SIDE NOTE- The Greeks Pre-Socratic 630-428 BCE

Here is the MAIN ARTICLE that references these side notes.

SIDE NOTE 1 awareness of source notations

In 1898 a book was published to establish exactly this-

THE FIRST PHILOSOPHERS OF GREECE by Arthur Fairbanks 1898

"...In the present work it has been my plan to prepare for the student a Greek text of the fragments of these early philosophers which shall represent as accurately as possible the results of recent scholarship, and to add such critical notes as may be necessary to enable the scholar to see on what basis the text rests."

To be aware of the source is undeniabley essential to discern information correctly. If there is no source provided, be aware of that too.

the "critical notes as may be necessary to enable the scholar [or anyone] to see on what basis the text rests.."

Specific to the ancient greek material we read

"...but the student who -desires to go behind these accounts and examine the evidence for himself still finds the material difficult of access. This material consists of numerous short fragments preserved by later writers, and of accounts of the opinions of these thinkers given mainly by Aristotle and by the Greek doxographists (i.e. students of early thought who made epitomes of the opinions of the masters). "

And also

"The Greek text of the doxographists is now accessible to students in the admirable critical edition of H. Diels (Berlin 1879). The Greek text of the fragments has been published in numerous short monographs, most of which are not readily accessible to the student to-day; it is contained with a vast deal of other matter in Mullach’s Fragmenta Graecorum Philosophorum (Paris 1883-1888, vol. 1.--111.), " but the text is is in many places so carelessly constructed that it does not serve the purposes of the scholar."

- source of above quotes -the preface to the book THE FIRST PHILOSOPHERS OF GREECE by Arthur Fairbanks 1898

*** ***

If I read this online

...work, little of which remains. From the few extant fragments, we learn ...

Personally, I would like to know about those fragments, where and when found, where are they now, how were these translated, how were they pinned to the character of note, etc. Why not site this? It was done in the past as shown in this 1922 book where sources are quite clear:

above image above of pg 2 The elements of Greek philosophy from Thales to Aristotle by R.B. Appleton book published 1922 [RED marks were in the book]

above image shows added text and words from a page of THE FIRST PHILOSOPHERS OF GREECE by Arthur Fairbanks 1898

AN EDITION AND TRANSLATION OF THE REMAINING FRAGMENTS OF THE PRE-SOKRATIC PHILOSOPHERS, TOGETHER WITH A TRANSLATION OF THE
MORE IMPORTANT ACCOUNTS OF THEIR OPINIONS
CONTAINED IN THE EARLY EPITOMES
OF THEIR WORKS

Compare these two sources:

a 2026 online source covering the same specific subject of ANAXIMNDER. New World Encyclopedia does list sources, most are mid 20th century and later.

Sometimes, In earlier publications information, when sources could not be sited the questionable nature of the information could easily, perhaps even explicitly, be implied as here in the 1922 book on same subject.

above image of page from 1922 book Elements of Greek Philosophy

SIDE NOTE 2- where was the Ionian region

above image from the 1929 textbook The History of Philosophy. Paul Glenn

above image of page from 1922 book Elements of Greek Philosophy

the birth of Greek thought took place, not in Greece, but in the colonies on the Eastern shores of the Aegean Sea.- I like this MAP of the Ionian region of antiquity.

here is another map