Democritus

Democritus of Abdera (c. 460–370 BCE) was an ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher best known for developing atomism. Born in Abdera in Thrace, he is traditionally linked with Leucippus, with whom he argued that all things consist of indivisible atoms moving in empty space (void). Democritus wrote numerous works on ethics, physics, mathematics, and cosmology, though most survive only in fragments and later reports. Ancient sources portray him as widely traveled and exceptionally learned. He also emphasized a cheerful, moderate life, sometimes earning the epithet “the Laughing Philosopher.” His ideas influenced later Greek and Roman thought.