Which of the following is remembered for the prediction of an eclipse of the Sun and cosmology based on water?

Correct option is A

Thales of Miletus (c. 624–546 BCE), a Greek philosopher and mathematician, is credited with predicting a solar eclipse in 585 BCE and proposing a cosmological theory based on water. He believed that water is the fundamental substance (arche) of all things, an idea rooted in his observations of natural phenomena such as moisture, rainfall, and the sustenance of life. His prediction of the eclipse was considered an extraordinary intellectual achievement in early science.

Information Booster:

1. Thales was one of the first philosophers to seek natural explanations for celestial events, rather than attributing them to divine intervention.
2. His prediction of a solar eclipse in 585 BCE was recorded by Herodotus, and it coincided with a battle between the Lydians and Medes.
3. He is regarded as the father of Greek philosophy and mathematics, laying the foundation for later scientific inquiry.
4. His belief that water is the primary element of the universe influenced pre-Socratic natural philosophy.
5. Thales is also known for his contributions to geometry, including Thales' Theorem.
6. His rational approach to cosmology marked a shift from mythological to scientific thinking in ancient Greece.

Additional Knowledge:

(b) Homer – Incorrect

• Homer was a Greek poet, known for writing the Iliad and Odyssey, not for scientific or astronomical studies.

(c) Anaximander – Incorrect

• Anaximander, a student of Thales, proposed that the universe originated from the "apeiron" (infinite or boundless) rather than water.

(d) Hecataeus – Incorrect

• Hecataeus of Miletus was a geographer and historian, not an astronomer or cosmologist.