About Democrates
Democrates was a philosopher.
Democrates (; ) was a Pythagorean philosopher about whom little is known. Apollonius of Tyana authored at least one letter, his epistle no. 96, to a Democrates, but it is unclear whether this philosopher were the addressee.
A collection of moral maxims called the Golden Sentences (, Gnomai chrysai) has come down to us under his name. However, many scholars argue that these maxims all originate from an original collection of sayings of Democritus and brand Democrates a misnomer, though others believe that there was a little-known Democrates whose name became confused with Democritus. Thirty of the Golden Sayings are also found in Stobaeus, there as in other sources attributed to Democritus,
The maxims are written in the Ionic dialect, from which some scholars have inferred that they were written at a very early period. Others think it more probable that they are the production of the age of Julius Caesar. But nothing can be said with certainty, for want of both external and internal evidence.
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Important facts
Frequently asked questions
Who was Democrates?
ancient Greek Pythagorean philosopher
What was Democrates's occupation?
Democrates was a philosopher.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Democrates. https://biography.guide/democrates/
MLA: "Democrates." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/democrates/.
Chicago: "Democrates." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/democrates/.
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