Xenophanes of Colophon (570-475 BC), a pre-Socratic philosopher, founded the Eleatic school of philosophy. A wandering satirical poet, he thought that the Universe was eternal for a simple reason: if there had been a time when nothing existed, it was not possible for anything to have come into existence. So the Universe must have always existed.

Although the teachings of Xenophanes opposed those of Thales, Pythagoras and Epimenides, he still held the Pythagorean chair of philosophy for around 70 years.