Approximately when did Alcmaeon live, according to the text?

• A. ca. 450 B.C.
• B. ca. 150 A.D.
• C. ca. 1000 B.C.
• D. ca. 300 A.D.

Answer: (A)

Dating ancient thinkers relies on fragmentary records and how their timelines fit with other early Greek figures. Alcmaeon of Croton is generally placed in the mid-5th century BCE, and the text’s approximate date of 450 B.C. reflects that positioning. This era is early enough to precede Hippocrates and fits with what we know of pre-Socratic medical and philosophical thought from Magna Graecia.

Dates like 150 A.D. or 300 A.D. are far later than Alcmaeon is believed to have lived, and 1000 B.C. is too early for the existence of Greek medical tradition and the city of Croton. So, about 450 B.C. is the best-aligned approximation given the available historical evidence.