Heraclitus and Democritus The Weeping and Laughing

Ancient Greek Philosophers

From a Rosicrucian manuscript

HERACLITUS water to supply the tears which flowed continually from the eyes of Heraclitus. (ca. 576–480 BCE) The philosopher’s manner had not eraclitus of Ephesus, son of always been thus; when he was young, Blyson, was born around the time he said that he knew everything and Hof the Sixty-ninth Olympiad. that nothing was unknown to him. Yet He was usually called “the dark this statement did not reveal all of his philosopher,” for he spoke very little, thinking. In reality, he disliked most and when he did speak, it was always people and shunned their company, in riddles. When people asked him the preferring to play games with the village reason for his silence, he would reply children in front of the Temple of Diana. sorrowfully, “It is to make you speak.” To the Ephesians who would gather to It is thought that he never had a teacher, stand and stare at him, he would say, and that it is because of his profound “Poor wretches, why does it surprise meditations that he became so learned. He grieved at human wickedness, and you to see me play with these little was saddened by humanity’s blindness. children? Is it not more worthwhile for Human wrongdoing made him so me to do this, than to be a party to your sorrowful that he was continually in mismanagement of the affairs of the tears. The poet Juvenal contrasted this Republic?” The Ephesians once asked philosopher with Democritus who Heraclitus to give them some laws but was always laughing. It was said that he declined to do so; the morals of the anyone can learn to tolerate the folly and people were already too corrupt and he corruption of the times by laughing, but saw no means by which he could make there were no springs containing enough them change their ways. He said that Page 29 citizens should struggle with as much quickly forgotten by everyone. The zeal to preserve their laws as they would book, in fact, gained an extraordinary to defend their city walls. reputation, for as Lucretius tells us, no one could understand its true meaning. He also said that people should act King Darius of Persia, upon hearing of more swiftly to quell resentment than to the book, wrote to Heraclitus and asked put out a house fire, for the consequences him to come to Persia so that the book of the one were infinitely more dangerous might be explained to than the consequences him. Darius offered of the other. A fire, in a considerable fact, seldom spread to recompense and involve more than a quarters in his palace few houses, whereas if he would agree resentment could cause to this proposition. cruel wars leading to Heraclitus, however, the ruin and sometimes refused. total destruction of the people. Heraclitus believed that fire, One day an drawn from out of the insurrection broke out Ether, was the First in the city of Ephesus. Principle of all things. Certain individuals He thought that as HERACLITUS entreated Heraclitus this first element to speak to the people condensed, it was to tell them ways in changed into air; that as air condensed, it which such revolts might be avoided. changed to water; and that water in turn, Heraclitus climbed upon a raised as it condensed, changed into earth. He platform and asked for a drinking glass added that in moving backward through which he proceeded to fill with water. He these same steps, becoming more rarefied then added to the water a few wild greens with each change, earth changed to which were growing nearby. He drank water, water to air, and air to fire – the this mixture and went away without First Principle – which returned to the saying a word. By doing this he wanted Ether. He said also that Earth was to make the people understand that to saturated with a divine Fire, and that at the ward off revolts, luxury and indulgence end of time, it would perish by fire. should be banished from the Republic, According to him, everything which thereby making the citizens learn to be took place in the universe could be content with only a few things. ascribed to the workings of fate, Heraclitus wrote a book on the rather than to the gods and goddesses. subject of Nature and had it deposited One of the truly great philosophers, in the Temple of Diana. This book he compared the behavior of matter to was written in a very obscure style, so human nature. As is true of both, he said that no one but those initiated into the mysteries could read and understand it. that all is forever changing and on the His fear was that if the general populace verge of becoming something else. Only Rosicrucian Digest found the book interesting it would the law underlying all things is immutable No. 1 become too commonplace and hence and eternal. He asserted that all death is 2017 Page 30 a birth into a new form, and that all birth within us. Unable to cease his weeping is the death of the previous form. In his at human weaknesses, and finding no opinion, that which is dead is the same as pleasure in life because of the ignorance that which is living, that which is asleep he saw all around him, he decided one day is the same as that which is awake, that to separate himself completely from the which is old is the same as that which world. He withdrew into the hills where is young, because through change, “this” he saw no one, to spend the remainder of is “that,” and “that” in turn is “this.” He his life meditating and lamenting the state said, “We never touch the same thing of humanity, eating what he could find of twice, just as we never step twice in the the herbs and vegetables growing there. same river, for in the moment of reaching out our hand to touch something, it has already ceased to be what it was.” And he The rigors of such a life caused added, “Strife is the father of all things, Heraclitus to become ill with dropsy. He the ruler of all beings. No deity made this returned to Ephesus to seek help from world of ours, since it has always been, doctors there. Since it was his manner is, and will always be, like an ever-living to speak only in riddles, he said to them fire, kindling in measures and being when referring to his illness, “Could you extinguished in measures.” change the rain to fair weather?” As the doctors did not understand what he meant, In speaking of the nature of the soul, Heraclitus left them, found refuge in a he said that it is eternal and that it is stable with cattle, and attempted to treat futile for us to try to look for it as it is his illness himself. It is related by some impossible to find, so deeply is it hidden that he died there.

DEMOCRITUS After spending a considerable length of time under the tutelage of (ca. 460–370 BCE) Leucippus, Democritus decided that It is generally thought that the he would travel to study with sages of philosopher Democritus was born at other countries in order to broaden his Abdera. However, others believe that knowledge. He was to share with his Miletus was his birthplace and that he brothers the inheritance of his father’s was considered an Abderite only because estate, and he took his part in cash. It he later withdrew to Abdera. His love for was the smallest share, but it would be learning became apparent early in his the most valuable to him in meeting life when he began studying the science the expenses he would incur in his of those Magians and Chaldeans whom philosophical studies and travels. He went King Xerxes had given as servants to to Egypt where he learned geometry, his father, in whose house the king had and from there he journeyed to Ethiopia, stayed when he came to make war on the Persia, and Chaldea. His curiosity led Greeks. From them Democritus learned him finally to India to be instructed in theology and astronomy. Later he the science of the Gymnosophists. While studied with the philosopher Leucippus he delighted to be in the company of who taught him physics. His passion for sages and initiates, he desired anonymity study was so great that he could remain for himself. It is said that he visited occupied for entire days shut away in a Athens for several days, where he saw little shed in the middle of his garden. Socrates, but never met him. Such was

Page 31 the extent of his desire for privacy. exempt from the law and worthy of his Sometimes Democritus would even forefathers. He was presented with 500 dwell for periods of time in caverns or talents, and statues honoring him were crypts so that no one would know where erected in the public squares. he was. He did, however, appear at the In contrast to Heraclitus, Democritus court of King Darius seemed to be always and was present at the laughing. His laughter time of the death of was based on his the most beloved of profound insight Darius’s wives. In an into the weaknesses effort to console the of humanity and it broken-hearted king, prompted him to hold Democritus promised up to ridicule the that he would bring ignorance and vanities his wife back to life if of his fellow citizens. Darius could bring to Juvenal, alluding to the him three people who city of Abdera where had never in their life Democritus was born, known any sadness. and whose inhabitants were reputed to be In all of Asia, no one DEMOCRITUS could be found who very ignorant, said met the requirements that the wisdom of this set forth by Democritus. Thus, the philosopher proved that great people philosopher tried to make Darius can come forth from places known for understand that it would be a mistake the coarseness and ignorance of their to let himself be overwhelmed by his citizenry. This same poet said that grief, as no one in all the world is spared Democritus laughed at our sorrows as sadness. well as at our joys, that he possessed a strength of spirit which nothing could Upon his return to Abdera, shake, and that good fortune followed Democritus lived a very secluded life him wherever he went. in great poverty, as he had by this time exhausted his funds. His brother, The Abderites, seeing him always Damascus, felt obliged to come to laughing, thought him to be insane, and his aid to keep him from perishing. called upon Hippocrates to come so as There was a law in those days which to cure him of his madness. Hippocrates stated that anyone who had become came to Abdera bringing remedies penniless could not be buried in the with him. First he gave some milk to tomb of his father. This was indeed Democritus and asked him to drink it. the circumstance in which Democritus Democritus looked at the milk and said, found himself, but since he was loath “This is milk from a black goat, one who to have his enemies reproach him has borne young only once.” This was, for his poverty, he recited one of his in fact, true. works, called Diacosme, in front of a Hippocrates was impressed with this Rosicrucian crowd in the city. His listeners were response and asked himself how it could Digest No. 1 so impressed with the beauty of this be that Democritus had knowledge of 2017 work that Democritus was declared this. He stayed to converse with him and Page 32 became increasingly amazed at the great atoms, as were the Sun, Earth, Moon, and wisdom and extraordinary knowledge all other heavenly bodies. In addition, he of this man. Hippocrates returned home believed that the soul was distributed full of admiration, having sealed a great throughout the whole body and that we friendship which was to last until his death. experience sensation in all the parts of our body because each atom of which Democritus, like his teacher it is composed has its corresponding Leucippus, thought that the first of all the atom of soul. As for the heavenly bodies, elements were the atoms, which existed Democritus believed that they moved in a void and were continually uniting skillfully through the infinite reaches of and separating. He also thought that it space and always unerringly toward the was impossible for something to arise West. For him, everything was being from nothing, and that no created thing swept along by the speed of an all- could ever be reduced to nothingness, for the atoms of which it was composed absorbing rotary motion or vortex of were incorruptible and unchangeable, fluid substance which emanated from the their invincibility protecting them from Ether. any form of alteration or destruction. He Democritus distinguished two forms said that these atoms formed themselves of knowledge – the genuine and the into an endless number of worlds, all false. The first comes from the interior of subject to decay after a certain length our being, and the second corresponds to of time, but from whose remains would the illusions born of sight, hearing, taste, be formed other worlds. Thus, to his smell, and touch. mind, nothing could be destroyed, as the The time came when Democritus, essence of all things was immortal. infirm with old age, sensed that his death He explained that atoms are was near. He was aware, however, of his perpetually spinning and that this motion sister’s fond wish to participate in the is responsible for the generation of all festival of Ceres, which was about to beings. And as this spinning motion was take place. Yet if she were in mourning, always regular, Democritus believed in she would not take part. Hence the fate, since all things and events arose philosopher requested that loaves of from necessity. Epicurus was to base his fresh bread be brought to him and philosophy on the same foundation as placed nearby so that their aroma might that of Democritus, without admitting invigorate him and their natural warmth however to this idea of necessity, might maintain his body temperature. and having to invent the movement When the three days of celebration in of declination with which he became honor of the goddess Ceres had passed associated during his life. and his sister had attended the festivities, Democritus declared that the human he requested that no more bread be soul, which he believed to be the same brought to him, and he died shortly as consciousness, was also composed of thereafter.

Babies laughing and crying image © Andrew Howe. Used with permission.

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