Ancilla to the Pre-Socratic Philosophers

Ancilla to the Pre-Socratic

Philosophers

A complete translation of the Fragments in Diels,

Fragmente der Vorsokratiker

by

Kathleen Freeman

First published in 1948

Published by Left of Brain Books

Copyright © 2023 Left of Brain Books

ISBN 978-1-396-32327-0

eBook Edition

Al rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations permitted by copyright law. Left of Brain Books is a division of Left Of Brain Onboarding Pty Ltd.

PUBLISHER’S PREFACE

About the Book

This is a translation of nearly every scrap of the writings of the Greek Pre-Socratic Philosophers, from the nearly legendary Orpheus, through Thales, Pythagoras, Heracleitus, Zeno, and Democritus. Included are translations of all known quotations from each writer, names of lost books they wrote, what other authors said about their beliefs, as well as spurious and dubious quotes. Some of the entries, indeed most, are very short, as we only know the names and a bit of biography for some of these figures. This book is a great reference for this topic, and makes fascinating reading.

(Quote from sacred-texts.com)

About the Author

"Kathleen Freeman (February 17, 1919 - August 23, 2001) was an American film, television, and stage character actress. In a career that spanned more than fifty years, she portrayed tart maids, secretaries, teachers, busybo-dies, nurses, and battle-axe neighbors, almost invariably to comic effect.

Freeman was born in Chicago, Illinois. She began her career as a child, dancing in her parents' vaudeville act. After a stint studying music at UCLA, she went into acting full time, working on the stage, and finally entering films in 1948."

(Quote from wikipedia.org)

CONTENTS

PUBLISHER’S PREFACE

FOREWORD ........................................................................................................... 1

ORPHEUS.......................................................................................................... 2

MUSAEUS ....................................................................................................... 10

EPIMENIDES OF CRETE ................................................................................... 13

HÊSIOD OF ASCRA .......................................................................................... 16

PHÔCUS OF SAMOS ....................................................................................... 18

CLEOSTRATUS OF TENEDOS ........................................................................... 19

PHERECŶDES OF SYROS .................................................................................. 20

THEAGENES OF RHÊGIUM ............................................................................. 22

ACUSILÂUS OF ARGOS ................................................................................... 23

THE SEVEN SAGES .......................................................................................... 27

THALES OF MILÊTUS ...................................................................................... 28

ANAXIMANDER OF MILÊTUS .......................................................................... 29

ANAXIMENES OF MILÊTUS ............................................................................. 30

PYTHAGORAS OF SAMOS ............................................................................... 31

OLDER PYTHAGOREANS ................................................................................. 32

XENOPHANES OF COLOPHÔN ........................................................................ 33

HÊRACLEITUS OF EPHESUS ............................................................................ 38

EPICHARMUS OF SYRACUSE .......................................................................... 50

ALCMAEÔN OF CROTÔN ................................................................................ 57

ICCUS, PARÔN, AMEINIAS .............................................................................. 58

PARMENIDES OF ELEA ................................................................................... 59

ZÊNÔ OF ELEA ................................................................................................ 65

MELISSUS OF SAMOS ..................................................................................... 67

EMPEDOCLES OF ACRAGAS ........................................................................... 71

MENESTÔR OF SYBARIS ................................................................................. 91

XUTHUS .......................................................................................................... 92

BOÏDAS ........................................................................................................... 93

THRASYALCES OF THASOS ............................................................................. 94

IÔN OF CHIOS ................................................................................................. 95

DAMÔN OF ATHENS ....................................................................................... 96

HIPPÔN OF SAMOS ........................................................................................ 98

PHALEAS OF CHALCÊDÔN AND HIPPODÂMUS OF MILÊTUS .......................... 99

POLYCLEITUS OF ARGOS .............................................................................. 100

OENOPIDES OF CHIOS .................................................................................. 101

HIPPOCRATES OF CHIOS .............................................................................. 102

THEODÔRUS OF CYRÊNÊ .............................................................................. 103

PHILOLÂUS OF TARENTUM .......................................................................... 104

EURYTUS OF SOUTHERN ITALY ..................................................................... 109

ARCHIPPUS AND LŶSIS OF TARENTUM; OPSIMUS OF RHÊGIUM ................. 110

ARCHŶTAS OF TARENTUM ............................................................................ 111

OCCELUS (OR OCELLUS) OF LUCANIA ........................................................... 115

TÎMAEUS OF ITALIAN LOCRI ......................................................................... 116

HICETAS OF SYRACUSE ................................................................................. 117

ECPHANTUS OF SYRACUSE ........................................................................... 118

XENOPHILUS OF CHALCIDICÊ ........................................................................ 119

DIOCLES, ECHECRATES, POLYMNASTUS, PHANTÔN, ARÎÔN OF PHLIÛS ...... 120

PRÔRUS OF CYRENE, AMŶCLAS, CLEINIAS OF TARENTUM ........................... 121

DAMÔN AND PHINTIAS OF SYRACUSE ......................................................... 122

SÎMUS OF POSEIDÔNIA; MYÔNIDES AND EUPHRANÔR ............................... 123

LYCÔN (OR LYCUS) OF TARENTUM ............................................................... 124

PYTHAGOREAN SCHOOL ............................................................................... 125

ANAXAGORAS OF CLAZOMENAE .................................................................. 126

ARCHELÂUS OF ATHENS ............................................................................... 130

MÊTRODÔRUS OF LAMPSACUS .................................................................... 131

CLEIDÊMUS ................................................................................................... 132

ÎDAEUS OF HÎMERA ...................................................................................... 133

DIOGENES OF APOLLÔNIA ............................................................................ 134

CRATYLUS OF ATHENS .................................................................................. 137

ANTISTHENES OF EPHESUS ........................................................................... 138

LEUCIPPUS OF ABDÊRA ................................................................................ 139

DÊMOCRITUS OF ABDÊRA ............................................................................ 140

NESSAS OF CHIOS ......................................................................................... 174

MÊTRODÔRUS OF CHIOS .............................................................................. 175

DIOGENES OF SMYRNA ................................................................................ 176

ANAXARCHUS OF ABDÊRA ............................................................................ 177

HECATAEUS OF ABDÊRA ............................................................................... 178

APOLLODÔRUS OF CYZICUS .......................................................................... 181

NAUSIPHANES OF TEOS ................................................................................ 182

DIOTÎMUS OF TYRE ....................................................................................... 184

BIÔN OF ABDÊRA .......................................................................................... 185

BÔLUS OF MENDÊ ........................................................................................ 186

THE OLDER SOPHISTS: NAME AND CONCEPT ............................................... 187

PRÔTAGORAS OF ABDÊRA ............................................................................ 188

XENIADES OF CORINTH ................................................................................. 191

GORGIAS OF LEONTÎNI ................................................................................. 192

LYCOPHRÔN 'THE SOPHIST' .......................................................................... 206

PRODICUS OF CEOS ...................................................................................... 207

THRASYMACHUS OF CHALCÊDÔN ................................................................ 209

HIPPIAS OF ÊLIS ............................................................................................ 212

ANTIPHÔN THE SOPHIST .............................................................................. 215

CRITIAS OF ATHENS ...................................................................................... 226

THE ANONYMOUS WRITER QUOTED BY IAMBLICHUS ................................. 236

TWOFOLD ARGUMENTS (DEBATES) ............................................................. 237

FOREWORD

THIS book is a complete translation of the fragments of the Pre-Socratic philosophers given in Diels, Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, Fifth Edition (Bsections).

Comments on readings and interpretation have been confined to foot-notes, and are restricted to the minimum; for further discussion, the reader is referred to my Companion to the Pre-Socratic Philosophers, to which this book is ancillary.

The fragments have been translated in full except for the longer extracts from Gorgias, which are fully summarised. Summaries of contexts, and words inserted in explanation or for the sake of clarity, are given in italic type, in order to show the exact words of the writer when these are preserved. When no quotations survive, this has been stated for the sake of completeness, and an account derived from summaries in other ancient writers will be found in the Companion.

K. F.

ORPHEUS

ORPHEUS lived probably in Thrace, in pre-Homeric times. Aristotle believed that he never existed; but to other ancient writers he was a real person, though living in remote antiquity.

Nothing is known of any ancient Orphic writings. It was believed that Orpheus taught, but left no writings, and that the epic poetry attributed to him was written in the sixth century by Onomacritus.

The Orphic literature current in the time of the Neo-Platonists (third century A.D.) is now thought to be a collection of writings of different periods and varying outlook, dating from the sixth century B.C. to the beginning of the Christian era.

A large number of titles survive. 1

There are also a number of gold plates from tombs, and a few papyrus fragments, which give Orphic instruction to the dead.

1. (PLATO, Philebus 66C): In the sixth generation, cease the ordered arrangement of your song!

2. (PLATO, Cratylus 402B, C): Ocean, fair-flowing, first began marriage, he who married his full sister on the mother's side, Tethys.

3. ( ib. 400B, C: The Orphics explained the name 'sôma' for the body with reference to the verb 'sôzesthai', to keep safe or guard, the simile being that of a prison).

4. (PLATO, Republic 363C: Orphic doctrine on rewards and punishments in the next world, ascribed to 'Musaeus and his son': the just are given a life of feasting and everlasting drunkenness, and some say they shall leave children and grandchildren behind; the unjust are plunged into mud or made to carry water in sieves).

1 For list and discussion, see Companion, pp. 5-8.

5. ( ib. 364E: The Orphic books give instruction on purification, both private and communal, by means of sacrifice both for the living and the dead.

These they call 'Teletai', 'rites of initiation', which if performed will save us from hurt in the next world, whereas if we fail to perform them, dire pains await us).

5a. (PLATO, Laws 669D: on incompatible elements in music. Poets who mixed up such elements in their compositions would provoke the laughter of all men who, as Orpheus says) have come to the time of enjoyment.

6. ( ib. 715E: as the ancient saying goes) God holds the beginning and end, and the middle of all existing things.

6a. ( ib. 829D: Nobody is to sing a song not approved by the Guardians, not even if it be sweeter than the hymns of Thamyrus and Orpheus).

7. (PLATO, Symposium 218B: Alcibiades bids the uninitiated depart. Cp. the Orphic command): Ye uninitiated, close the doors!

8. (PLATO, Timaeus 40D: the 'descendants of the gods', as the Orphics 1 call themselves, give the following account of the origin of the other gods): The children of Earth and Heaven were Ocean and Tethys, and from these came Phorcys, Cronos and Rhea, and their contemporaries; and from Cronos and Rhea came Zeus and Hera and all those whom we know, said to be their brothers and sisters, and others still, their offspring.

9. (ARISTOTLE, Metaphysics 1071b; 1091b: The Theologoi generate all things from Night. The ancient poets agree that the Ruler is not Night and Heaven or Chaos or Ocean, but Zeus).

10. ( ib. 983B: the ancient Theologoi made Ocean and Tethys the parents of Creation, and the oath of the gods in Water, or Styx as they called it).

10a. (ARISTOTLE, de gen. anim. 734a: The so-called epic poems of Orpheus say that the various organs—heart, lungs, liver, eyes, etc.—were formed successively: for he says therein that the animals come into being in the same way as a net is woven).

1 The Orphics are not named here, but are obviously meant.

11. (ARISTOTLE, de anima, 410b: Discussion on whether all living things, including plants, have Soul: in the so-called Orphic poems, the poet says that Soul is borne along by the winds, and enters from the Whole when the creatures inhale).

12. (DAMASCIUS: The Theologia in Eudemus, attributed to Orpheus, says nothing about the Intelligible. He gave Night as the original Element. In the current Orphic Rhapsôdiae, the theology concerning the Intelligible is roughly as follows: for the One original Element, Time; for the Two, Aether and Chaos; and in the place of Being, the Egg; this triad come first. At the second stage comes either the Egg Fertilised, as God, or the Bright Robe, or the Cloud; from these comes Phanês. At the third stage come Mêtis as Intellect, Erikepaios as Power, Phanês as Father.

(ACHILLES: The Orphics say that the Sphere is like an Egg, the vault of Heaven being the shell, and the Aether the skin).

13. (DAMASCIUS: The Orphic theogony given in Hieronymus and Hellanicus is not the same: it gives the first two elements as Water and Earth. The third Element was begotten of these two, and was a serpent having the heads of a bull and a lion with the face of a god in between; it had wings, and was called Ageless Time, or Unchanging Heracles. With him was united Necessity or Adrasteia, an element having no body, and spread over the whole universe, fastening it together. Time, the serpent, produced a three fold offspring: Aether, Chaos and Erebus; in these, Time begat the Egg. At the third stage came a god without body, with golden wings, and bulls’

heads on his flanks, and on his head a huge changing serpent. This theogony sings of Prôtogonos (First-born), and calls Zeus the Marshaller of All Things).

(ATHENAGORAS: Orpheus was the first theologian. He gave Water as the beginning of the Whole; from Water came Mud, and from both came a serpent, Heracles or Time. This Heracles produced a huge Egg, which split into two, forming Gê (Earth) and Ouranos (Heaven). Heaven united with Earth and produced the female Fates, and the male Giants and Cyclôpês.

Ouranos flung the males into Tartarus, whereat Earth in anger produced the Titans):

Lady Earth produced the sons of Ouranos, who are also called Titans, 1be-cause they have been punished by great starry Ouranos.

14. (PS.-DEMOSTHENES: Implacable and reverend Justice, which Orpheus, who revealed to us the most holy rites, says is seated beside the throne of Zeus and looks upon all mortal happenings).

Is. (MARMOR PARIUM: From the time when . . . 2 son published his poem, the Rape of Persephone and the search of Demeter and the gift of corn to men).

(ORPHIC ARGONAUTICA: The wandering of Demeter, her sorrow for Persephone, and her lawgiving).

15a. ( Berlin Papyrus: paraphrase of an Orphic version of the Hymn to Demeter):

Orpheus was the son of Oiagros and the Muse Calliopê; and the Lord of the Muses, Apollo, nodded towards him so that he became inspired and wrote his Hymns, which to a slight extent Musaeus corrected and wrote down, and he gave the sacred rites (orgies) of Orpheus to be revered by Greeks and barbarians, being deeply concerned with rites, purifications and oracles. The goddess Demeter . . . whom Orpheus gave as the sister of Zeus, others as the mother. There is no need to recall these things to the recollection of the pious.

(HOMER'S Hymn to Demeter, 418, 420-3 follow.) (After the Rape of Persephone) Demeter mourns for her daughter. Calliope and Cleisidicê and Dêmonassa having come with the queen to get water, inquire of Demeter as if she were a mortal—though Musaeus says in his poems that she joined them because of some need.

(Demeter nurses Dêmophon, infant son of the queen Baubô: she anoints him with oil and cradles him in the fire. Baubô sees this and screams.

Demeter says):

1 Τιτῆνες from τίνεσθαι.

2 Orpheus, Oiagros’ and Calliope’s ( son)' is supplied in the blank space here.

'Foolish and wretched mortals, having foreknowledge neither of the evil nor of the good in prospect for you!

(The baby is burnt up. The goddess reveals herself):

'I am Demeter, bringer of seasons, of bright gifts. What god of heaven, or who among mortal men, has seized Persephone and reft her dear soul?'

(The homecoming of Celeus, and story of Triptolemus) Whence it (the poem) is called 'The Descent' (into Hades).

16. (APOLLONIUS RHODIUS, ' Argonautica', I. 494: Orpheus, having lifted up his lyre, tried his song. He sang that Earth and Heaven and Sea formerly were fitted together into one form, and separated through destructive Hate; and that there are, as a perpetual sign in the Aether, the stars, the moon and the paths of the sun; and how the mountains rose, and how the singing rivers with their nymphs and all things that move were created. And he sang how first of all Ophiôn and Eurynomê daughter of Ocean held sway on snowy Olympus, and one was like Cronos in honour, with his power and might, and the other like Rhea; but they fell into the streams of Ocean.

These then (Cronos and Rhea) for a while ruled over the Titans, blessed gods, while Zeus was still young, stillthink ing as a child, and was dwelling in the Dictaean cave, and the earth-born Cyclopes had not yet strengthened him with bolt, thunder and lightning, which give glory to Zeus.

Gold plates from tombs in Italy and Crete. 1

17. ( From Petelia, fourth-third century B.C.) You will find a spring on the left of the halls of Hades, and beside it a white cypress growing. Do not even go near this spring. And you will find another, from the Lake of Memory, flowing forth with cold water. In front of it are guards. You must say, 'I am the child of Gê (Earth) and of starry Ouranos (Heaven); this you yourselves also know. I am dry with thirst and am perishing. Come, give me at once cold water flowing forth from the Lake of 1 See Harrison, Prolegomena, Appendix by Gilbert Murray; Guthrie, Orpheus and Greek Religion, pp. 172-31 Freeman, Companion to the Pre-Socratic Philosophers pp. 16-7.

Memory.' And they themselves will give you to drink from the divine spring, and then thereafter you shall reign with the other heroes.

17a. ( From Eleuthernae ( Crete), second century B.C.) A I am dry with thirst and am perishing.

B Come, drink, I pray, from the ever-flowing spring on the right, where the cypress is. Who are you, and whence?

A I am the son of Earth and starry Heaven.

18. ( From Thurii, fourth-third century B.C.) I come from the pure, O pure Queen of the earthly ones, Euclês, Eubouleus, and ye other immortal gods! I too claim to be of your blessed race, but Fate and other immortal gods conquered me, ( and sent) the star-smiting thunder. And I flew out from the hard and deeply-grievous circle, and stepped on to the crown with my swift feet, and slipped into the bosom of the Mistress, the Queen of the Underworld. And I stepped out from the crown with my swift feet.