Burchardt,
died is characteristic of his medical knowledge, Fragmente der Morul des Demokrit, Minden, 1834,
which, combined as it was with his knowledge of 4to.
died is characteristic of his medical knowledge, Fragmente der Morul des Demokrit, Minden, 1834,
which, combined as it was with his knowledge of 4to.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
98) cven states, that he lived
DEMOʻCRATES (Anuokpátns). 1. Of Aphid- there for a period of five years. lle himself de-
na, an Attic orator of the time of Demosthenes, clared (Clem. Alex. Strum. i. p. 304), that among
who belonged to the anti-Macedonian party. He his contemporaries none had made greater journeys,
was a son of Sophilus, and was sent with other seen more countries, and made the acquaintance of
ambassadors to Philip to receive his oath to the more men distinguished in every kind of science
treaty with Athens. He was also one of the am- than himself. Among the last he mentions in par-
bassadors who accompanied Demosthenes to the ticular the Egyptian mathematicians (apredovat-
Thebans, to conclude a treaty with them against tal; comp. Sturz, de Dialect. Maced. p. 98), whose
Philip. As an orator he seems to have been a knowledge he praises, without, however, regarding
man of second rate. (Demosth. de Coron. pp. 235, himself inferior to them. Theophrastus, too, spoke
291. ). A fragment of one of his orations is pre of him as a man who had seen many countries.
served in Aristotle. (Rhet. iii 4. § 3. )
(Aclian, V. H. iv. 20; Ding. Laërt. ix. 35. ) It
2. A Pythagorean philosopher, concerning whom was his desire to acquire an extensive knowledge
absolutely nothing is known. A collection of mo- of nature that led him into distant countries at a •
ral maxims, called the golden sentences (yuwua: time when travelling was the principal means of
Xpvoai) has come down to us under his name, and acquiring an intellectual and scientific culture ;
are distinguished for their soundness and sim- and after returning to his native land he occupied
plicity. They are written in the lonic dialect, himself only with philosophical investigations,
from which some writers have inferred, that they especially such as related to natural history. In
were written at a very early period, whereas others Greece itself, too, he endeavoured by means of
think it more probable that they are the production travelling and ling in the principal cities to ac-
of the age of J. Caesar. But nothing can be said quire a knowledge of Hellenic culture and civiliza-
with certainty, for want of both external and in- tion. He mentioned many Greek philosophers in
ternal evidence. Some of these sentences are his writings, and his wealth enabled him to pur-
quoted by Stobaeus, and are found in some MSS. chase the works they had written. He thus suc-
under the name of Democritus, which however ceeded in excelling, in the extent of his knowledge,
seems to be a mere mistake, arising from the re all the earlier Greek philosophers, among whom
semblance of the two names. They are collected | Leucippus, the founder of the atomistic theory, is
and printed in the several editions of the sentences said to have exercised the greatest influence upon
of Demophilus. [DEMOPHILUS. ]
his philosophical studies. The opinion that he was
3. An Epicurean philosopher, who according a disciple of Anaxagoras or of the Pythagoreans
to Plutarch (c. Epicur. p. 1100) was charged by (Diog. Laërt. ix. 38), perhaps arose merely from
Epicurus with having copied from his works. He ihe fact, that he mentioned them in his writings.
may possibly be the same as the Democrates who The account of his hostility towards Anaxagoras,
according to the same Plutarch (Polit. Praecept. is contradicted by several passages in which he
p. 803) lived at Athens about B. c. 340.
speaks of him in terms of high praise. (Diog.
4. Of Tenedos, a distinguished wrestler, of Laërt. ii. 14; Sext. Empir. adv. Math. vii.
whom there was a statue at Olympia. (Paus. vi. 140. ) It is further said, that he was on terms
17. & 1. ) He is probably the same as the one of of friendship with Hippocrates, and some writers
whom an anecdote is related by Aelian. (V. H. even speak of a correspondence between Demo-
iv. 15. )
(L. S. ] critus and Hippocrates ; but this statement
DEMOCRINES (Amuokplums), a Greek gram- does not seem to be deserving of credit. (Diog.
marian, who is referred to in the Venetian Scholia Laërt. ix. 6 42; Brandis, Handbuch der Griech. ú.
on Homer (I. ii. 744. Comp. Villoison, Proleg. Röm. Philos. p. 300. ). As he was a contemporary
p. xxx. )
[L. S. ) of Plato, it may be that he was acquainted with
DEMOCRITUS. (DAMOCRITUS. ]
Socrates, perhaps eren with Plato, who, however,
DEMOCRITUS (Anuókpitos), was a native of does not mention Democritus anywhere. (Her-
Abdera in Thrace, an Ionian colony of Teos. mann, System der Platon. Philos. i. p. 281. ) Aris-
.
(Aristot. de Coel. iii. 4, Meteor. ii. 7, with Ideler's rotle describes him and his views as belonging to
note. ) Some called him a Milesian, and the name the ante-Socratic period (Arist. Metaph. xii. 4 ;
of his father too is stated differently. (Diog. Laert. Phys. ii. 2, de Partib. Anim. i. 1); but modern
ix. 34, &c. ) His birth year was fixed by Apol. scholars, such as the learned Dutchman Groen van
lodorus in Ol. 80. 1, or B. c. 460, while Thrasyllus Prinsterer (Prosopograph. Platon. p. 41, &c. , comp.
had referred it to Ol. 77. 3. (Diog. Laërt. l. c. Brandis, l. c. p. 292, &c. ), assert, that there are
§ 41, with Menage's note ; Gellius, xvii. 21 ; symptoms in Plato which shew a connexion with
Clinton, F. H. ad ann. 460. ) Democritus had Democritus, and the same scholar pretends to dis-
called himself forty years younger than Anaxagoras. cover in Plato's language and style an imitation of
His father, Hegesistratus,-—or as others called him Democritus. (Persop. Plat. p. 42. )
Damasippus or Athenocritus,—was possessed of so anecdotes about Democritus which are preserved,
large a property, that he was able to receive and especially in Diogenes Laërtius, shew that he was
treat Xerxes on his march through Abdera. De- a man of a most sterling and honourable character.
mocritus spent the inheritance, which his father His diligence was incredible: he lived exclusively
left hiin, on travels into distant countries, which he for his studies, and his disinterestedness, modesty,
undertook to satisfy his extraordinary thirst for and simplicity are attested by many features which
knowledge. He travelled over a great part of are related of him. Notwithstanding his great
Asia, and, as some state, he even reached India property, he seems to have died in poverty,
and Aethiopia. (Cic. de Fin. v. 19; Strabo, xvi. though highly esteemed by his fellow-citizens, not
p. 703; A. H. C. Geffers, Quaestiones Democrit. so much on account of his philosophy, as “ be-
The many
## p. 975 (#995) ############################################
DEMOCRITUS.
975
DEMOCRITUS.
p. 22,
cause," as Diogenes says, " he had foretold them these fragments refer more to ethics than to physi-
some things which the event proved to be true. " cal matters. There is a very good collection of
This had probably reference to his knowledge of these fragments by F. G. A. Mullach, “ Democriti
natural phaenomena. His fellow-citizens honoured Abderitae operum fragmenta,” Berlin, 1843, 8vo.
him with presents in money and bronze statues. Besides this work, which contains also elaborate
Even the scoffer Timon, who in his silli spared no dissertations on the life and writings of Democritus,
one, speaks of Democritus only in terms of praise. the student may consult-1. Burchardt, Comment.
He died at an advanced age (some say that he was crit. de Democriti de sensibus philosophia, in two pro-
109 years old), and even the manner in which he grams, Minden, 1830 and 1839, 4to. 2.
Burchardt,
died is characteristic of his medical knowledge, Fragmente der Morul des Demokrit, Minden, 1834,
which, combined as it was with his knowledge of 4to. 3. Heimsith, Democriti de unima doctrina,
nature, caused a report, which was believed by Bonn, 1835, 8vo. 4. H. Stephanus, Poesis Philos.
some persons, that he was a sorcerer and a magician. p. 156, &c. 5. Orelli, Opusc. Graec. Sent. i. p.
(Plin. H. N. xxiv. 17, xxx. 1. ) His death is 91, &c. Concerning the spurious works and letters
placed in Ol. 105. 4, or B. c. 357, in which year of Democritus, see Fabric. Bill. Gr. i. p. 683, &c. ,
Hippocrates also is said to have died. (Clinton, ii. pp. 641, 639, iv. p. 333, &c.
F. H. ad ann. 357. ) We cannot leave unnoticed The philosophy of Democritus has, in modern
the tradition that Democritus deprived himself of times been the subject of much investigation. He-
his sight, in order to be less disturbed in his pur- gel (Vorlesung, üb. Gesch. d. Philos. i. p. 379, &c. )
suits. (Cic. de Fin. v. 29 ; Gellius, x. 17 ; Diog. treats it very briefly, and does not attach much
Laërt. ix. 36 ; Cic. Tusc. v. 39 ; Menage, ad Diog. importance to it. The most minute investigations
Laërt. ix. 43. ) But this tradition is one of the concerning it are those of Ritter (Gesch. d. Philos.
inventions of a later age, which was fond of i. p. 559), Brandis (Rhein. Mus. iii. p. 133, &c. ,
piquant anecdotes. It is more probable that he and Gesch. der Griech. u. Röm. Philos. i. p. 294,
may have lost his sight by too severe application &c. ), Petersen (Histor. Philog. Studien. i.
to study. (Brandis, l. c. p. 298. ) This loss, &c. ), Papencordt ( Atomicorum doctrina), and Mul-
however, did not disturb the cheerful disposition lach (l. c. pp. 373—419).
of his mind and his views of human life, which It was Democritus who, in his numerous writ-
prompted him everywhere to look at the cheerful ings, carried out Leucippus's theory of atoms, and
and comical side of things, which later writers took especially in his observations on nature. These
to mean, that he always laughed at the follies of atomists undertook the task of proving that the
men. (Senec. de Ira, ii. 10; Aelian, V. H. iv. quantitative relations of matter were its original
20. )
characteristics, and that its qualitative relations
Of the extent of his knowledge, which embraced were something secondary and derivative, and of
not only natural sciences, mathematics, mechanics thus doing away with the distinction between
(Brandis, in the Rhein. Mus. iii. p. 134, &c. ). gram- matter and mind or power. (Brandis, l. c. p. 291. )
mar, music, and philosophy, but various other use- In order to avoid the difficulties connected with
ful arts, we may form some notion from the list of the supposition of primitive matter with definite
his numerous works which is given by Diogenes qualities, without admitting the coming into exist-
Laërtius (ix. 46—49), and which, as Diogenes ence and annihilation as realities, and without
expressly states, contains only his genuine works. giving up, as the Eleatic philosophers did, the
The grammarian Thrasyllus, a contemporary of the reality of variety and its changes, the atomists
emperor Tiberius, arranged them, like the works of derived all definiteness of phaenomena, both phy-
Plato, into tetralogies. The importance which sical and mental, from elementary particles, the
was attached to the researches of Democritus is infinite number of which were homogeneous in
evident from the fact, that Aristotle is reported to quality, but heterogeneous in form. This made it
have written a work in two books on the problems necessary for them to establish the reality of a
of Democritus. (Diog. Laërt. v. 26. ) His works vacuum or space, and of motion. (Brandis, l. c.
were composed in the Ionic dialect, though not p. 303, &c. ) Motion, they said, is the eternal and
without some admixture of the local peculiarities of nece art consequence of the original variety of
Abdera. (Philopon. in Aristot. de gener. et cor- atoms in the vacuum or space. All phaenomena
rupt. fol. 7, a. ; Simplic. ad Aristot. de Coelo, fol. arise from the infinite variety of the form, order, and
150, a. ; Suid. s. v. Þuo uós. ) They are neverthe position of the atoms in forming combinations. It
less much praised by Cicero on account of the is impossible, they add, to derive this supposition
poetical beauties and the liveliness of their style, from any higher principle, for a beginning of the
and are in this respect compared even with the infinite is inconceivable. (Aristot. de Generat.
works of Plato. (Groen van Prinsterer, l. c. ; Cic. Anim. i. 6, p. 742, b. 20, ed. Bekker; Brandis,
de Div. ii. 64, de Orat. i. 11, Orat. 20 ; Dionys. l. c. p. 309, &c. ) The atoms are impenetrable,
de Compos. verb. 24; Plut. Sympos. v. 7, p. 683. ) and therefore ofier resistance to one another. This
Pyrrhon is said to have imitated his style (Euseb. creates a swinging, world-producing, and whirling
Praep. Evang. xiv. 6), and even Timon praises it, motion. (This reminds us of the joke in the Clouds
and calls it περίφρονα και αμφίνοον λέσχην. (Diog. of Aristophanes about the god Δίνος! ) Now as
Laërt. ix. 40. ) Unfortunately, not one of his similars attract one another, there arise in that
works has come down to us, and the treatise which motion real things and beings, that is, combinations
we possess under his name is considered spurious. of distinct atoms, which still continue to be sepa-
Callimachus wrote glosses upon his works and made rated from one another by the vacuum. The first
a list of them (Suid. s. v. ); but they must have cause of all existence is necessity, that is, the neces-
been lost at an early time, since even Simplicius sary predestination and necessary succession of
does not appear to have read them (Papencordt, de cause and effect. This they called chancc, in oppo-
Atomicorum doctrina, p. 22), and since compara- sition to the vous of Anaxagoras. But it does the
tively few fragments have come down to us, and 'highest honour to the mind of Democritus, that he
1
TAT
## p. 976 (#996) ############################################
976
DEMOCRITUS.
DEMOCRITUS.
DEMOʻCRATES (Anuokpátns). 1. Of Aphid- there for a period of five years. lle himself de-
na, an Attic orator of the time of Demosthenes, clared (Clem. Alex. Strum. i. p. 304), that among
who belonged to the anti-Macedonian party. He his contemporaries none had made greater journeys,
was a son of Sophilus, and was sent with other seen more countries, and made the acquaintance of
ambassadors to Philip to receive his oath to the more men distinguished in every kind of science
treaty with Athens. He was also one of the am- than himself. Among the last he mentions in par-
bassadors who accompanied Demosthenes to the ticular the Egyptian mathematicians (apredovat-
Thebans, to conclude a treaty with them against tal; comp. Sturz, de Dialect. Maced. p. 98), whose
Philip. As an orator he seems to have been a knowledge he praises, without, however, regarding
man of second rate. (Demosth. de Coron. pp. 235, himself inferior to them. Theophrastus, too, spoke
291. ). A fragment of one of his orations is pre of him as a man who had seen many countries.
served in Aristotle. (Rhet. iii 4. § 3. )
(Aclian, V. H. iv. 20; Ding. Laërt. ix. 35. ) It
2. A Pythagorean philosopher, concerning whom was his desire to acquire an extensive knowledge
absolutely nothing is known. A collection of mo- of nature that led him into distant countries at a •
ral maxims, called the golden sentences (yuwua: time when travelling was the principal means of
Xpvoai) has come down to us under his name, and acquiring an intellectual and scientific culture ;
are distinguished for their soundness and sim- and after returning to his native land he occupied
plicity. They are written in the lonic dialect, himself only with philosophical investigations,
from which some writers have inferred, that they especially such as related to natural history. In
were written at a very early period, whereas others Greece itself, too, he endeavoured by means of
think it more probable that they are the production travelling and ling in the principal cities to ac-
of the age of J. Caesar. But nothing can be said quire a knowledge of Hellenic culture and civiliza-
with certainty, for want of both external and in- tion. He mentioned many Greek philosophers in
ternal evidence. Some of these sentences are his writings, and his wealth enabled him to pur-
quoted by Stobaeus, and are found in some MSS. chase the works they had written. He thus suc-
under the name of Democritus, which however ceeded in excelling, in the extent of his knowledge,
seems to be a mere mistake, arising from the re all the earlier Greek philosophers, among whom
semblance of the two names. They are collected | Leucippus, the founder of the atomistic theory, is
and printed in the several editions of the sentences said to have exercised the greatest influence upon
of Demophilus. [DEMOPHILUS. ]
his philosophical studies. The opinion that he was
3. An Epicurean philosopher, who according a disciple of Anaxagoras or of the Pythagoreans
to Plutarch (c. Epicur. p. 1100) was charged by (Diog. Laërt. ix. 38), perhaps arose merely from
Epicurus with having copied from his works. He ihe fact, that he mentioned them in his writings.
may possibly be the same as the Democrates who The account of his hostility towards Anaxagoras,
according to the same Plutarch (Polit. Praecept. is contradicted by several passages in which he
p. 803) lived at Athens about B. c. 340.
speaks of him in terms of high praise. (Diog.
4. Of Tenedos, a distinguished wrestler, of Laërt. ii. 14; Sext. Empir. adv. Math. vii.
whom there was a statue at Olympia. (Paus. vi. 140. ) It is further said, that he was on terms
17. & 1. ) He is probably the same as the one of of friendship with Hippocrates, and some writers
whom an anecdote is related by Aelian. (V. H. even speak of a correspondence between Demo-
iv. 15. )
(L. S. ] critus and Hippocrates ; but this statement
DEMOCRINES (Amuokplums), a Greek gram- does not seem to be deserving of credit. (Diog.
marian, who is referred to in the Venetian Scholia Laërt. ix. 6 42; Brandis, Handbuch der Griech. ú.
on Homer (I. ii. 744. Comp. Villoison, Proleg. Röm. Philos. p. 300. ). As he was a contemporary
p. xxx. )
[L. S. ) of Plato, it may be that he was acquainted with
DEMOCRITUS. (DAMOCRITUS. ]
Socrates, perhaps eren with Plato, who, however,
DEMOCRITUS (Anuókpitos), was a native of does not mention Democritus anywhere. (Her-
Abdera in Thrace, an Ionian colony of Teos. mann, System der Platon. Philos. i. p. 281. ) Aris-
.
(Aristot. de Coel. iii. 4, Meteor. ii. 7, with Ideler's rotle describes him and his views as belonging to
note. ) Some called him a Milesian, and the name the ante-Socratic period (Arist. Metaph. xii. 4 ;
of his father too is stated differently. (Diog. Laert. Phys. ii. 2, de Partib. Anim. i. 1); but modern
ix. 34, &c. ) His birth year was fixed by Apol. scholars, such as the learned Dutchman Groen van
lodorus in Ol. 80. 1, or B. c. 460, while Thrasyllus Prinsterer (Prosopograph. Platon. p. 41, &c. , comp.
had referred it to Ol. 77. 3. (Diog. Laërt. l. c. Brandis, l. c. p. 292, &c. ), assert, that there are
§ 41, with Menage's note ; Gellius, xvii. 21 ; symptoms in Plato which shew a connexion with
Clinton, F. H. ad ann. 460. ) Democritus had Democritus, and the same scholar pretends to dis-
called himself forty years younger than Anaxagoras. cover in Plato's language and style an imitation of
His father, Hegesistratus,-—or as others called him Democritus. (Persop. Plat. p. 42. )
Damasippus or Athenocritus,—was possessed of so anecdotes about Democritus which are preserved,
large a property, that he was able to receive and especially in Diogenes Laërtius, shew that he was
treat Xerxes on his march through Abdera. De- a man of a most sterling and honourable character.
mocritus spent the inheritance, which his father His diligence was incredible: he lived exclusively
left hiin, on travels into distant countries, which he for his studies, and his disinterestedness, modesty,
undertook to satisfy his extraordinary thirst for and simplicity are attested by many features which
knowledge. He travelled over a great part of are related of him. Notwithstanding his great
Asia, and, as some state, he even reached India property, he seems to have died in poverty,
and Aethiopia. (Cic. de Fin. v. 19; Strabo, xvi. though highly esteemed by his fellow-citizens, not
p. 703; A. H. C. Geffers, Quaestiones Democrit. so much on account of his philosophy, as “ be-
The many
## p. 975 (#995) ############################################
DEMOCRITUS.
975
DEMOCRITUS.
p. 22,
cause," as Diogenes says, " he had foretold them these fragments refer more to ethics than to physi-
some things which the event proved to be true. " cal matters. There is a very good collection of
This had probably reference to his knowledge of these fragments by F. G. A. Mullach, “ Democriti
natural phaenomena. His fellow-citizens honoured Abderitae operum fragmenta,” Berlin, 1843, 8vo.
him with presents in money and bronze statues. Besides this work, which contains also elaborate
Even the scoffer Timon, who in his silli spared no dissertations on the life and writings of Democritus,
one, speaks of Democritus only in terms of praise. the student may consult-1. Burchardt, Comment.
He died at an advanced age (some say that he was crit. de Democriti de sensibus philosophia, in two pro-
109 years old), and even the manner in which he grams, Minden, 1830 and 1839, 4to. 2.
Burchardt,
died is characteristic of his medical knowledge, Fragmente der Morul des Demokrit, Minden, 1834,
which, combined as it was with his knowledge of 4to. 3. Heimsith, Democriti de unima doctrina,
nature, caused a report, which was believed by Bonn, 1835, 8vo. 4. H. Stephanus, Poesis Philos.
some persons, that he was a sorcerer and a magician. p. 156, &c. 5. Orelli, Opusc. Graec. Sent. i. p.
(Plin. H. N. xxiv. 17, xxx. 1. ) His death is 91, &c. Concerning the spurious works and letters
placed in Ol. 105. 4, or B. c. 357, in which year of Democritus, see Fabric. Bill. Gr. i. p. 683, &c. ,
Hippocrates also is said to have died. (Clinton, ii. pp. 641, 639, iv. p. 333, &c.
F. H. ad ann. 357. ) We cannot leave unnoticed The philosophy of Democritus has, in modern
the tradition that Democritus deprived himself of times been the subject of much investigation. He-
his sight, in order to be less disturbed in his pur- gel (Vorlesung, üb. Gesch. d. Philos. i. p. 379, &c. )
suits. (Cic. de Fin. v. 29 ; Gellius, x. 17 ; Diog. treats it very briefly, and does not attach much
Laërt. ix. 36 ; Cic. Tusc. v. 39 ; Menage, ad Diog. importance to it. The most minute investigations
Laërt. ix. 43. ) But this tradition is one of the concerning it are those of Ritter (Gesch. d. Philos.
inventions of a later age, which was fond of i. p. 559), Brandis (Rhein. Mus. iii. p. 133, &c. ,
piquant anecdotes. It is more probable that he and Gesch. der Griech. u. Röm. Philos. i. p. 294,
may have lost his sight by too severe application &c. ), Petersen (Histor. Philog. Studien. i.
to study. (Brandis, l. c. p. 298. ) This loss, &c. ), Papencordt ( Atomicorum doctrina), and Mul-
however, did not disturb the cheerful disposition lach (l. c. pp. 373—419).
of his mind and his views of human life, which It was Democritus who, in his numerous writ-
prompted him everywhere to look at the cheerful ings, carried out Leucippus's theory of atoms, and
and comical side of things, which later writers took especially in his observations on nature. These
to mean, that he always laughed at the follies of atomists undertook the task of proving that the
men. (Senec. de Ira, ii. 10; Aelian, V. H. iv. quantitative relations of matter were its original
20. )
characteristics, and that its qualitative relations
Of the extent of his knowledge, which embraced were something secondary and derivative, and of
not only natural sciences, mathematics, mechanics thus doing away with the distinction between
(Brandis, in the Rhein. Mus. iii. p. 134, &c. ). gram- matter and mind or power. (Brandis, l. c. p. 291. )
mar, music, and philosophy, but various other use- In order to avoid the difficulties connected with
ful arts, we may form some notion from the list of the supposition of primitive matter with definite
his numerous works which is given by Diogenes qualities, without admitting the coming into exist-
Laërtius (ix. 46—49), and which, as Diogenes ence and annihilation as realities, and without
expressly states, contains only his genuine works. giving up, as the Eleatic philosophers did, the
The grammarian Thrasyllus, a contemporary of the reality of variety and its changes, the atomists
emperor Tiberius, arranged them, like the works of derived all definiteness of phaenomena, both phy-
Plato, into tetralogies. The importance which sical and mental, from elementary particles, the
was attached to the researches of Democritus is infinite number of which were homogeneous in
evident from the fact, that Aristotle is reported to quality, but heterogeneous in form. This made it
have written a work in two books on the problems necessary for them to establish the reality of a
of Democritus. (Diog. Laërt. v. 26. ) His works vacuum or space, and of motion. (Brandis, l. c.
were composed in the Ionic dialect, though not p. 303, &c. ) Motion, they said, is the eternal and
without some admixture of the local peculiarities of nece art consequence of the original variety of
Abdera. (Philopon. in Aristot. de gener. et cor- atoms in the vacuum or space. All phaenomena
rupt. fol. 7, a. ; Simplic. ad Aristot. de Coelo, fol. arise from the infinite variety of the form, order, and
150, a. ; Suid. s. v. Þuo uós. ) They are neverthe position of the atoms in forming combinations. It
less much praised by Cicero on account of the is impossible, they add, to derive this supposition
poetical beauties and the liveliness of their style, from any higher principle, for a beginning of the
and are in this respect compared even with the infinite is inconceivable. (Aristot. de Generat.
works of Plato. (Groen van Prinsterer, l. c. ; Cic. Anim. i. 6, p. 742, b. 20, ed. Bekker; Brandis,
de Div. ii. 64, de Orat. i. 11, Orat. 20 ; Dionys. l. c. p. 309, &c. ) The atoms are impenetrable,
de Compos. verb. 24; Plut. Sympos. v. 7, p. 683. ) and therefore ofier resistance to one another. This
Pyrrhon is said to have imitated his style (Euseb. creates a swinging, world-producing, and whirling
Praep. Evang. xiv. 6), and even Timon praises it, motion. (This reminds us of the joke in the Clouds
and calls it περίφρονα και αμφίνοον λέσχην. (Diog. of Aristophanes about the god Δίνος! ) Now as
Laërt. ix. 40. ) Unfortunately, not one of his similars attract one another, there arise in that
works has come down to us, and the treatise which motion real things and beings, that is, combinations
we possess under his name is considered spurious. of distinct atoms, which still continue to be sepa-
Callimachus wrote glosses upon his works and made rated from one another by the vacuum. The first
a list of them (Suid. s. v. ); but they must have cause of all existence is necessity, that is, the neces-
been lost at an early time, since even Simplicius sary predestination and necessary succession of
does not appear to have read them (Papencordt, de cause and effect. This they called chancc, in oppo-
Atomicorum doctrina, p. 22), and since compara- sition to the vous of Anaxagoras. But it does the
tively few fragments have come down to us, and 'highest honour to the mind of Democritus, that he
1
TAT
## p. 976 (#996) ############################################
976
DEMOCRITUS.
DEMOCRITUS.
