Xenophanes · Sophocles Were Xenophanes and Sophocles alive at the same time? Yes. Xenophanes and Sophocles were alive at the same time, from c. 496 BC to c. 478 BC. XenophanesGreek Pre-Socratic philosopherBorn 570 BC · died c. 478 BCSophoclesAncient Greek playwrightBorn c. 496 BC · died c. 406 BC AesopXenophanesConfuciusAeschylusSophoclesHerodotusSocratesHippocrates Xenophanes 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.