PHILOSOPHER

Melissus of Samos

470 BC - 430 BC

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Melissus of Samos (; Ancient Greek: Μέλισσος ὁ Σάμιος; fl. 5th century BC) was the third and last member of the ancient school of Eleatic philosophy, whose other members included Zeno and Parmenides. Little is known about his life, except that he was the commander of the Samian fleet in the Samian War. Melissus’s contribution to philosophy was a treatise of systematic arguments supporting Eleatic philosophy. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Melissus of Samos has received more than 132,325 page views. His biography is available in 42 different languages on Wikipedia. Melissus of Samos is the 197th most popular philosopher (down from 187th in 2019), the 105th most popular biography from Greece (down from 99th in 2019) and the 17th most popular Greek Philosopher.

Melissus of Samos is most famous for his argument that if something is both finite and has an end, then it cannot be eternal.

Memorability Metrics

  • 130k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 68.46

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 42

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 13.68

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 2.05

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among PHILOSOPHERS

Among philosophers, Melissus of Samos ranks 197 out of 1,267. Before him are Pierre Gassendi, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Baltasar Gracián, Slavoj Žižek, Diotima of Mantinea, and Solomon ibn Gabirol. After him are Muhammad Abduh, Adam Weishaupt, John Scotus Eriugena, Hasan al-Basri, Marshall McLuhan, and Étienne Bonnot de Condillac.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 470 BC, Melissus of Samos ranks 5. Before him are Socrates, Aspasia, Mozi, and Philolaus. After him are Callicrates, Hippocrates of Chios, Achilles Painter, and Teres I. Among people deceased in 430 BC, Melissus of Samos ranks 3. Before him are Empedocles, and Phidias. After him are Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, and Archelaus.

Others Born in 470 BC

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Others Deceased in 430 BC

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In Greece

Among people born in Greece, Melissus of Samos ranks 105 out of 1,024. Before him are Philomena (291), Agrippina the Elder (-14), Nestor (null), Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark (1882), Diotima of Mantinea (-450), and John V Palaiologos (1332). After him are Eleftherios Venizelos (1864), Melina Mercouri (1920), Necho II (-625), Arion (-700), Polycrates (-600), and Scopas (-395).

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Among PHILOSOPHERS In Greece

Among philosophers born in Greece, Melissus of Samos ranks 17. Before him are Antisthenes (-445), Pyrrho (-365), Isocrates (-436), Clement of Alexandria (150), Hippias (-443), and Diotima of Mantinea (-450). After him are Cratylus (-500), Prodicus (-460), Chilon of Sparta (-600), Apollodorus of Athens (-180), Andronicus of Rhodes (-100), and Speusippus (-407).

Greek born Philosophers

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