Pherecydes

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Pherecydes, a philosopher who flourished around 540 BC, is traditionally recognized for mentoring Pythagoras. According to Theopompus and Cicero, Pherecydes was the first to write about nature and the gods in the Greek language, one of his notable works being Heptamychos, which explores the origin of the world and has survived only in fragments. It is probable that he was the pioneer who declared the soul immortal, possibly second only to Thales in this assertion. Pherecydes also formulated the concept of metempsychosis, where the human or animal soul transcends death by passing from one body to another. He envisioned the world's beginning as an elemental fusion of fire, air, and water emerging from Cronus.