Editing Thales of Miletus (section)

===Sagacity===
[[File:Nuremberg chronicles f 59r 2.png|thumb|upright=0.8|Thales, [[Nuremberg Chronicle]].]]

Thales is recognized as one of the Seven Sages of Greece, semi-legendary wise [[Politician|statesmen]] and founding figures of Ancient Greece. While which seven one chooses may change, the seven has a canonical four which includes Thales, Solon of Athens, [[Pittacus of Mytilene]], and [[Bias of Priene]]. Diogenes Laërtius tells us that the Seven Sages were created in the [[archon]]ship of Damasius at [[Athens]] about 582&nbsp;BC and that Thales was the first sage.<ref>Diogenes Laërtius 1.22</ref>{{efn|The same story, however, asserts that Thales emigrated to Miletus; and that he did not become a student of nature until after his political career. This story has to be rejected if one is to believe that Thales was a native of Miletus, and other typical things about him like his prediction of the eclipse.}}

The sages were associated with the [[Delphic maxims]], a quote or maxim attributed to each one inscribed on the [[Temple of Apollo (Delphi)|Temple of Apollo]] at [[Delphi]]. Thales has arguably the most famous of all, ''gnothi seauton'' or [[know thyself]]. According to the 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia the ''[[Suda]]'', the proverb is both "applied to those whose boasts exceed what they are" and "a warning to pay no attention to the opinion of the multitude."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/gamma/334|title=SOL Search|website=www.cs.uky.edu}}</ref>{{efn|The aphorism has also been attributed to various other philosophers. [[Diogenes Laërtius]] attributes it to Thales<ref>''[[Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers|Lives]]'' I.40</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/theta/17|title=SOL Search|website=www.cs.uky.edu}}</ref> but notes that Antisthenes in his ''Successions of Philosophers'' attributes it instead to [[Phemonoe]], a mythical Greek poet. The Roman poet [[Juvenal]] quotes the phrase in Greek and states that the precept descended ''e caelo'' (from heaven).<ref>''[[Satires of Juvenal#Satire XI: Dinner and a Moral|Satires]]'' 11.27</ref> Other names of potential include [[Pythagoras]]<ref>{{Cite book | last1=Vico | first1=Giambattista | last2=Visconti | first2=Gian Galeazzo | title=On humanistic education: (six inaugural orations, 1699–1707) | version=Six Inaugural Orations, 1699–1707 From the Definitive Latin Text, Introduction, and Notes of Gian Galeazzo Visconti | publisher=Cornell University Press | year=1993 | page=[https://archive.org/details/onhumanisticeduc00vico/page/4 4] | url=https://archive.org/details/onhumanisticeduc00vico| url-access=registration | isbn=0801480876 }}</ref> and [[Heraclitus]].<ref>Doctoral thesis, "Know Thyself in Greek and Latin Literature," Eliza G. Wilkens, U. Chi, 1917, p. 12 ([https://archive.org/details/knowthyselfingr00wilkgoog <!-- quote=know thyself xenophon. --> online]).</ref>}}

==== Golden tripod ====
Diogenes Laërtius relates several stories of an expensive, gold tripod or bowl that is to go to the most [[Wisdom#Mythological and philosophical perspectives|wise]]. In one version (that Laërtius credits to [[Callimachus]] in his ''Iambics'') Bathycles of Arcadia states in his will that an expensive bowl {{"'}}should be given to him who had done most good by his wisdom.' So it was given to Thales, went the round of all the sages, and came back to Thales again. And he sent it to [[Didyma|Apollo at Didyma]], with this dedication...'Thales the Milesian, son of Examyas [dedicates this] to Delphinian Apollo after twice winning the prize from all the Greeks.{{'"}}<ref>{{harvnb|Laërtius|1925|loc=§ 28}}</ref>

==== Diplomacy ====
According to Diogenes Laërtius, Thales gained fame as a counselor when he advised the Milesians not to engage in a symmachia, a "fighting together", with the Lydians. This has sometimes been interpreted as an alliance.<ref>[[Diogenes Laërtius]] 1.25</ref>

[[Croesus]] was defeated before the city of [[Sardis]] by [[Cyrus the Great]], who subsequently spared Miletus because it had taken no action. Cyrus was so impressed by Croesus’ wisdom and his connection with the sages that he spared him and took his advice on various matters.{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}} The Ionian cities should be demoi, or "districts".

{{blockquote|He counselled them to establish a single seat of government, and pointed out [[Teos]] as the fittest place for it; "for that," he said, "was the centre of [[Ionia]]. Their other cities might still continue to enjoy their own laws, just as if they were independent states."<ref name=Rawlinson/>}}

Miletus, however, received favorable terms from Cyrus. The others remained in an Ionian League of twelve cities (excluding Miletus), and were subjugated by the Persians.{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}}