The first philosophers of Greece : $b An edition and translation of the remaining fragments of the pre-Sokratic philosophers, together with a translation of the more important accounts of their opinions contained in the early epitomes of their worksFairbanks, Arthur
Philosophy
The first philosophers of Greece : $b An edition and translation of the remaining fragments of the pre-Sokratic philosophers, together with a translation of the more important accounts of their opinions contained in the early epitomes of their works
Fairbanks, Arthur
Philosophy, Ancient
Aet. _Plac._ v. 7; 419. Empedokles: Male or female are born according
to warmth and coldness; whence he records that the first males were
born to the east and south from the earth, and the females to the
north. v. 8; 420. Empedokles: Monstrosities are due to too much or too
little seed (_semen_), or to disturbance of motion, or to division into
several parts, or to a bending aside. v. 10; 421. Empedokles: Twins
and triplets are due to excess of seed and division of it. v. 11; 422.
Empedokles: Likenesses (of children to parents) are due to power of the
fruitful seed, and differences occur when the warmth in the seed is
dissipated.[85] v. 12; 423. Empedokles: Offspring are formed according
to the fancy of the woman at the time of conception; for oftentimes
women fall in love with images and statues, and bring forth offspring
like these. v. 14; 425. Empedokles: (Mules are not fertile) because the
womb is small and low and narrow, and attached to the belly in a reverse
manner, so that the seed does not go into it straight, nor would it
receive the seed even if it should reach it. v. 15; 425. Empedokles: The
embryo is [not] alive, but exists without breathing in the belly; and
the first breath of the animal takes place at birth, when the moisture
in infants gives way, and when the airy matter from without comes to the
void, to enter into the openings of the lungs. v. 19; 430. Empedokles:
The first generations of animals and plants were never complete, but
were yoked with incongruous parts; and the second were forms of parts
that belong together; and the third, of parts grown into one whole; and
the fourth were no longer from like parts, as for instance from earth
and water, but from elements already permeating each other; for some the
food being condensed, for others the fairness of the females causing an
excitement of the motion of the seed. And the classes of all the animals
were separated on account of such mixings; those more adapted to the
water rushed into this, others sailed up into the air as many as had
the more of fiery matter, and the heavier remained on the earth, and
equal portions in the mixture spoke in the breasts of all. v. 22; 434.
Empedokles: Flesh is the product of equal parts of the four elements
mixed together, and sinews of double portions of fire and earth mixed
together, and the claws of animals are the product of sinews chilled by
contact with the air, and bones of two equal parts of water and of earth
and four parts of fire mingled together. And sweat and tears come from
blood as it wastes away, and flows out because it has become rarefied.
v. 24; 435. Empedokles: Sleep is a moderate cooling of the warmth in
the blood, death a complete cooling. v. 25; 437. Empedokles: Death is
a separation of the fiery matter out of the mixture of which the man
is composed; so that from this standpoint death of the body and of the
soul happens together; and sleep is a separating of the fiery matter.
v. 26; 438.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account