An inspirational, story-driven introduction to the first great spark of Western philosophy If you close your eyes and imagine ancient Athens, you might picture marble temples glowing beneath the Mediterranean sun, bustling markets, poets reciting verses, and politicians shouting in the assembly. But somewhere away from the noise—perhaps in a shaded corner of the agora—stood a man who looked more like a stonemason than a sage. His cloak was worn, his feet bare, his face plain and unremarkable. Yet people gathered around him, drawn by something invisible but powerful.