Early Greek philosophy

Name: Early Greek philosophy
Author: Burnet, John

Burnet, John

Philosophy, Ancient

It is the earth that makes night by coming before the lights.

                                   (49)

  ... of solitary, blind-eyed night.

                                   (50)

  And Iris bringeth wind or mighty rain from the sea.

                                   (51)

  (Fire) swiftly rushing upwards....

                                   (52)

  And many fires burn beneath the earth. R. P. 171 a.

                                   (53)

  For so as it ran, it met them at that time, though often otherwise. R.
  P. 171 a.

                                   (54)

  But the air sank down upon the earth with its long roots. R. P. 171 a.

                                   (55)

  Sea the sweat of the earth. R. P. 170 b.

                                   (56)

  Salt was solidified by the impact of the sun’s beams.

                                   (57)

  On it (the earth) many heads sprung up without necks and arms wandered
  bare and bereft of shoulders. Eyes strayed up and down in want of
  foreheads. R. P. 173 a.

                                   (58)

  Solitary limbs wandered seeking for union.

                                   (59)

  But, as divinity was mingled still further with divinity, these things
  joined together as each might chance, and many other things besides
  them continually arose.

                                   (60)

  Shambling creatures with countless hands.

                                   (61)

  Many creatures with faces and breasts looking in different directions
  were born; some, offspring of oxen with faces of men, while others,
  again, arose as offspring of men with the heads of oxen, and creatures
  in whom the nature of women and men was mingled, furnished with
  sterile[557] parts. <<5>> R. P. 173 b.

                                   (62)

  Come now, hear how the Fire as it was separated caused the night-born
  shoots of men and tearful women to arise; for my tale is not off the
  point nor uninformed. Whole-natured forms first arose from the earth,
  having a portion both of water and fire.[558] These did the fire,
  desirous of <<5>> reaching its like, send up, showing as yet neither
  the charming form of women’s limbs, nor yet the voice and parts that
  are proper to men. R. P. 173 c.

                                   (63)

  ... But the substance of (the child’s) limbs is divided between them,
  part of it in men’s and part in women’s (body).

                                   (64)

  And upon him came desire reminding him through sight.

                                   (65)

  ... And it was poured out in the pure parts; and when it met with cold
  women arose from it.

                                   (66)

  The divided meadows of Aphrodite.

                                   (67)

  For in its warmer part the womb brings forth males, and that is why
  men are dark and more manly and shaggy.

                                   (68)

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Early Greek philosophyBurnet, John

Philosophy

Early Greek philosophy

Burnet, John

Philosophy, Ancient

It is the earth that makes night by coming before the lights.

                                   (49)

  ... of solitary, blind-eyed night.

                                   (50)

  And Iris bringeth wind or mighty rain from the sea.

                                   (51)

  (Fire) swiftly rushing upwards....

                                   (52)

  And many fires burn beneath the earth. R. P. 171 a.

                                   (53)

  For so as it ran, it met them at that time, though often otherwise. R.
  P. 171 a.

                                   (54)

  But the air sank down upon the earth with its long roots. R. P. 171 a.

                                   (55)

  Sea the sweat of the earth. R. P. 170 b.

                                   (56)

  Salt was solidified by the impact of the sun’s beams.

                                   (57)

  On it (the earth) many heads sprung up without necks and arms wandered
  bare and bereft of shoulders. Eyes strayed up and down in want of
  foreheads. R. P. 173 a.

                                   (58)

  Solitary limbs wandered seeking for union.

                                   (59)

  But, as divinity was mingled still further with divinity, these things
  joined together as each might chance, and many other things besides
  them continually arose.

                                   (60)

  Shambling creatures with countless hands.

                                   (61)

  Many creatures with faces and breasts looking in different directions
  were born; some, offspring of oxen with faces of men, while others,
  again, arose as offspring of men with the heads of oxen, and creatures
  in whom the nature of women and men was mingled, furnished with
  sterile[557] parts. <<5>> R. P. 173 b.

                                   (62)

  Come now, hear how the Fire as it was separated caused the night-born
  shoots of men and tearful women to arise; for my tale is not off the
  point nor uninformed. Whole-natured forms first arose from the earth,
  having a portion both of water and fire.[558] These did the fire,
  desirous of <<5>> reaching its like, send up, showing as yet neither
  the charming form of women’s limbs, nor yet the voice and parts that
  are proper to men. R. P. 173 c.

                                   (63)

  ... But the substance of (the child’s) limbs is divided between them,
  part of it in men’s and part in women’s (body).

                                   (64)

  And upon him came desire reminding him through sight.

                                   (65)

  ... And it was poured out in the pure parts; and when it met with cold
  women arose from it.

                                   (66)

  The divided meadows of Aphrodite.

                                   (67)

  For in its warmer part the womb brings forth males, and that is why
  men are dark and more manly and shaggy.

                                   (68)

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Early Greek philosophy

Early Greek philosophy

No reviews yet