Who Was Alive
Simonides of Ceos
Michel Wolgemut, Wilhelm Pleydenwurff; Text: Hartmann Schedel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Simonides of Ceos

Greek poet

Born 556 BC · died 469–468 BC
Also known as Simonides, Simonides of Keos

Who was alive at the same time as Simonides of Ceos?

  1. Anaximander, c. 610 – c. 546 BC
  2. Cyrus the Great, c. 600 – 530 BC
  3. Anaximenes of Miletus, c. 585 – c. 527 BC
  4. Anacreon, c. 570 – c. 485 BC
  5. Xenophanes, 570 – c. 478 BC
  6. Cambyses II, 559–522 BC
  7. Simonides of Ceos, 556 – c. 468 BC
  8. Confucius, c. 551 – c. 479 BC
  9. Darius the Great, 550–486 BC
  10. Aeschylus, 525–456 BC
  11. Themistocles, 524–459 BC
  12. Pāṇini, c. 520 – c. 460 BC
  13. Xerxes I, 519–465 BC
  14. Pindar, 517–437 BC
  15. Parmenides, c. 512 – c. 470 BC
  16. Anaxagoras, c. 500 – c. 428 BC
  17. Phidias, c. 500 – c. 430 BC
  18. Sophocles, c. 496 – c. 406 BC
  19. Empedocles, c. 494 – c. 434 BC
  20. Pericles, 494–429 BC
  21. Protagoras, c. 490 – c. 420 BC
  22. Zeno of Elea, c. 490 – c. 425 BC
  23. Herodotus, c. 484 – c. 425 BC
  24. Gorgias, c. 483 – c. 375 BC

Drag across the timeline, or use the arrow keys, to see who was alive in any year and the age each person reached that year. Dashed lines mark world events. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.

When Simonides of Ceos was born, Xenophanes was 13 or 14, Cambyses II was 2 or 3, Sushruta was 43 or 44 and Śāriputra was 11 or 12.

Born during Simonides of Ceos’s lifetime: Confucius, Sophocles, Herodotus, Aeschylus, Pericles, Darius the Great, Parmenides and Anaxagoras.

Not quite contemporaries: Hippocrates was born about 5 years after Simonides of Ceos died, Aesop died about 5 years before Simonides of Ceos was born, Solon died about a year before Simonides of Ceos was born and Nebuchadnezzar II died about 2 years before Simonides of Ceos was born.

What happened in Simonides of Ceos’s lifetime

Where Simonides of Ceos’s contemporaries were born

Simonides of Ceos is labelled; the others are the best-known people we track who lived at the same time. Each dot is a birthplace from Wikidata (39 of 43 placed); tap one to open that person.
Birthplaces as a list

Compare Simonides of Ceos

The 42 best-known contemporaries

42 of the people we track were surely alive at the same time as Simonides of Ceos. All of them are listed here. See also everyone alive in 512 BC.

  1. Confucius c. 551 – c. 479 BC
  2. Sophocles c. 496 – c. 406 BC
  3. Herodotus c. 484 – c. 425 BC
  4. Aeschylus 525–456 BC
  5. Cyrus the Great c. 600 – 530 BC
  6. Pericles 494–429 BC
  7. Anaximander c. 610 – c. 546 BC
  8. Darius the Great 550–486 BC
  9. Parmenides c. 512 – c. 470 BC
  10. Anaxagoras c. 500 – c. 428 BC
  11. Protagoras c. 490 – c. 420 BC
  12. Empedocles c. 494 – c. 434 BC
  13. Pindar 517–437 BC
  14. Xenophanes 570 – c. 478 BC
  15. Zeno of Elea c. 490 – c. 425 BC
  16. Xerxes I 519–465 BC
  17. Anaximenes of Miletus c. 585 – c. 527 BC
  18. Gorgias c. 483 – c. 375 BC
  19. Anacreon c. 570 – c. 485 BC
  20. Themistocles 524–459 BC
  21. Pāṇini c. 520 – c. 460 BC
  22. Phidias c. 500 – c. 430 BC
  23. Cambyses II 559–522 BC
  24. Mozi 470–391 BC
  25. Darius II 475–404 BC
  26. Theognis of Megara 570–485 BC
  27. Bias of Priene c. 600 – c. 530 BC
  28. Chilon of Sparta c. 600 – c. 520 BC
  29. Sushruta 600–500 BC
  30. Miltiades c. 554 – 489 BC
  31. Polykleitos c. 490 – c. 420 BC
  32. Nabonidus c. 615 – 538 BC
  33. Śāriputra 568–484 BC
  34. Bacchylides c. 516 – c. 451 BC
  35. Aristides c. 540 – 467 BC
  36. Bimbisara 558–491 BC
  37. Stesichorus 630–555 BC
  38. Polycrates 574–522 BC
  39. Epicharmus of Cos c. 531 – c. 440 BC
  40. Cimon 510–450 BC
  41. Pherecydes of Syros c. 580 – c. 499 BC
  42. Atossa 550–475 BC