<P> Establishing a timeline of his work is now impossible , since no document provides chronological references . Themistius , a 4th - century Byzantine rhetorician , mentions that he was the `` first of the known Greeks to publish a written document on nature . '' Therefore , his texts would be amongst the earliest written in prose , at least in the Western world . By the time of Plato , his philosophy was almost forgotten , and Aristotle , his successor Theophrastus and a few doxographers provide us with the little information that remains . However , we know from Aristotle that Thales , also from Miletus , precedes Anaximander . It is debatable whether Thales actually was the teacher of Anaximander , but there is no doubt that Anaximander was influenced by Thales ' theory that everything is derived from water . One thing that is not debatable is that even the ancient Greeks considered Anaximander to be from the Monist school which began in Miletus , with Thales followed by Anaximander and finished with Anaximenes . 3rd - century Roman rhetorician Aelian depicts him as leader of the Milesian colony to Apollonia on the Black Sea coast , and hence some have inferred that he was a prominent citizen . Indeed , Various History ( III , 17 ) explains that philosophers sometimes also dealt with political matters . It is very likely that leaders of Miletus sent him there as a legislator to create a constitution or simply to maintain the colony 's allegiance . </P>
<P> Establishing a timeline of his work is now impossible , since no document provides chronological references . Themistius , a 4th - century Byzantine rhetorician , mentions that he was the `` first of the known Greeks to publish a written document on nature . '' Therefore , his texts would be amongst the earliest written in prose , at least in the Western world . By the time of Plato , his philosophy was almost forgotten , and Aristotle , his successor Theophrastus and a few doxographers provide us with the little information that remains . However , we know from Aristotle that Thales , also from Miletus , precedes Anaximander . It is debatable whether Thales actually was the teacher of Anaximander , but there is no doubt that Anaximander was influenced by Thales ' theory that everything is derived from water . One thing that is not debatable is that even the ancient Greeks considered Anaximander to be from the Monist school which began in Miletus , with Thales followed by Anaximander and finished with Anaximenes . 3rd - century Roman rhetorician Aelian depicts him as leader of the Milesian colony to Apollonia on the Black Sea coast , and hence some have inferred that he was a prominent citizen . Indeed , Various History ( III , 17 ) explains that philosophers sometimes also dealt with political matters . It is very likely that leaders of Miletus sent him there as a legislator to create a constitution or simply to maintain the colony 's allegiance . </P>
who asserted that the most fundamental element is water
who asserted that the most fundamental element is water
Thales
Thales