of (3ie opHiioo expressed by some, iftiat tweags H sweeter lihaMi life ItHelf, observe^ that sudh soitimeiitB tte v^ d!FYerent 'from those of Soorates, 'Chry^ppWy or 1K6 gentle Tha]eB>

At vIneUotm benum vUaJttouttdius ipmi; 'C hrysip put non dicU idem, nee mite Thalitit Miftntum*

Is th«a roTenge so tweet, we woold resign £eh life itself to purchase the delidu? Not tuch tbv thoughts, nritd Ohiyilp^iis, uorthltae Ingenuous llieles.

On his return to Miletus, Thales lived in great solitude^ devoting himself almost exclusively to the contemplation of the heavenly bodies. His love of wisdom induced him to prefer the tranquillity of a single life to the cares which accompany the marriage state: when be was only twenty-three years of age, his mother, Cleobulina, warmly urged him to accept of an advantageous match which was proposed to him. *' When a man is young," re-plied l^ales, *Mt is too early for him to marry; when he is old, it is too late: and between these two periods he ought not to be able to command leisure enough to choose a wife." It is said, however, by some, that Tliales, towards the close of life, married an Egyptian lady, who had composed several admirable works.

One day some strangers at Miletus, sailing by the island of Cods, agreed to pay a certain price to some fishermen who had just thrown their nets into the sea, for whatever they might happen to take at that draught. They drew up a tripod of solid gold, which it is sud Helen had formerly^ when returning from Troy, thrown in at that place, on account of an ancient oracle which came into her recollection. A dispute arose between the fishermen and the strangers as to the possession of the tnpod. The cities to which the parties respectively belonged became interested in the discussion, each supporting the claim of its own citizens. They were all, in consequence, on the point of coming to an open rupture, when it was agreed unanimously that the matter in question should be referred to the dedsion of the Oracle. They ac-

(^rdiDgly sent to iMiphds, and ihe answer of the oracle was, " thtit the trip6d should he ^v^ to the most wise.'* It was, therefore*, s^Wt M*- iriediately to '^nndes, who dispatched it to Bias. The modesty bf Bias would not suflTer him t6 re, tain it; he transferred it to a third; the third to a fourth, and the fourth sent it to Solofi. ** Tfcei* is no being wiser than Ood," said S<don, and With tMs remark lie scfnt the triikMl to Delphos, where it Vas consecrated to ApoUo.

Sonie yoang men of MihUhis reprotidiin^ ^id^ one day with his pliil6sophy, told bki it iftofctlie of a very linprofitsEble natui^, since it had ^ot fhe power of raisidg liira kboi^ %idigence. Thldes condesei^ded to e'xpl^ to them, tiiat tliet^ason ^hy philosophers did not amass riches w^, Aat they held them in contempt, otlierwise it would be easy for them to acquh^e things on which tkey set no value.

It is said that Thales was enabled, by hiB astro^ bomical observations^ to foresee that a particnAttr year Would be unusually productive; he theSrefone bought up, that yean*, before they came into settson, the produce of all the olive-trees in the vicinity of lli^iletus. The crops proved abundant, ^M Th^eis inade a considerable profit <yf his bargain; btlt ^e was disinterested enou^ to distifbute ain that tie galued by it among the ^rdiftits ^ Milt^, Whotti he called toge^er for the pttrpoiie^ Ibtfs proving the 3inc6rity of his assertion, thtit phi]oiM>- phers did not place their happiness in the poffHtM^ sion of wealth.

Tbales used to thhfik thte^odl €dr ^bHee thiifi^ • di^ lip was boni a p^iftial being, rather than a bcttfie 'y a maa rather thaa. a wpm^; and a Qret^ ta^QT than a barhariao. He bj^i(evjed that the world was one^aUy framed, as we at present see U» by an intelligent Being, who had nevei; had a^ 1»^ginning, and would neve^ have an end.. Tlialei. was the first among the Greeks who inculcated the doctrine of the inunortality of the aouL A man came to him one day to inquire whether it was possible for human beings to conceal their aptious. tern t^gods* ''To the godfi»' saidThales» ** nojt even our most secret thpvghts can ever be un-l^apiKiv/' ' Space," he nsfid. to say, ** is the moat coBB^rebeusive of all things, because in it a4 beinga a^ ccmtained; necessity is the strongest, because H oanipek the accomidishme^t of all purposes; mind the awiitest, because iif an instant it traverses the universe; and time the wisest, because it penetrates all secrets i but of all things free-will ia the vfio$^ lovely and deligl^t/^-" He continually repeated the maaqi that much speaking is no. mask of superior understanding; that we ought to. bpai: our friends in mind equally in absence 9a wlpen present, and to succour our parents, in qfi^ tp\ have a claim on the assistance of our children; that there is nothing so base as to suffec a. tyrant to live to old age j and tlia^ we may derive eon8o>atlpn in adversity, from knowing that our p«rseciitoE9 are as unhappy as ourselves.

lliis last remark, in a man so mild and benevolent as Thales, shows how far inferior the highest pitch of Heathen virtues was to the precepts, at once sublime and lowly, of the Christian religion.

which teaches us to return good for evil, to forgive our enemies, and to pray for those that despitefiilly use us; his next precept, however, is more accordant with the great rule on which all Christian morality turns,-— that we ought never to do that ourselves, which we should blame if done by another.

Thalesheld truehappiness to consist in goodhealth, moderate fortune, and pursuits free from effeminacy or ignorance. Nothing appeared so difficult toThales as self-knowledge. To him we owe that excellent precept, which was afterwards engraved on a tablet of gold, and consecrated in the temple of Apollo, Know thyself, — a precept so fraught with materials for reflection, and so sublime in its wisdom, that it is styled by Juvenal ** Heaven descended," and ascribed by him to the " bright-haired" God himself.

Thales maintiuned that there was no difference between life and death: being aslced why in that case he did not destroy himself? " Because," re^ plied he, " life or death being the same thing, I have no motive for preferring one to the other." lliales sometimes recreated his mind with poetry; and to him is attributed the invention of hexameter verse.

A man who was accused, and with reason, of adultery, came one day to the philosopher, and asked if he might not justify himself by making oath of his innocency? " Is peijury a less crime than adultery?" inquired Thales, jestingly.

Mandretus of Prien^, who had been instructed by Thales, came one day to Miletus to pay him a mi, aiid said to him, ' What cau I do, O Thalcs, ufficiently to testify the gratitude I feel for all the loble precepts I have received from you? " — « Whcu the opportunity may occur," replied Tliales, ** for you to instruct others, let them know at the same time, that it is to me you are indebted for your doctrines. This acknowledgment will be in you a proof of the most praise-wortliy modesty, aud to me the richest reward I can desire to receive."

Thales was the first among the Greeks who applied himself to the study of physics and astronomy. He maintained that water was the primary priuciple of all things; that earth was water condensed, and air water rarefied: that all bodies were perpetually changing, and combining one with another; and that at last all would be resolved into water: that the universe was animated^ and full of invisible beings, who were perpetually passing and repassing in all directions; that the earth was in the middle of the universe; that it revolved round its own centre, which was the same with that of the universe; and that the waters of the sea, on which • it was balanced, gave it a certain impulse which was the cause of its movements. The astonishing effects of the loadstone and of amber, and the sympatlues existing between particular substances of the same nature, induced him to believe that all matter was animated. The inundations of the Nile he attributed to the periodical winds which blow from the north to the south, retarding the waters of the river, the course of which is from the south to the north, and forcing them thereby to U»emboguc themselves upon the country.

v.

To Thales we owe the first predictions respecting eclipses of the sun and moon, and also the first observations on the motions of these bodies. He believed that the sun was a body luminous in itself, and of which the bulk was a hundred and twenty times more than that of the moon; that the moon was an opaque body^ capable of reflecting the rays of the sun only on half its surface; and on this principle it was that he accounted for the various forms under which the moon appears to OS. He also it was, who first inquired into the nature of thunderbolts, the origin of the winds, and the cause of thunder and lightning; before his time, the method was unknown of measuring the height of towers and pyramids by taking the length of their shadows at the meridian, whilst the sun was in the equinox. He fixed the duration of the year to three hundred and sixty-five days, regulated the order of the seasons, and limited the month to thirty days^ adding five days at the end of each twelve n^ondis, in order to complete the course of the year; according to the method he had observed to be practised in Egypt: to him also we owe oui* acquaintance with the star called Ursa Minor, by which the Phoenicians regulated their navigation.

One day, going out to contemplate the positions of the stars, at some short distance from his house, Thales chanced to fall into a ditch: an old female servant of the family immediately ran to his assistance; but having extricated him, she could not help saying to him, laughingly, '* Why, Thales, bow is it that you who Icnow Qveif thing that is going on in the heavens, cannot see what is directly under your feet?"

ThaleSy during all his life, was held in the highest estimatiiuiy and was consolted hi all matters of importance.

Croesus, having entered into war agunst the Persians, advanced^ at the head of a numerous army, on the banks of the river Halys: but having neither boats nor bridges, and finding the river unfordable, he was greatly embarrassed as to effecting a passage across it. Thales happened to be in the camp at that time; he assured Croesus that he would enable the army to cross the river, notwithstanding the absence of both boats and bridges. He accordingly Sf t the men to woric immediately, in digging a deep trench, in the form of a crescent, which c^ctcnded from one extremity of the camp to the other; by this means the river was divided into two arms, each of which was fordable, and the army was consequently enabled to pass over without any difficulty. During thb war Croesus was very anxious to make an alliance with the Milesians: but Thales never would consent to it, and his prudence ultimately secured the preservation of his country; for Cyrus, having conquered the Lydians, sacked all the towns which had joined in confederacy with them, but spared Miletus, because it had taken no active part against him.

When far advanced in years, Thales one day gave orders to be carried upon a terrace, and placed there, in order that he might witness at his ease the combats of the aitiphithcatre. Unfortunately the excessive heat brought ou so violent a revulsion in his blood, that he suddenly expired on the spot whence he was surveying the combats, ^fhiswas in the 58th Olympiad, and the 92d year of his age. His funeral obsequies were graced by the Milesians with the most magnificent honours that their respect for him could devise.