Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume 1 — Plato — John Shaqi
Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume 1
Plato · en
[Side-note: Astronomy and physics of Anaxagoras.]
In describing the formation of the Kosmos, Anaxagoras supposed that,
as a consequence of the rotation initiated by mind, the primitive
chaos broke up. "The Dense, Wet, Cold, Dark, Heavy, came together into
the place where now Earth is: Hot, Dry, Bare, Light, Bright, departed
to the exterior region of the revolving Æther."[167] In such
separation each followed its spontaneous and inherent tendency. Water
was disengaged from air and clouds, earth from water: earth was still
farther consolidated into stones by cold.[168] Earth remained
stationary in the centre, while fire and air were borne round it by
the force and violence of the rotatory movement. The celestial
bodies--Sun, Moon, and Stars--were solid bodies analogous to the earth,
either caught originally in the whirl of the rotatory movement, or
torn from the substance of the earth and carried away into the outer
region of rotation.[169] They were rendered hot and luminous by the
fiery fluid in the rapid whirl of which they were hurried along. The
Sun was a stone thus made red-hot, larger than Peloponnesus: the Moon
was of earthy matter, nearer to the Earth, deriving its light from the
Sun, and including not merely plains and mountains, but also cities
and inhabitants.[170] Of the planetary movements, apart from the
diurnal rotation of the celestial sphere, Anaxagoras took no
notice.[171] He explained the periodical changes in the apparent
course of the sun and moon by resistances which they encountered, the
former from accumulated and condensed air, the latter from the
cold.[172] Like Anaximenes and Demokritus, Anaxagoras conceived the
Earth as flat, round in the surface, and not deep, resting on and
supported by the air beneath it. Originally (he thought) the earth was
horizontal, with the axis of celestial rotation perpendicular, and the
north pole at the zenith, so that this rotation was then lateral, like
that of a dome or roof; it was moreover equable and unchanging with
reference to every part of the plane of the earth's upper surface, and
distributed light and heat equally to every part. But after a certain
time the Earth tilted over of its own accord to the south, thus
lowering its southern half, raising the northern half, and causing the
celestial rotation to appear oblique.[173]
[Footnote 167: Anaxag. Fr. 19, p. 131, Schaub.; compare Fr. 6, p. 97;
Diogen. Laert. ii. 8.]
[Footnote 168: Anaxag. Fr. 20, p. 133, Schau.]
[Footnote 169: See the curious passage in Plutarch, Lysander 12, and
Plato, Legg. xii. p. 967 B; Diogen. Laert. ii. 12; Plutarch, Placit.
Philos. ii. 13.]
[Footnote 170: Plato, Kratylus, p. 409 A; Plato, Apol. Sok. c. 14;
Xenophon, Memorab. iv. 7.]
[Footnote 171: Schaubach, ad Anax. Fr. p. 165.]
[Footnote 172: Plutarch, Placit. Philosoph. ii. 23.]