Xenophanes(5-6th century BC)

Poet, philosopher and religious reformer from Asia Minor. After working as a travelling poet, Xenophanes founded the Eleatic school in the Phoenician colony Elea in southern Italy. One of his best known pupils was the philosopher Parmenides. Xenophanes disagreed with polytheism and thought that the Olympic gods had far too human characters. Therefore he wanted to replace them with a single, unifying all-powerful God. He also thought the idea of reincarnation was absurd, and disagreed with athleticism and luxurious living sice it prevented people from achieving wisdom.