Heraclitus
~535–475 BCE · Greek (Ephesus) · Pre-Socratic
Known for: The 'Weeping Philosopher' who said you can never step in the same river twice and reportedly died covered in cow dung
Aristocratic, cryptic, and deliberately obscure—earning the nicknames 'The Obscure' and 'The Weeping Philosopher.' He despised common people and withdrew from public life.
He emphasized perpetual change, the unity of opposites, and the logos underlying reality. He reportedly died after covering himself in cow dung as a cure for dropsy.
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