Empedocles

Date of Birth: 494 BCE

Zodiac Sign: Unknown

Date of Death: 434 BCE

Biography

Empedocles was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher and a native citizen of Akragas (modern-day Agrigento) in Sicily. He was born around 494 BCE and is believed to have died around 434 BCE. Empedocles is best known for his theory that all matter is composed of four roots, which he later termed as elements: earth, air, fire, and water. These roots are mixed and separated by two opposing forces, Love and Strife, which he described as fundamental principles governing the universe. Empedocles was not only a philosopher but also a poet, physician, and politician. His works are mostly known through fragments of his two major poems, “On Nature” and “Purifications.” He is also credited with pioneering the concept of the four classical elements, which greatly influenced later scientific thought and philosophy, including the works of Aristotle and those in the Renaissance.

5 Interesting Facts about Empedocles

1. Empedocles is often considered the last Greek philosopher to record his ideas in verse.

2. He claimed to be a divine being and even an incarnation of a god.

3. According to legend, he died by throwing himself into Mount Etna to prove his immortality.

4. Empedocles introduced the concept of forces (Love and Strife) as fundamental principles of the universe.

5. He made significant contributions to early theories on the nature of perception and thought, suggesting that all perception is a form of touch.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Empedocles

1. “The nature of God is a circle of which the center is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere.”

2. “What is right may well be said even twice.”

3. “Many fires burn below the surface.”

4. “There are forces in nature called Love and Strife.”

5. “What is real is not the world of appearances, but the world of the unseen.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Empedocles lived in the 5th century BCE, a period when the concept of net worth in the modern sense did not exist. However, he was considered a wealthy and influential figure in his city.