empedocles theory of vision and theophra

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Empedocles' Theory of Vision anhephrastus De sensibus

David Sedley

THE EY

Emd1s s n m way au snss, and ys

po cs s a sl of smg's g io c sss passagsTht s why snss caot scma ch h's bjc, as shav assags whc hapn t wd, and m nrw, n nto h s-bct, so hat so hs d coc b sl gwl oths cat a

H s as say w vsua gan s H ys nsd p s whl what s t s ad a gh whch ass, g fn l h lh n lans. asags n an aaggmn and wa, nd, hs, onss g hngs whtho f d k hgs wih s f wa; o ach t ach.Ad h coos v h gan vsn by ns f c

hphss, De senbus 7

s s I wn t ons Ed vs od b hss, ad assss hs o o a hav a sgct h tt o whc Thhtssmmy s undd

1 The mo or edio dcu o e e: H De, oxgriGrc (Bern 879) J I Bee, Grk ors of a Cognton (Oxord )43; G . Saton Thotus th Gr ysooc sycooy bor Arstot(Lon n, 1917) G E R Uoy, o Aloy Camde, 66), 3257 J Bollacl (Pas, 1965) i 345, 2 1 f A . g, g se-Peceptio Emedocles Myscm o Maalim?", Q 16 (1966), 256-6 O'Bre, e of a le ocles Teories o en n rean, JHS 0 70 10M R. Wr, Ecs h E rgts (ew Haeonon, ) 0; G

Empedoces' Theory of Vision 2

� v Off' �e ep B' 'AcpiT .(f 5 Wght 6 DK

B

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MovX££Pi v B vu 1p ofow� nov WEfV � Ufopa' ' C BK& ' B' � B9po, ov pov 5JK V Upmv UIv ·

B

fvr� pov ¥rov p · 96v elo ouP

B Bo< o< V UvQp B' � Bde"ov ov epov V 10

( 88 gh, DK

5 <] m EMPYGa, ad supra < il 8 xe>o Frsr: Ne•o EMil : xt Ga : xe> : xe>o ctt

Fm hs v Ah a h aig ys And jus a w smn annng a jy uh sy gh asa lam, a m o blg , g lansds as slds agash vos wds, a hs a th blowng wnds' bath, bt lg as ou an shns ass hod wh nyldgs t t sh bg t bh fac ma ap mmbns and i dca gm2 Th hld bak hsa of wa at wd nd, b h n p of nd otsd

I nng hs x, I sa ad lwn o ncs:1) Sc s psg a aagy dsgd pad s a csm

h y s that f a , t csy two hs o h sml

S. K J E. Rav . Schoed T rocatc osoprs (Cdge 98) de fothcomin commy on pass, sbus by L d HeWm wch e auos kinly let me s in y for ice on some

ophmolo cal ns to Pul Meye, fo m d discusso Joa Bes,Toy g d escy roea Fede, who, my ommeato at e Eesos onfce of roje Teos, uggesed a weal of alatve aoace to ts dy oevee I o a e a no do em ke ce, b hey d

he e ghe my on gen a a o . Noe o ose eoe n y way rebe o he ew exesed here.

2 Fo safe I am otin ee he don line pieced e by Bls placaer ine 8, whic sl aps n DK. See Wrights gumets, p .



22 Tepastus

cn be mae cosnd wiout oig e sense he ber3(2) Unless re s pos c ha Els w oe of

nta suc of e eye ug ssecon, te psupo sou ht hes drb i exally sbe fas only As G R Lloyd h argu,4a sso a hs da s ou o e qeon, one shou xycaous of excng eve l scon o ay bu a vey dmey kndfo of s. On i ha Emls, hos h ofnsmo onmn aa sau an a-ean a h mosl saclege, ms of ercs te et ikey acoe o s o o e s a dr mpedles was o dobt unted wi eye disses nd t aen But tat no way mpes ity wih te ees isce5

Tng ow e deals o e ogy, Bet is sue rht spplyphd, r h yov p suj o 7 cause (a) ow e sigle g wc I ve ted c dcy oh a psae, wat we coud ave gusse ywa, pes ad

Ah he ce o ; d a sjt ks a bt lelwh h man wo e tgr (ivog Pncpe 1)Teoe we must consue h lnes as make Kpv n

8 sd so ov p KA ph boght bh ve wd membes (e.) d at whole packae s the Kpv

Ths ar expsson h a oul anng lly h brog ba ud-aced cld' bu ls, m c d sel, e und-aedeye I y eye and no, as it is usuy ans, pup' o two os. F assmng, n accoce wh my Pnciple 2 a Emdoles s dscrnexely vsle eaturs of th , ould y l ke plcosist o r wap in nsucet mbs Te pil is lack, le os er ln p o h ee s prsuby h rs. A o, y' s y ce he l ec se K h cen6 The moe scc con wh h pul ss log mec se ioloy7 So

I h scpo h covr v ov cosuco of t ybal, ad not as nrers ave n su, y hd sc.

3 P Br 154-7. ''The Poems of Empedocles d Luets" (GRS 3[989] 26996) I gu at Emocls Lucr ml r ow us of ulplconnc .

4 "Alon d y Hry o Don" Suos Acv 5 (975) 3-

475 E vn catact opra t ions, i ey cul b daed back is earl (I ow of n o acual

ev ece for em elier Celus 7.13 f .), woul not have qure more kowledge

of e eye's sucre t co ld be re om exe obsrvao n.

6 A rsph a es, V ; Soph ocles fr. 710 Eui i ds, Ion 86, Hec. 92, often

Eg H, n 606 ; 1

Empedocles' Theory of Vsion 2

hen he membes nd de gaen wich sund te r and sd be capabe o peitng e pasge o ligt bt not o ar?They ae e rs as mbrae si h y, sa bymes as sepg he f m te n wa Bu f I a rgt thth or sc of e ey s esc, hy will mo ikly behe co n sems t me h eeb on o oun:

, o ncpe 1 a we sou sk mxm he cooc betweh wo halves of e sme, he oa cely coes out a e p aogue of the ses of e l, whch oct t e sde m extico een outd.8

econ, on ncie 2, tat edls s most lkey d exyvisib es o te eye, ee is o mc said or ideing t iemsn quson wh na embrs whose explana fction is, sa leat,or, d wc, even i hy mt m mles ml ca hav meat mch to his readrs On he othr hand e coe is eig

amr a y a, g, I sps, cs so subscon he acen wold Ths s co b e a ed u t a consumma puc o dve csp by Cics Sc oksn,9 osxsso mbrans usss vsvit' sous lik rc eco ofds.

Tid, a I now wat go on gu, Emdles account o he eye appendi o n mno wa So any i waf embes oulhave en e hgh and whout n expct fucon

W s he war whch he membns d kp ou No I he lquid insde e eebl, bt he mostu on e sace o e colym ud10 Ag, I c s e os o eg s vew:

B Pnciple 1 w ousi h a fm gg oudcood t wer oude h eye, not war p inside

By e 2 mdls dd not actse decton, e cnot ume

hav ow hr spc r coa coins a or wr, or dd

8 Ti exde t eta o n n o rt Se. 3b2 (In De eu 8 . see B84 DK). It s alo wor ocg t coea te'oke (K£po£ tc of e eye us sively invng e ogy w lsides eeves omonly of ho The cca r ay not a t 3dcnry BC Aexd aomss (c G U 13) wose mot v no ou dsnguh coa om oer brs o But compso n o cy wi s o ho G lc ci ay wll h av y li

by n9 Ccero N 242.10 �ev9o, e o e o s of cose exavagt fo a

of wat but e exavagce not unic of Eles (wole for p cf B 96,98) d UJv!v flow rou apoa wa o e oude of e eye



rastus

wheer e c o ea exnd ba c e s. Eve i e evdence of anaccidey seved eye a ape avable ,1 t ot

esl hve d his vew. e coo kowlede at a accienay seve r ur bl dd e dscoe he commonpavew, s hed by e d cetry BC at e ees a c. War q ling m a eve ee culd ew s hae sod he i mely a a sut of e ae. I oweve a mais s blemdle d acowle e exsce of sp hmors wh e eye(ut e pmly cowded, bt dd o men he pr anaouee wihi he la h ailre meno hem is qte auy epln by heir ssue of actve e n seg He a, for snce haveoht hem meely he eo m whch e achmal u was d n2

even cmaeon, wo i prace issecton b vson pary te agecy o e exteal wr, beca of ecvi, a d ot meoe nte wa r.

We have ed a e foowng se of coeces:lanme Aprilt eyeblae e n eye (is)nent lan-ides ranrent coeawind oiste on coa

s s rt we have vinica e xt of pstus He h on caus coneo by aing ncue ay eo f t e wa n e psae w hch one

He ays nside p s f whle wa unds it i and a,ugh whch he pas e e e lt a

Ts ha l a r o hos, foowin Dies en the wa bywa of eeo Ad eve ose o hae sis eenio hae at ea ha e e mpcao at a cci p o e ees scre bee someo

11 Cf. Hi. o 2 62805-6 L Cn 7 8.606.0 f. whr adntallson s sol so of owldg aut y's n ud.

12 A Plao, 68A s sm o co o y. But t Hpp m 683801 L lacym d cos f t · (t v y s)

Tprtus Se 6 6<" o£ o o tp . Satonssgs ntiato, wat at bas y vs t ovny ovosng d I rm pzld wh gat major o tts av tn rfr n na war

Empdcls o f s 5

sesed h acco By cot e wae ode e ee oee m le o, ot ey ho ugh o a p o e ee's sce, nd t wo

o o Theoph o m it hee On he oer , his ncun of nd a a sung te cen re means e are a cci p of e ee ' sce a t s s co ee e s e cnwe e a a pve emp space be t nd e iris, or e ca agm o a a I td pfe the lar: e o gee coea so, whle he a o a spc

W al have he swer the od pbem Emocle expan iion by eces enteing ee, y ds so a pang o of e ee? We c e or ea ephat ext wrds

The paaes n an an agement o f war, a f ese,t cogses h gs o o f ad s w o o ;o ac c e colous vel e o o viion by mns of efuence

a co get in e ee bu f can get out hs ix o pasgeof a and f must e place n e uace o te coea That is why e o pa o o e ee, m e ae o or srface Te iet s h eve suace e ee a enibe o viio c pllele n pc wis,4 and is ered y Thopsus conpace (Sens 36).15 It is a nau assumpon e o on case of he mall et mage visibe in the pp but so ause a we ee

as ousie o eyes. conn se mor t a n o f The ace of he coea

he most mnt ac in e eye. An eye eprid of hryma has ison mo serously p even than eye wh no ens. Givene e tha cas ad Empe les' mdc exence h me temaml wt h dieas chma, eir epi o e hyma uid

crucia re i ion is enrely in paceB wha ll aps e xe o war-psaes and pageon te eye' se? Accordn Thphrat (Sens 505-7 Dies) the psae

4 Cf . n 17 8606 L.5 Aa (ps Se 6) no ony ss v u so sms o

pa Eml n okng wat plus agnts of ys rv .avg mnon ys xt wat n r os on att tv by wh y ss to sng d sn prsmal rf t r wat sptl.

6 D -sass 6<"{m T) s n n om ass (Aer 0 Aph .2 4) f Hpp. 2 6.2782 2802 L: wn suly of rlv os o ys s up sgt qc



Theophrastus

of we ceve k euences tose f gt elueces These e heences which nee bnce ca use fat nr sp ight ug cus (Se.

502-3Diels; Pla Me 6CD). Isd of esi in eihe

o e wys, ey t n (pe) e pges, nd s, we st et, cumuavely buld up a pictr on e ees sufe

Accong Thhstus t o te theory at chr sig alshve not got enog e n te eyes dce ee ace f f and wa;so ey ned f ode e algt mke up e baance Ngsganals ve mch e in the ee, and e aess(= water) m det even he baance. Eles h s he old le u eye n a nd explnaon o te le of light vision

At is in it ems apppra sd back n evalua Thophstus presenon o e Emcle de vson. my eral recscs right, he h done ther we. He h or exple, not fllowe stotlesmiske17 of conang it wi las vsua ra thy i e T Nor ds

e t y ant fucal pa, s ch a al wa, in his ef t dequatesmry f he l passag s accut s mak vel s, avegued t must g e g ess t e se o te eye, d e nly sius ond f cl s hs fl mke hs act expct Buteven e gven te widepr cucy o he asumpon that he ee s ht i ecvty, i is unlkely a ancent raders we msled n e way atme ne hve n.

II. LKE BY IKE

h critical on o E mdes (12-20) Tphrts some exmelrnent quesins. Fr exapl, wa is e i the psages eo e euencesener hem (134)? Not vod, at lst, he ns o, snce les deesi exisnce I doubt i an o e ojcons e unasweble howeverEles migt repy to e chalenge aut d y sisng at even a cley s seg g, ly rkess, e h passags led wi keuences This would a atl exnsion f rmedes thesis (Tphs,Se 4) hat vn a cose rcs sehg, v c , drk d slece

Hweve, my ct e s not t scuss m o ts bjnsin geal, but us one s a uns gh e This is the cmplainttat Edles fs t lie up is own pricple epon is le e re he an nscs

(Se 13) Emdles s not alowed ay dference twn exal f d'e e i te nm sch t te er s sen b he laer bu t ce

17 stoe, e 43b-438 C O' d KRS p 31

Empedles' Theory of so

ve. The lon een hemtht f 'n n o lesswould norml l one

(Se. 1) en it acl comes it Empdles not of lene buto comensuteness of euences ses, nd d not o on ecif aner u£ t xapa) whehe in cases of comensuness kindof ct semance ons

(Se. 6) P is a , o concomit f epon et Emles mes pain te sult o sis S ep s not of ke b lie.

(Se. 1) in the ee f d war rceve wt is lk tem, these must ght dk sctiely e wh what s t eve gy and ter'mxed clus?

(Se 19) 'Le s lse t hll. You dn nd have smel ly in your o n orde eive smell e cny, tmkes it rer A sila bjecion applies in e cas f eng and s

ese bjecns dend on Epedle eig ehw cmted abyle dne o ep. What hen is Tts edence that he

ws? The letr of hopatus own xt suggess me hat neiher wi regrdto c sen-bns n a gel incile dd Emdles nouceny such commtment.

Frst Theophrastus efcvel concdes at 1 t mdles ot dcsse elemen cmsi of he vs eences, us levi t cl owa, at al, the emled csn e cevg rgans8 And we can work out for ourselves that sin e ees comnet plas no rct p n seeng cmpble h les f and wa19 uless exl s e nvble ts euences must commensu wh pages o ether reor (mo lkel) war So he at lt here wl n elemen leness betweee euence d the sbsce w sges ceve t he e fig nof eenc sags in e sse ors is cll an uae und rif ng at rcon is f lke y ke.

Secnd Theophstus in ctn 10 mes t ptt cl what hs t wt

is or atbuig Emles the gee principle epin nvolves'tng in, d ence s of lke by lke It s e sage f ve lnes fm wicher act sce od whe bg -by-e e to pls:2

18 Ony one souce, Aeius 15 (see 1 A 2 DK) celaes l f elem wisecc cos, may smpy eve om o le a reg f B 71 (cf Delsp. 222 O'B p 16) Hweve, for yone cepng e Aes evnce a fe vuemy ex cmmen n

19 Cf. s OB p 16420 S e my onxt aage by Wrght e note e . 77 13

4 That e o ms e tinuous ogly uggested by eopt' owcomen e 0, ccd oble by W



30 orastus

But mmedaly res ha aclly only Anagos and Heraclus fal ino e osis' ou, and ha ven of s ony Anaxagos has ny i achn o h maer (273) Hene hen Thhus s o he seond grp

at 25, hey hav com os ho do ot pepio du es' cah l xessio hch enables ll heoeeos heres ke o of cmeon,Clidemus an Dogenes of Apollona to n i ong ih Anaagor. Even en, ogees ould ogh o hod a lby-ke ve, h says (39) AndDemocrtus gets his ow head (49) as inerebl iher y.

Deied diussio of k-byl p ief ss abrtly in son 3499, Dels). Pnides s coorbly nogh plced it 3-4) but he has

nog o say aut he iniv enes. The foos Pto (5-), hos ccoun o seeing nd heng n he Tirs tlly ondensed ino a fe lnes.O seeg Theophsus y:

Von he mke of . Tht why he alo ms color a knd of am coming om e, hvng i s ommens vsonn th gound at euenc cur and e mut t in ch other. I es out of e eye for a ern dce oesces he euence, i h o e

I ll byass he genel queon how ummy d e Plonc cout, nd just me one n gere o my en tc. In e rus(45C) lebylke s ivoked only h relon ch enles e fery vu y o colesce w ygh pces a oogenes vl meu exel e eye ng ch ny colling object s oon oug e eye soul Oy much l C s re colour el a knd o me eamng fom objec, Pl mes no compl eort bng ot e e-y-lke elon of colo o vion. Thehrstus' pneis is nocly sig a rr of Plt, bt hi own elon in terms of h ke e ncple, of wy Plao havig made vion o of e, d e ame

or s obec colou t e same me, he aogeer omis e rle of gh he ec whic Plo ml ch o ath e e-by-le prle u e can se him eecng n uch a y a onrm hs clng of P

25 Te quaication at 500,1-6 Diels o KU ' EVUV'q Ka8. a{n OU:' Vccv, i no a cncession hat Peds has one foo n e 'opposes cp, bt a pt esicion f he elier s erio n (499167 Ds) hat pecet.i deen ona r w wo o ppos te eemens. In e sc ce of a cose It IS exclusvey8 16 he cd dk el em ent a ceives; ut i il o course rceies its ow le

26 Te tet rined y Diels d Son i ungrac I c see d ve repncad o< o rmed s he new senence

� c I � e � a500,1 Dels a coece po nd o u eg c�wuv () fEXp

Empedles' Theory of Vision 31

i a li y o visio I ot i that sao i n altr isv, aoy s h it hs d

s n op doohi What ova oass hd n is ay? I hi s s 's so l ot t s vi o i as pin w s h h himf s o De nm 2 16a-b Al assis sss h ho ay i i l y h w yhat t o p y opi. H t ds hi sytsi o o vis: s af h i l dis s.

Ai i y ei a his pa a itl ar, a 25 47a 20 e h i d w h l h of pon:

H i a wy aon i b at whih i , in ano way y awhih is uli d. Fr a whih i ni i ac n t o

ad on it is l.u Ai i wi noug is m t h yi a it

doa shea H dos t say So ho h po is y ohs y psis W hav dd, t y ow ow lt it is divi p-an o rcpio i o uh n u

Tophss i ss, as iatous ogh stp in an my oissio. 8

Ee tote rae ee ea aut e en n a e-e e prcton, 2a21-9 e e er hee h a we b e ae k h tr c Ee he d u e e bd b68 Pt

8 ek 3 e e e a ee c Are e cha (25 eDe ana.



R vy d C H

Sees Edtor: Wiia W. Fotenbagh

Advsory Board Di Guta

Pa ua M. Huy

ckrt ctrupf

Rbert W Se

On Stoc an Perpe hcs: The Wok of ArusDdyms, voume I

Theohrass of ress On Hs Le an Wor,oe II

Theophasea Sues On Naal cence hys

an Meaphyss h eligion, an Rheorcolme I

Cero' Knowlege o he Peaos olue IV

Theophasus Hs syholoca oxoaphcal an Scenc Wrngs, ome V

RUTGERS UNERS STUDES CLASSC HAS

Volume V

T HEOPRASTUS

His Psychological, Doxographical,and Scientif Writings

Edited by

William F oenbaugh

nd

Dmi Gutas

•Trc Pr

New Brunswick SA and London (U.K)

empedocles theory of vision and theophra

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