UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date: 11-May-2010 I, Carrie Galsworthy , hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy in Classics It is entitled: Language and Intent in Empedocles' Cosmic Cycle Student Signature: Carrie Galsworthy This work and its defense approved by: Committee Chair: Holt Parker, PhD Holt Parker, PhD William Johnson, PhD William Johnson, PhD Susan Prince, PhD Susan Prince, PhD 5/28/2010 621 Language and Intent in Empedocles’ Cosmic Cycle A dissertation submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Classics of the College of Arts and Sciences by Carrie Galsworthy B.A. (Honours) The University of Western Ontario (Canada), 1994 M.A. The University of Western Ontario (Canada), 1996 May 2010 Abstract In this dissertation, I analyze how Empedocles uses language to present himself and his intent. Although Empedocles’ contemporaries and more modern readers present him as a scientist or magician, he portrays himself as a god and claims that he will teach others to become a god like him in order to manipulate the universe. In Chapter One, I examine the concept of science from an Aristotelian bias and from the standpoint of modern expectations of science to show that, despite verses that describe how the world works, Empedocles does not follow the patterns of active conversation with other thinkers that are available. His stated intent (fragment 111) is to teach others how to control the universe – cure disease and old age, affect the weather, and raise the dead – rather than learn about it theoretically. In Chapter Two, I will show that although the claims that he makes link him to magicians, he does not present himself as one. Magicians act as intermediaries between men and the gods (at least in the time contemporary with Empedocles); the gods do as the magicians ask them because the magicians have built up a successful relationship through sacrifices and incantations. Empedocles, on the other hand, accomplishes these feats on his own as a god. Chapter Three sets out what sort of god Empedocles is: he is a mortal, long-lived god in contrast with the immortal gods – Love, Strife, and the four roots (fire, water, air, and earth). Anyone can become a god, as I illustrate, as long as one is pure enough and wise enough. Chapter Four returns to Empedocles’ use of language to express his intent. Since controlling the world can be a dangerous lesson, Empedocles uses ambiguity and the model of initiation into a mystery intentionally to conceal the lessons from hoi polloi. The audience must decode Empedocles’ message before they can make further observations of the world on their way to meeting their goal. Following the model for initiation, the readers will come to the ultimate revelation on their own. Finally, Chapter Five focuses on what can be determined from Empedocles verses: the readers must learn how to emulate the actions of Love and Strife since they are the active agents of change in the world. By learning about how the world works from Empedocles’ verses and their own observation, his students, as gods themselves, will also influence the fabric of the universe to achieve whatever they wish. ii iii Acknowledgements A project this big is not done without support. My committee has been invaluable as I developed my own ideas and got my researcher’s legs under me. Holt Parker handled my questions with grace; William Johnson asked piercing questions of me and my text; Susan Prince provided much insight into where this project can go next. My greatest thanks go to Ann Michelini who started this project with me as I grappled with the material; this project would not be what it has become without her asking that I push myself and my ideas further. For research support, the staff of the John Miller Burnham Classical Library – Jacquie, Mike, David, and Jean – manage the best collection and have all been helpful personally. I have benefited from the generous financial support of the Classics Department with the Semple Fellowship, teaching assignments, and a summer term with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. All the faculty have been supportive in and out of the classroom, contributing to my development as a scholar and a teacher. A doctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC) has also assisted me in accomplishing my goals. My friends have contributed to the successful completion of this project. The members of the Dissertation Discussion Group over the years – Carol Hershenson, Kathleen Quinn, Julie Hruby, Shari Stocker, Joanne Murphy, Jim Newhard, Susan Wise, Anne Feltovich, and Allison Sterrett-Krause – have listened to my problems, helped me to solve them, and reminded me just how important friendship is. The same goes for other friends and colleagues who are too numerous to name – in the academic sphere and out – who have lightened the load with stories and laughter in the tearoom, in the classroom, and in the “real” world. I need especially to thank my colleagues at Miami University who have become my friends – Judith de Luce, Deborah Lyons, Denise McCoskey, Steve Nimis, Peter Rose, Zara Torlone, and Steve Tuck. Finally, I thank my family for their unwavering belief that I could do anything – my grandparents, my parents, Ken and Nancy, who helped in so many ways that it would take forever to list just a few, and my little boy, Nick, who tells me I’m awesome (until I say that we can’t have chocolate for supper). Who rocks, baby? That’s right, we do. iv Table of Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv Introduction 1 Chapter 1 – Empedocles the Scientist 7 Part 1: Looking for Reasons Why 11 1.1 Aristotle Judges the Presocratics 12 1.2 Modern Scholars on the Presocratics 16 1.3 Empedocles as Presocratic Scientist 18 Part 2: Communicating with Others 23 2.1 Competition and Debate 24 2.1.1 Presocratics Respond to Divine Explanations 29 2.1.2 Presocratics Respond to Other Presocratics 33 2.2 Empedocles’ Lessons 38 2.2.1 Empedocles’ Criticism – Fragment 2 39 2.2.2 Empedocles’ Criticism – Fragment 39 42 2.2.3 A Different Focus 46 2.3 Clarity and Persuasion 49 2.3.1 Aristotle on “Uncommon” Language and Science 54 2.4 Empedocles’ Intent 59 Chapter 2 – Empedocles the Magician 64 Part 1: Why Magic? 65 1.1 Atoning for Wrongs 69 1.1.1 Repercussions for Unavenged Murder 73 1.1.2 Helping the Souls of the Dead 79 1.2 Bewitching People 81 1.3 Curing Disease 84 1.4 Affecting the Environment 88 v Part 2: Was Empedocles a Magician? 91 2.1 Empedocles’ Claims against Magicians’ Claims 92 2.1.1 Atoning for Wrongs 93 2.1.2 Bewitching People 94 2.1.3 Curing Disease 95 2.1.4 Affecting Weather 96 2.2 Empedocles’ Presentation and Others’ Perceptions 97 Chapter 3 – Empedocles the God 105 Part 1: What are the Gods? 106 1.1 Unchanging and Immortal 107 1.1.1 The Roots 108 1.1.2 Love and Strife 112 1.2 Empedocles’ Mortal Gods 116 1.2.1 Empedocles’ model for the long-lived gods 117 1.2.2 The Composition of the Sphere 119 Part 2: Becoming a god 123 2.1 Transmigration 126 2.1.1 The daimones 128 2.1.2 The Necessity of Transmigration 132 2.2 Escaping the Cycle? 133 2.2.1 Being Pure 134 2.2.2 Being Wise 136 Chapter 4 – Empedocles’ Mystery 141 Part 1: Ambiguity 141 1.1 A Tradition of Ambiguity 143 1.1.1 Oracles and Ambiguous Language 144 1.1.2 Allegory and Mystery Relgion 146 1.2 Empedocles’ Ambiguity 153 1.2.1 Not a Tell-All 154 1.2.2 A Desire to Obscure 158 1.3 Empedocles’ Secret 163 Part 2: Empedocles’ Initiation 169 2.1 The Journey of Initiation 172 vi 2.1.1 Fragment 110 173 2.2 The παράδοσις in Empedocles’ Text 176 2.2.1 Fragment 6 – An Example 178 2.3 The Rest of the Journey – The ἐποπτεῖα 185 2.3.1 Sensation 187 2.3.2 Thinking 191 Chapter 5 – The Revelation 198 Part 1: The Nature of the Cosmic Cycle 199 1.1 Repetition in the Cycle 208 1.1.1 Fragment 17 209 1.1.2 Fragment 26 211 1.2 The Necessity of the Cycle 214 Part 2: How the Cosmic Cycle Operates 215 2.1 The Roots 217 2.1.1 How the Root Parts Fit Together 220 2.1.2 The Attraction of Like to Like 223 2.2 Love 226 2.2.1 Love Combines Unlike Things 227 2.2.2 The One 232 2.3 Strife 239 2.3.1 Strife Separates Unlike Things 240 2.3.2 Strife’s Ultimate Goal – The Many 243 Conclusion 254 Works Cited 256 vii Introduction Empedocles is an enigmatic figure. On the one hand, his efforts to explain how the world works link him with contemporaries, whom Aristotle calls natural philosophers (φυσικοί or φυσιολόγοι). On the other hand, he also writes about the nature of the soul and claims further that he could manipulate the world at his whim. Empedocles, however, does not present himself as a man who outlines how the world works for its own sake, nor does he present himself as a magician. Empedocles claims to be a god and his intent is to teach others how they, too, can become gods and control the universe.