1 Reading μετὰ τοῖσιν. I still think, however, that Knatz’s palaeo- graphically admirable conjuncture μετὰ θεοῖσιν (2.6. among the elements) deserves consideration.
2 Keeping ἄλλοτε with Diels.
Empedokles of Akragas 243
plants and the fish that make their homes in the waters, with the beasts that have their lairs on the hills and the seabirds that sail on wings. ΚΕ. P. 173 d.
Come now, look at the things that bear witness to my earlier discourse, if so be that there was any shortcoming as to their form in the earlier list. Behold the sun, everywhere bright and warm, and all the immortal things that are bathed in heat and bright radiance. Behold the rain, everywhere dark and cold; and from the earth issue forth things close-pressed and solid. When they are in strife all these are different in form and separated; but they come together in love, and are desired by one another.
For out of these have sprung all things that were and are and shall be—treés and men and women, beasts and birds and the fishes that dwell in the waters, yea, and the gods that live long lives and are exalted in honour. R. P. 166i.
For these things are what they are; but, running through
one another, they take different shapes—so much does mixture
change them. ΚΕ. P. 166 g.
For all of these—sun, earth, sky, and sea—are at one with all their parts that are cast far and wide from them in mortal things. And even so all things that are more adapted for mixture are like to one another and united in love by Aphrodite. Those things, again, that differ most in origin, mixture and the forms imprinted on each, are most hostile, being altogether unaccustomed to unite and very sorry by the bidding of Strife, since it hath wrought their birth.
(23) Just as when painters are elaborating temple-offerings, men whom wisdom hath well taught their art,—they, when they have taken pigments of many colours with their hands, mix
1 Reading ἄμβροτα δ᾽ ὅσσ᾽ ἴδει with Diels. For the word ἴδος, cf. frs. 62, 5; 73, 2. The reference is to.the moon, etc., which are made of solidified Air, and receive their light from the fiery hemisphere. See below, § 113.
— a een -
Io
Io
244 Early Greek Philosophy
them in due proportion, more of some and less of others, and from them produce shapes like unto all things, making trees and men and women, beasts and birds and fishes that dwell in the waters, yea, and gods, that live long lives, and are exalted in honour,—so let not the error prevail over thy mind,! that there is any other source of all the perishable creatures that appear in countless numbers. Know this for sure, for thou hast heard the tale from a goddess.”
(24)
Stepping from summit to summit, not to travel only one
path to the end... .
What is right may well be said even twice.
For they prevail in turn as the circle comes round, and
pass into one another, and grow great in their appointed turn.
Bk. £O0'C. 3
They are what they are ; but, running through one another, they become men and the tribes of beasts. At one time they are all brought together into one order by Love ; at another, they are carried each in different directions by the repulsion of Strife, till they grow once more into one and are wholly subdued. Thus in so far as they are wont to grow into one out of many, and again divided become more than one, so far they come into being. and their life is not lasting; but in so far as they never cease changing continually, so far are they evermore, immovable in the circle.
(27) There are distinguished neither the swift limbs of the sun, no, nor the shaggy earth in its might, nor the sea,—so fast was the god bound in the close covering of Harmony,
1 Reading with Blass ( Jahrb. f. ki. Phil., 1883, p. 19): οὕτω μή σ᾽ ἀπάτη φρένα καινύτω κ.τ.λ. Cf. Hesychios: καινύτω" νικάτω. This is practically what the MSS. of Simplicius give, and Hesychios has many Empedoklean glosses. 2 The ‘‘ goddess” is, of course,-the Muse. Cf. fr. 5
Empedokles of Akragas 245
spherical and round, rejoicing in his circular solitude. R. P. 167. (272) There is no discord and no unseemly strife in his limbs.
(28)
But he was equal on every side and quite without end,
spherical and round, rejoicing in his circular solitude.
Two branches do not spring from his back, he has no feet, no swift knees, no fruitful parts; but he was spherical and equal on every side.
But, when Strife was grown great in the limbs of the god andjsprang forth to claim his prerogatives, in the fulness of the alternate time set for them by the mighty oath, . . . for all the limbs of the god in turn quaked. R P. 167.
The joint binds two things.}
(33) Even as when fig juice rivets and binds white milk. . . .
(34) Cementing 2 meal with water... .
But now I shall retrace my steps over the paths of song that I have travelled before, drawing from my saying a new saying. When Strife was fallen to the lowest depth of the vortex, and Love had reached to the centre of the whirl, in it do
1 The word μονίῃ, if it is right, cannot mean “rest,” but only solitude, There is no reason for altering περιηγέι, though Simplicius has περιγηθέι.
2 The masculine κολλήσας shows that the subject cannot have been Φιλότης ; and Karsten was doubtless right in believing that Empedokles introduced the simile of a baker here. It is in his manner to take illustrations from human arts.
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246 Early Greek Philosophy
all things come together so as to be one only; not all at once, but coming together at their will each from different quarters ; and, as they mingled, countless tribes of mortal creatures were scattered abroad. Yet many things remained unmixed, alter- nating with the things that were being mixed, namely, all that Strife not fallen yet retained ; for it had not yet altogether retired perfectly from them to the outermost boundaries of the circle. Some of it still remained within, and some had passed out from the limbs of the All, But in proportion as it kept rushing out, a soft, immortal stream of blameless Love kept running in, and straightway those things became mortal which had been immortal before, those things were mixed that had been unmixed, each changing its path. And, as they mingled, countless tribes of mortal creatures were scattered abroad endowed with all manner of forms, a wonder to behold. Ε. P. 169.
Earth increases its own mass, and Air swells the bulk of
Air.
(38)
Come, I shall now tell thee first of all the beginning of
the sun,! and the sources from which have sprung all the
things we now behold, the earth and the billowy sea, the
damp vapour and the Titan air that binds his circle fast round all things. R. P. 170 ἃ.
If the depths of the earth and the vast air were infinite, a foolish saying which has been vainly dropped from the lips of many mortals, though they have seen but a little of the Ab πο Ψ τὸφ Ὁ,
1 The MSS. of Clement have ἥλιον ἀρχήν, and the reading ἡλίου ἀρχήν is a mere makeshift. Diels reads ἥλικά τ᾽ ἀρχήν, ‘* the first (elements) equal in age.”
2 The lines are referred to Xenophanes by Aristotle, who quotes them de Caelo, B, 13. 294 ἃ 21. See above, Chap. II. p. 137.
Empedokles of Akragas 247
The sharp-darting sun and the gentle moon.
(41)
But (the sunlight) is gathered together and circles round
the mighty heavens.
And she cuts off his rays as he goes above her, and casts a
shadow on as much of the earth as is the breadth of the
pale-faced moon.! /
(43)
Even so the sunbeam, having struck the broad and mighty
circle of the moon, returns at once, running ‘sO as to reach
the sky.
It flashes back to Olympos with untroubled countenance. BaF 170°C.
(45, 46)
There circles round the earth a round borrowed light, as
the nave of the wheel circles round the furthest (goal).
(47) For she gazes at the sacred circle of the lordly sun opposite.
(48) It is the earth that makes night by coming before the lights.
(49) . Of solitary, blind-eyed night.
And Iris bringeth wind or mighty rain from the sea.
(Fire) swiftly rushing upwards . . .
1 T have translated Diels’s conjecture ἀπεστέγασεν δέ ol αὐγάς, | ἔστ᾽ av ty καθύπερθεν. The MSS. have ἀπεσκεύασεν and ἔστε αἷαν.
_ Le ee ee
248 Early Greek Philosophy
(52) And many fires burn beneath the earth. ΚΕ. P. 171 ἃ.
(53)
For so as it ran, it met them at that time, though often
otherwise. R. P. 171 ἃ.
(54)
But the air sank down upon the earth with its long roots.
Br. 172 ἃ.
(55) Sea the sweat of the earth. R. P. 170 Ὁ.
Salt was solidified by the impact of the sun’s beams.
(57)
On it (the earth) many heads sprung up without necks and
arms wandered bare and bereft of shoulders. Eyes strayed up
and down in want of foreheads. R. P. 173 a.
Solitary limbs wandered seeking for union.
(59) But, as divinity was mingled still further with divinity, these things joined together as each might chance, and many other things besides them continually arose.
Shambling creatures with countless hands.
Many creatures with faces and breasts looking in different directions were born; some, offspring of oxen with faces of men, while others, again, arose as offspring of men with the heads of oxen, and creatures in whom the nature of women
Empedokles of Akragas 249
and men was mingled, furnished with sterile+ parts. R. P.
173 b.
(62)
Come now, hear how the Fire as it was separated caused
the night-born shoots of men and tearful women to arise;
for my tale is not off the point nor uninformed. Whole-
natured forms first arose from the earth, having a portion
both of water and fire? These did the fire, desirous of 5
reaching its like, send up, showing as yet neither the charming form of women’s limbs, nor yet the voice and parts that are propertomen. R. P. 173 ¢.
(63)
. But the substance of (the child’s) limbs is divided
between them, part of it in men’s and part in women’s (body).
(64)
And upon him came desire reminding him through sight.
(65)
. And it was poured out in the pure parts; and yess
it nes ee cold women arose from it.
(66)
The divided meadows of Aphhrodite.
(67)
For in its warmer part the womb brings forth males, and
that is why men are dark and more manly and shaggy.
(68)
On the tenth day of the eighth month the white putrefaction
arises.®
1 Reading στείροις with Diels, Hermes, xv. loc. cit.
3 Retaining eldeos (2.6. ἴἔδεος), which is read in the MSS. of Simplicius. Cf. above, p. 243, n. I.
8 That Empedokles regarded milk as putrefied blood is stated by Aristotle (de Gen. An. A, 8. 777.27). The word πύον means 225. There may be a punning allusion to πυός, “‘ beestings,” but that has its vowel long.
250 Early Greek Philosophy
(69) Double bearing."
(7°) Sheepskin.”
But if thy assurance of these things was in any way deficient as to how, out of Water and Earth and Air and Fire mingled together, arose the forms and colours of all those mortal things that have been fitted together by Aphrodite, and 50 ‘are now come into being... .
How tall trees and the fishes in the sea... .
(73) And even as at that time Kypris, preparing warmth,?® after she had moistened the Earth in water, gave it to swift fire to αν 5 Ὁ Ἐ Ῥ τοῖς,
(74) Leading the songless tribe of fertile fish.
(75)
All of those which are dense within and rare without,
having received a moisture of this kind at the hands of
Kypris. ...
This thou mayest see in the heavy-backed shell-fish that dwell in the sea, in sea-snails and the stony-skinned turtles. In them thou mayest see that the earthy part dwells on the uppermost surface.
(77-78)
It is the air that makes evergreen trees flourish with
abundance of fruit the whole year round. :
1 Said of women in reference to births in the seventh and ninth months.
2 Of the membrane round the fcetus.
3. Reading ἴδεα ποιπνύουσα with Diels.
Empedokles of Akragas 251
And:so first of all tall olive trees bear eggs. . . .
Wherefore pomegranates are late-born and apples succulent.
Wine is the water from the bark, putrefied in the wood.
(82)
Hair and leaves, and thick feathers of birds, and the scales
that grow on mighty limbs, are the same thing.