Confucius · Sophocles Were Confucius and Sophocles alive at the same time? Yes. Confucius and Sophocles were alive at the same time, from c. 496 BC to c. 479 BC. Confucius5th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and politicianBorn c. 551 BC · died c. 479 BCSophoclesAncient Greek playwrightBorn c. 496 BC · died c. 406 BC AnaximanderCyrus the GreatConfuciusAeschylusSophoclesPericlesHerodotusSocratesHippocrates Confucius and Sophocles in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.