List of Famous people born in Karadeniz Ereğli, Zonguldak Province

Dionysius was a tyrant of Heraclea Pontica on the Euxine. He was a son of Clearchus, who had assumed the tyranny in his place of birth.

Chion was the son of Matris, a noble citizen of Heraclea, on the Pontus and was a disciple of Plato. Together with Leon, Euxenon, and other young men from noble families, he helped assassinate Clearchus, the tyrant of Heraclea. Most of the conspirators were killed by the tyrant's body guards, others were put to death later, after being tortured. Rule of the city passed to Clearchus' brother, Satyrus, who is generally considered to have been a worse tyrant than Clearchus.

Heraclides Ponticus was a Greek philosopher and astronomer who was born in Heraclea Pontica, now Karadeniz Ereğli, Turkey, and migrated to Athens. He is best remembered for proposing that the Earth rotates on its axis, from west to east, once every 24 hours. He is also hailed as the originator of the heliocentric theory, although this is doubted by some.

Nicephorus Gregoras was a Byzantine astronomer, historian, and theologian.

Chamaeleon, was a Peripatetic philosopher of Heraclea Pontica. He was one of the immediate disciples of Aristotle. He wrote works on several of the ancient Greek poets, namely:

• περὶ Ἀνακρέοντος - On Anacreon
• περὶ Σαπφοῦς - On Sappho
• περὶ Σιμωνίδου - On Simonides
• περὶ Θεσπίδος - On Thespis
• περὶ Αἰσχύλου - On Aeschylus
• περὶ Λάσου - On Lasus
• περὶ Πινδάρου - On Pindar
• περὶ Στησιχόρου - On Stesichorus