Anaxagoras's Life

I. Anaxagoras, the son of Hegesibulus, or Eubulus, was a citizen of Clazomenæ. He was a pupil of Anaximenes, and was the first philosopher who attributed mind to matter, beginning his treatise on the subject in the following manner (and the whole treatise is written in a most beautiful and magnificent style): “All things were mixed up together; then Mind came and arranged them all in distinct order.” On which account he himself got the same name of Mind. And Timon speaks thus of him in his Silli:—

I. Anaxagoras, the son of Hegesibulus, or Eubulus, was a citizen of Clazomenæ. He was a pupil of Anaximenes. He was the first philosopher to attribute mind to matter. His treatise on the subject begins with the following words. The whole treatise is written in a beautiful and magnificent style: “All things were mixed together. Then Mind came and arranged them all in a distinct order.” For this reason, Anaxagoras himself came to be called Mind. And Timon speaks of him in his Silli:

II. He was eminent for his noble birth and for his riches, and still more so for his magnanimity, inasmuch as he gave up all his patrimony to his relations; and being blamed by them for his neglect of his estate, “Why, then,” said he, “do not you take care of it?” And at last he abandoned it entirely, and devoted himself to the contemplation of subjects of natural philosophy, disregarding politics. So that once when some said to him, “You have no affection for your country,” “Be silent,” said he, “for I have the greatest affection for my country,” pointing up to heaven.

II. He was known for his noble birth and wealth, but even more for his generosity. He gave all his inherited property to his relatives. When they criticized him for neglecting his estate, he said, “Why, then, don’t you take care of it?” Eventually, he abandoned the estate entirely. He devoted himself to studying nature and paid no attention to politics. Once, some people said to him, “You have no love for your country.” He pointed up to heaven and said, “Be silent, for I have the greatest love for my country.”

III. It is said, that at the time of the passage of the Hellespont by Xerxes, he was twenty years old, and that he lived to the age of seventy-two. But Apollodorus, in his Chronicles says that he flourished in the seventieth Olympiad, and that he died in the first year of the seventy-eighth. And he began to study philosophy at Athens, in the archonship of Callias, being twenty years of age, as Demetrius Phalereus tells us in his Catalogue of the Archons, and they say that he remained at Athens thirty years.

III. He is said to have been twenty when Xerxes crossed the Hellespont and to have lived to seventy-two. But Apollodorus says in his Chronicles that he flourished during the seventieth Olympiad and died in the first year of the seventy-eighth. Demetrius Phalereus says in his Catalogue of the Archons that he began studying philosophy at Athens under the archon Callias, when he was twenty. He is said to have remained at Athens for thirty years.

IV. He asserted that the sun was a mass of burning iron, greater than Peloponnesus; (that some attribute this doctrine to Tantalus), and that the moon contained houses, and also, hills and ravines: and that the primary elements of everything were similarities of parts; for as we say that gold consists of a quantity of grains combined together, so too is the universe formed of a number of small bodies of similar parts. He further taught that Mind was the principle of motion: and that of bodies the heavy ones, such as the earth, occupied the lower situations; and the light ones, such as fire, occupied the higher places, and that the middle spaces were assigned to water and air. And thus that the sea rested upon the earth, which was broad, the moisture being all evaporated by the sun. And he said that the stars originally moved about in irregular confusion, so that at first the pole star, which is continually visible, always appeared in the zenith, but that afterwards it acquired a certain declination. And that the milky way was a reflection of the light of the sun when the stars did not appear. The comets he considered to be a concourse of planets emitting rays: and the shooting stars he thought were sparks as it were leaping from the firmament. The winds he thought were caused by the rarification of the atmosphere, which was produced by the sun. Thunder, he said, was produced by the collision of the clouds; and lightning by the rubbing together of the clouds. Earthquakes, he said, were produced by the return of the air into the earth. All animals he considered were originally generated out of moisture, and heat, and earthy particles: and subsequently from one another. And males he considered were derived from those on the right hand, and females from those on the left.

IV. He said that the sun was a mass of burning iron, larger than Peloponnesus. (Some attribute this theory to Tantalus.) He also said that the moon contained houses, hills, and ravines. He taught that the basic elements of everything were made of similar parts. Just as gold consists of many grains joined together, the universe is formed from many small bodies of similar parts. He further taught that Mind was the source of motion. Heavy bodies, such as the earth, occupied the lower regions, while light bodies, such as fire, occupied the higher regions. Water and air occupied the spaces between them. Thus the sea rested on the broad earth, and the sun evaporated all the moisture. He said that the stars originally moved about in irregular confusion. At first, the pole star, which is always visible, always appeared directly overhead, but later it acquired a certain inclination. He said that the Milky Way was a reflection of sunlight when the stars did not appear. He considered comets to be groups of planets emitting rays, and shooting stars to be sparks leaping from the sky. He thought the winds were caused by the thinning of the air, which the sun produced. He said thunder was caused by clouds colliding, and lightning by clouds rubbing together. He said earthquakes were caused by air returning into the earth. He believed that all animals were originally produced from moisture, heat, and particles of earth. Later, animals came from one another. He believed that males came from those on the right and females from those on the left.

V. They say, also, that he predicted a fall of the stones which fell near Ægospotami, and which he said would fall from the sun: on which account Euripides, who was a disciple of his, said in his Phaethon that the sun was a golden clod of earth. He went once to Olympia wrapped in a leathern cloak as if it were going to rain; and it did rain. And they say that he once replied to a man who asked him whether the mountains at Lampsacus would ever become sea, “Yes, if time lasts long enough.”

V. They also say that he predicted the fall of the stones near Ægospotami. He said the stones would fall from the sun. For this reason, Euripides, who was his pupil, called the sun a golden clod of earth in his Phaethon. Once, he went to Olympia wrapped in a leather cloak, as if it were going to rain. And it did rain. They say that a man once asked him whether the mountains at Lampsacus would ever become sea. He replied, “Yes, if time lasts long enough.”

VI. Being once asked for what end he had been born, he said, “For the contemplation of the sun, and moon, and heaven.” A man once said to him, “You have lost the Athenians;” “No,” said he, “they have lost me.” When he beheld the tomb of Mausolus, he said, “A costly tomb is an image of a petrified estate.” And he comforted a man who was grieving because he was dying in a foreign land, by telling him, “The descent to hell is the same from every place.”

VI. Once, when asked why he had been born, he said, “To contemplate the sun, the moon, and the heavens.” A man once said to him, “You have lost the Athenians.” He replied, “No, they have lost me.” When he saw the tomb of Mausolus, he said, “A costly tomb is a fortune turned to stone.” He comforted a man who was grieving because he was dying in a foreign land. He told him, “The descent to hell is the same from every place.”

VII. He appears to have been the first person (according to the account given by Phavorinus in his Universal History), who said that the Poem of Homer was composed in praise of virtue and justice: and Metrodorus, of Lampsacus, who was a friend of his, adopted this opinion, and advocated it energetically, and Metrodorus was the first who seriously studied the natural philosophy developed in the writings of the great poet.

VII. According to Phavorinus in his Universal History, he appears to have been the first to say that Homer’s poem was written in praise of virtue and justice. His friend Metrodorus of Lampsacus adopted this view and argued for it vigorously. Metrodorus was also the first to study seriously the natural philosophy developed in the great poet’s writings.

VIII. Anaxagoras was also the first man who ever wrote a work in prose; and Silenus, in the first book of his Histories, says, that in the archonship of Lysanias a large stone fell from heaven; and that in reference to this event Anaxagoras said, that the whole heaven was composed of stones, and that by its rapid revolutions they were all held together; and when those revolutions get slower, they fall down.

VIII. Anaxagoras was also the first person ever to write a work in prose. In the first book of his Histories, Silenus says that a large stone fell from heaven during Lysanias’s term as archon. In reference to this event, Anaxagoras said that the entire heaven was made of stones. He said its rapid revolutions held all the stones together, and that when those revolutions slow down, the stones fall.

IX. Of his trial there are different accounts given. For Sotion, in his Succession of the Philosophers, says, that he was persecuted for impiety by Cleon, because he said that the sun was a fiery ball of iron. And though Pericles, who had been his pupil, defended him, he was, nevertheless, fined five talents and banished. But Satyrus, in his Lives, says that it was Thucydides by whom he was impeached, as Thucydides was of the opposite party to Pericles; and that he was prosecuted not only for impiety, but also for Medism; and that he was condemned to death in his absence. And when news was brought him of two misfortunes—his condemnation, and the death of his children; concerning the condemnation he said, “Nature has long since condemned both them and me.” But about his children, he said, “I knew that I had become the father of mortals.” Some, however, attribute this saying to Solon, and others to Xenophon. And Demetrius Phalereus, in his treatise on Old Age, says that Anaxagoras buried them with his own hands. But Hermippus, in his Lives, says that he was thrown into prison for the purpose of being put to death: but that Pericles came forward and inquired if any one brought any accusation against him respecting his course of life. And as no one alleged anything against him: “I then,” said he, “am his disciple: do not you then be led away by calumnies to put this man to death; but be guided by me, and release him.” And he was released. But, as he was indignant at the insult which had been offered to him, he left the city.

IX. There are different accounts of his trial. Sotion, in his Succession of the Philosophers, says that Cleon prosecuted him for impiety. Cleon did this because he said that the sun was a fiery ball of iron. Although Pericles, who had been his pupil, defended him, he was fined five talents and banished. But Satyrus, in his Lives, says that Thucydides brought the charges against him. Thucydides belonged to the party opposed to Pericles. Satyrus says that he was prosecuted not only for impiety but also for Medism, or sympathy with Persia. He was condemned to death in his absence. He was then told of two misfortunes: his condemnation and the death of his children. Of his condemnation, he said, “Nature condemned both them and me long ago.” But of his children, he said, “I knew that I had become the father of mortals.” Some, however, attribute this saying to Solon, and others to Xenophon. Demetrius Phalereus, in his treatise on Old Age, says that Anaxagoras buried his children with his own hands. But Hermippus, in his Lives, says that Anaxagoras was imprisoned to await execution. Pericles came forward and asked whether anyone accused him of misconduct in his life. No one made any accusation against him. “I am his disciple,” Pericles said. “Do not let false accusations lead you to put this man to death. Instead, follow my advice and release him.” Anaxagoras was released. But he was angry at the insult he had suffered and left the city.

But Hieronymus, in the second book of his Miscellaneous Commentaries, says that Pericles produced him before the court, tottering and emaciated by disease, so that he was released rather out of pity, than by any deliberate decision on the merits of his case. And thus much may be said about his trial. Some people have fancied that he was very hostile to Democritus, because he did not succeed in getting admission to him for the purposes of conversation.

But Hieronymus, in the second book of his Miscellaneous Commentaries, gives a different account. He says that Pericles brought him before the court, unsteady on his feet and thin from illness. As a result, he was released more out of pity than because the court had carefully considered his case. That is all that may be said about his trial. Some people have thought that he was very hostile to Democritus because he failed to gain access to him for conversation.

X. And at last, having gone to Lampsacus, he died in that city. And it is said, that when the governors of the city asked him what he would like to have done for him, he replied, “That they would allow the children to play every year during the month in which he died.” And this custom is kept up even now. And when he was dead, the citizens of Lampsacus buried him with great honours, and wrote this epitaph on him:—

X. At last, he went to Lampsacus, where he died. It is said that the city’s governors asked him what he would like them to do for him. He replied, “Allow the children to play every year during the month in which I die.” This custom continues even now. After his death, the citizens of Lampsacus buried him with great honors and wrote this epitaph for him:

We ourselves also have written an epigram on him:—

We have also written an epigram about him:

XI. There were also three other people of the name of Anaxagoras; none of whom combined all kinds of knowledge; But one was an orator and a pupil of Isocrates; another was a statuary, who is mentioned by Antigonus; another is a grammarian, a pupil of Zenodotus.

XI. There were also three other people named Anaxagoras, none of whom had mastered every kind of knowledge. One was an orator and a pupil of Isocrates. Another was a sculptor mentioned by Antigonus. The third was a grammarian and a pupil of Zenodotus.