Anaxagoras · Sophocles Were Anaxagoras and Sophocles alive at the same time? Yes. Anaxagoras and Sophocles were alive at the same time, from c. 496 BC to c. 428 BC. Anaxagoras5th-century BC Greek philosopherBorn c. 500 BC · died c. 428 BCSophoclesAncient Greek playwrightBorn c. 496 BC · died c. 406 BC ConfuciusAeschylusAnaxagorasSophoclesHerodotusSocratesHippocrates Anaxagoras and Sophocles in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.