Paron of Miletus was a philosopher from the 5th century BCE, a period known as the Archaic era of ancient Greece. He came from Miletus, a city in Asia Minor famous as the birthplace of early Western philosophy. He is traditionally grouped with the Presocratic thinkers, who sought natural explanations for the origin and nature of the universe.
No details about his life, education, or specific ideas have survived. According to modern scholars, he is an extremely obscure figure. He is not mentioned in the major surviving fragments or testimonies about Presocratic philosophy. The standard academic reference works for this period do not contain entries for him.
He is credited with a single work, now lost. Its title and contents are unknown. The format is listed as a "Collection," which some scholars suggest could mean a compilation of sayings or doctrines, but this cannot be verified. Because no writings or reliable reports of his thought exist, his significance and any potential contributions to early Greek philosophy cannot be established.
Available Works
Sources
- Stanford Encyclopedia Entry (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-25
- IEP Entry (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-25
- Britannica Entry (Encyclopædia Britannica) Accessed: 2026-01-25
- Oxford Research Encyclopedia Entry (Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics) Accessed: 2026-01-25
- Perseus Entry (Perseus Digital Library) Accessed: 2026-01-25
- Perseus Entry (Perseus Digital Library) Accessed: 2026-01-25