The fragments of Empedocles;
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Only fragments survive
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~22,500 words · 107 passages
Cite this work
- APAEmpedocles. (n.d.). The fragments of Empedocles;. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/empedocles/the-fragments-of-empedocles
- MLAEmpedocles. "The fragments of Empedocles;." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/empedocles/the-fragments-of-empedocles.
- ChicagoEmpedocles. The fragments of Empedocles;. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/empedocles/the-fragments-of-empedocles.
What it is about
The fragments of Empedocles.
Context and history
Empedocles of Acragas (c. 494–434 BC) proposed the four elements — earth, water, air and fire — moved by Love and Strife, and also wrote a poem of purifications on the transmigration of souls. Scientist and prophet at once; legend has him leaping into Etna.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
THIS translation was made at the suggestion of my friend, Dr. W. R. Newbold, Professor of Greek Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, in the hope of interesting here and there a student of thought or a lover of poetry. The introduction and notes are intended merely to illustrate the text: they touch only incidentally on the doxographical material and give thus by no means a complete account of all it is possible to know about Empedocles's philosophy. My indebtedness to the critics is frequently attested in the references; but I have in all points tried to exercise an independent judgment. Most citations from works not accessible in English are given in translation. It is a genuine pleasure to acknowledge my special obligations to Professor Newbold and to Professor E. B. Mc-Gilvary of the philosophical department at Wisconsin for their kindness in reading the manuscript and adding several valuable suggestions. I am indebted to Dr. J. R. Blackman of the department of physiology at the University of Wisconsin for medical references. William Ellery Leonard. Madison, Wis., May 14, 1907. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGB Preface v Empedocles : The Man, the Philosopher, the Poet. Life. I Personality 2 Works 3 History of the Text 3 Translations 4 The Ideas of Empedocles 4 The Poetry of Empedocles 9 Bibliography. 13 On Nature. To his Friend IS Limitations of Knowledge 15 The Elements 17 Ex Nihilo Nihil 19 The Plenum 19 Our Elements Immortal 20 Love and Hate, the Everlasting 20 The Cosmic Process 20 Love and Hate in the Organic World 23 From the Elements is All We See 24 Similia Similibus 25 An Analogy 26 The Speculative Thinker 27 An Aphorism 27 The Law of the Elements 28 The Sphere 29 Physical Analogies 30 The Conquest of Love 31 Similia Similibus 32 The World as It Now Is 33 Earth and Air not Illimitable 33 viii THE FRAGMENTS OF EMPEDOCLES. PAGB Sun and Moon 33 The Darkling Night 35 Wind and Rain 35 Fire 35 The Volcano 35
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