left|thumb|Plato's Academy mosaic, made between 100 BCE and 79 CE, shows many Greek philosophers and scholars|alt=Framed mosaic of philosophers gathering around and conversing In classical antiquity, there is no real ancient analogue of a modern scientist. Instead, well-educated, usually upper-class, and almost universally male individuals performed various investigations into nature whenever they could afford the time. Before the invention or discovery of the concept of phusis or nature by the pre-Socratic philosophers, the same words tend to be used to describe the natural "way" in which a plant grows,An account of the pre-Socratic use of the concept of φύσις may be found in and in The word φύσις, while first used in connection with a plant in Homer, occurs early in Greek philosophy, and in several senses. Generally, these senses match rather well the current senses in which the English word nature is used, as confirmed by (volume 2 of his History of Greek Philosophy), Cambridge University Press, 1965. and the "way" in which, for example, one tribe worships a particular god. For this reason, it is claimed that these men were the first philosophers in the strict sense and the first to clearly distinguish "nature" and "convention".
left|thumb|plato's academy mosaic made between 100 bce and 79 ce shows many greek philosophers and scholars|alt=framed mosaic of philosophers gathering around and conversing in classical antiquity there is no real ancient analogue of a modern scientist instead well-educated usually upper-class and almost universally male individuals performed various investigations into nature whenever they could afford the time before the invention or discovery of the concept of phusis or nature by the pre-socratic philosophers the same words tend to be used to describe the natural "way" in which a plant growsan account of the pre-socratic use of the concept of φύσις may be found in and in the word φύσις while first used in connection with a plant in homer occurs early in greek philosophy and in several senses generally these senses match rather well the current senses in which the english word nature is used as confirmed by (volume 2 of his history of greek philosophy) cambridge university press 1965 and the "way" in which for example one tribe worships a particular god for this reason it is claimed that these men were the first philosophers in the strict sense and the first to clearly distinguish "nature" and "convention"