Four Treasures Reference Database
Record No. 17058
An ancient Greek philosopher was exiled for claiming the moon was a rock, not a god
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Warmflash, D. (2019) An ancient Greek philosopher was exiled for claiming the moon was a rock, not a god. Smithsonianmag.com, <https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-greek-philosopher-was-exiled-claiming-moon-was-rock-not-god-180972447/>, accessed: 8 April 2025.
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gems, history of gemology, history of mineralogy, Arabic mineralogy, history of science, Greek science, astronomy
2,500 years ago, Anaxagoras correctly determined that the rocky moon reflects light from the sun, allowing him to explain lunar phases and eclipses. For his trouble, he was forced into exile for impiety (lack of respect for the sacred).