The Ancient Words of Pre-Socratic Historical Figures

In this article, you will learn about Heraclitus and Democritus, who are pre-Socratic figures in history who have influenced many others who have come after them.

Heraclitus (540 BC – 480 BC)

Heraclitus was of Ephesus and was known as a pre-Socratic Ionian philosopher, who originated off of the coast of Asia Minor. He penned a doctrine that referred to change being central to the universe. He also believed that the Logos (something said in relation to thought and reasoning) was the fundamental order of all. A great deal of philosophers showed an interest in his work and has stated the influence that has come out of it. However, many are inaccurate. Plato and Aristotle is just a couple of well-known characters in history that have made reference to the work of Heraclitus. A sample of his wisdom is below:

“A man’s character is his fate.”

Democritus  (460 BC ~ 370 BC)

As a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, Democritusm who was born at Adera in Theace became a student of Leucippius. He would eventually originate a belief that all matter consists of a handful of elements that so not separate or become destroyed. This theory was dubbed atoma (“indivisible units), which is where the term ‘atom’ comes from. However, no one can tell the specific thoughts of Democritus to that of his teacher.

Yet, Democritus was a man with many different talents. He led the way in mathematics and geometry. Some of his works include publications titled “On Irrationals” and “On Geometrics.” Sadly, the majority of his work did not last throughout the Middle Ages. We still know that he was one of the first individuals to observe that a cone or pyramid possessed 1/3 the volume of a prism or cylinder with the same base and height.

He also spent his time researching various minerals and plants, and was quite fond of the essences of plants. When it came to astronomy, Democritus was additionally the primary philosopher that caught on that what we know as the Milky Way was comprised of the light of distant stars. Other philosophers (like Aristotle) would develop arguments against this theory, yet Democritus also believed that the universe was made up of a range of different worlds , some already inhabited by other people or things. A few phrases to remember this man by include:

“By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich.”

“Now as of old the gods give men all good things, excepting only those that are baneful and injurious and useless. These, now as of old, are not gifts of the gods: men stumble into them themselves because of their own blindness and folly.”
 
“Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence.”

“Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.”

“Hope of ill gain is the beginning of loss.”

“If thou suffer injustice, console thyself; the true unhappiness is in doing it.”

“The wrongdoer is more unfortunate than the man wronged.”