anaximander's book. 267 



that they formed the nucleus of a group of men, their fellow-citizens, 

 among whom certain intellectual interests were cultivated. It is 

 perhaps misnaming this circle to call it a school; but it was destined 

 to become the parent of all the 'schools.' One thinks of the circle 

 formed by Franklin at Philadelphia, which eventually became a 

 university: but Franklin had models to copy, while Thales and his 

 fellows pretty certainly had no predecessors who worked in the same 

 spirit. 



What, we naturally ask, were the interests which inspired the goodly 

 fellowship at Miletus to organize this first 'college?' They must have 

 been related to the life of the group and of the city; but there is no 

 indication that in the beginning political questions, questions that is 

 concerning the government of Miletus, engaged the attention of the 

 group. They were citizens, of course, and shared the life of the city; 

 but it is as statesmen concerned with larger issues that we hear of them. 

 Thales proposed the unification of Ionia into a federal state; what 

 Anaximander may have done to win the honor bestowed on him we can 

 only conjecture; Hecataeus, one of the last of the ' school,' was promi- 

 nent as an elder statesman at the time of the Ionian Revolt. But of 

 such political activity, looking to the control of the government of 

 their city, as appear* in the circle of Pythagoras, we have not a hint; 

 though it is more than likely that Pythagoras, in this as in other 

 respects, was inspired by the example of the Milesian 'college.' The 

 discussion of the principles to be followed in founding colonies, in 

 which Anaximander at least participated, inevitably led to the con- 

 sideration of the ideal city; that it was a topic discussed by the Mile- 

 sian ' school ' goes without saying, but is abundantly clear upon reflec- 

 tion, for city-planning and the Utopian schemes of the Greek historico- 

 geographical tradition everywhere lead back to the Milesians of the 

 sixth century. Such ideals quite naturally arose in a city with far- 

 flung colonies and with relations, through Naucratis, with Egypt, which 

 in the entire Greek tradition appears as the Utopia par excellence}^ 



Aside from the direct reports regarding Thales, Anaximander and 

 Anaximenes, who for us at least constitute the Milesian 'school of 

 philosophy,' the best evidence we have regarding that memorable 

 circle comes from our knowledge of the men most influenced by this 

 triad. Leaving out of account those who are said to have had rela- 

 tions with * the philosophy of Anaximenes,' because their debt is too 

 special, we think necessarily of Pythagoras, Xenophanes and Hecataeus, 



66 Of this I hope to treat at length on another occasion. 



