It was in shape like the section of a cylinder, with a depth equal to one-third of its breadth or horizontal surface, on which men and animals live. It was in the centre of the Kosmos; it remained stationary because of its equal distance from all parts of the outer revolving spheres; there was no cause determining it to move upward rather than downward or sideways, therefore it remained still.[13] Its exhalations nourished the fire in the peripheral regions of the Kosmos. Animals were produced from the primitive muddy fluid of the earth: first, fishes and other lower animals--next, in process of time man, when circumstances permitted his development.[14] We learn farther respecting the doctrines of Anaximander, that he proposed physical explanations of thunder, lightning, and other meteorological phenomena:[15] memorable as the earliest attempt of speculation in that department, at a time when such events inspired the strongest religious awe, and were regarded as the most especial manifestations of purposes of the Gods. He is said also to have been the first who tried to represent the surface and divisions of the earth on a brazen plate, the earliest rudiment of a map or chart.[16] [Footnote 9: See Zeller, Philosophie der Griechen, vol. i. p. 157, seq., ed. 2nd. Anaximander conceived [Greek: to\ a)peiron] as _infinite matter_; the Pythagoreans and Plato conceived it as a distinct nature by itself--as a subject, not as a predicate (Aristotel. Physic. iii. 4, p. 203, a. 2). About these fundamental contraries, Aristotle says (Physic. i. 4, init.): [Greek: oi( d' e)k tou e(no\s e)nou/sas ta\s e)nantio/têtas e)kkri/nesthai, ô(/sper A)naxi/mandro/s phêsi]. Which Simplikius explains, [Greek: e)nantio/tête/s ei)si, thermo\n, psuchro\n, xêro\n, u(gro\n, kai\ ai( a)/llai], &c. Compare also Schleiermacher, "Ueber Anaximandros," in his Vermischte Schriften, vol. ii. p. 178, seq. Deutinger (Gesch. der Philos. vol. i. p. 165, Regensb. 1852) maintains that this [Greek: e)/krisis] of contraries is at variance with the hypothesis of Anaximander, and has been erroneously ascribed to him. But the testimony is sufficiently good to outweigh this suspicion.] [Footnote 10: Anaximander spoke of his [Greek: a)/peiron] as [Greek: a)tha/naton kai\ a)nô/lethron] (Aristotel. Physic. iii. 4, 7, p. 203, b. 15).] [Footnote 11: Simplikius ad Aristotel. Physic. fol. 6 a. apud Preller, Histor. Philos. Græco-Rom. § 57, [Greek: e)x ô(=n de\ ê( ge/nesi/s e)sti toi=s ou)=si, kai\ tê\n phthora\n ei)s tau)ta\ gi/nesthai kata\ to\ chreô/n; dido/nai ga\r au)ta\ ti/sin kai\ di/kên a)llê/lois tê=s a)diki/as kata\ tê\n tou= chro/nou ta/xin.] Simplikius remarks upon the poetical character of this phraseology, [Greek: poiêtikôte/rois o)no/masin au)ta\ le/gôn].]