Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §41.1

Diogenes of Apollonia on Infinite Air as the First Principle

Passage 31 of 196 · Greek

Summary

This passage introduces Diogenes of Apollonia's eclectic writing style based on Anaxagoras and Leucippus, highlighting his theory that infinite and eternal air produces all things through condensation and rarefaction, as recorded by Theophrastus.

§41.1Fr. 41 Καὶ Διογένης δὲ ὁ Ἀπολλωνιάτης σχεδὸν νεώτατος γεγονὼς τῶν περὶ ταῦτα σχολασάντων τὰ μὲν πλεῖστα συμπφορημένως γέγραφε, τὰ μὲν κατὰ Ἀναξαγόραν, τὰ δὲ κατὰ Λεύκιππον λέγων·
Fr. 41 Diogenes of Apollonia, too, having been almost the youngest of those who busied themselves with these matters, has written most of his works in a compiled manner, saying some things in accordance with Anaxagoras, and others in accordance with Leucippus.
τὴν δὲ τοῦ παντὸς φύσιν ἀέρα καὶ οὗτός φησιν ἄπειρον εἶναι καὶ ἀΐδιον, ἐξ οὗ πυκνουμένου καὶ μανουμένου καὶ μεταβάλλοντος τοῖς πάθεσι τὴν τῶν ἄλλων γίνεσθαι μορφήν.
He too, however, says that the nature of the universe is air, infinite and eternal, from which—as it becomes condensed and rarefied and changes through its passive states—the form of other things arises.
Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν Θ. ἱστορεῖ περὶ τοῦ Διογένους.
And these indeed are what Theophrastus records concerning Diogenes.

Notes

  1. §41.1συμπφορημένως — An adverb meaning "in a compiled or eclectic manner." It describes Diogenes' writing style, which gathered and combined the doctrines of earlier thinkers like Anaxagoras and Leucippus.
  2. §41.1ἐξ οὗ — The relative pronoun `οὗ` (genitive masculine singular) refers back to `ἀέρα` (air, which is masculine), not to the feminine `φύσιν` (nature). The subsequent genitive participles (`πυκνουμένου`, etc.) agree with this pronoun.
  3. §41.1γίνεσθαι — An infinitive in indirect discourse governed by the main verb `φησίν`. Its subject accusative is `τὴν τῶν ἄλλων μορφήν` (the form of other things), meaning "that the form of other things arises [as he says]."

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §41.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:41.1

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