Chapter VI.—Anaximenes; His System of “An Infinite Air;” His Views of Astronomy and Natural Phenomena.

But Anaximenes, who himself was also a native of Miletus, and son of Eurystratus, affirmed that the originating principle is infinite air, out of which are generated things existing, those which have existed, and those that will be, as well as gods and divine (entities), and that the rest arise from the offspring of this. But that there is such a species of air, when it is most even, which is imperceptible to vision, but capable of being manifested by cold and heat, and moisture and motion, and that it is continually in motion; for that whatsoever things undergo alteration, do not change if there is not motion. For that it presents a different appearance according as it is condensed and attenuated, for when it is dissolved into what is more attenuated that fire is produced, and that when it is moderately condensed again into air that a cloud is formed from the air by virtue of the contraction;60    Or, “revolutionary motion.”    See Irenæus, Hæres., i. 19, 20; Tertullian, Præscript., c. xlvi.; Epiphanius, Hæres., xxi.; Theodoret, Hæret. Fab., i. 1; St. Augustine, De Hæres., 1. See the apology of Justin Martyr (vol. i., this series, p. 171), who says, “There was a Samaritan, Simon, a native of the village called Gitto, who, in the reign of Claudius Cæsar, and in your royal city of Rome, did mighty acts of magic, by virtue of the art of the devils operating in him.” Simon’s history and opinions are treated of largely in the Recognitions of Clement. See vol. iii. of the Edinburgh series, pp. 156–271; [vol. viii. of this series]. but when condensed still more, water, (and) that when the condensation is carried still further, earth is formed; and when condensed to the very highest degree, stones. Wherefore, that the dominant principles of generation are contraries,—namely, heat and cold. And that the expanded earth is wafted along upon the air, and in like manner both sun and moon and the rest of the stars; for all things being of the nature of fire, are wafted about through the expanse of space, upon the air. And that the stars are produced from earth by reason of the mist which arises from this earth; and when this is attenuated, that fire is produced, and that the stars consist of the fire which is being borne aloft. But also that there are terrestrial natures in the region of the stars carried on along with them. And he says that the stars do not move under the earth, as some have supposed, but around the earth,61    Plutarch, in his De Placitis Philosophorum, attributes both opinions to Anaximenes, viz., that the sun was moved both under and around the earth.    In book iv. of The Refutation. just as a cap is turned round our head; and that the sun is hid, not by being under the earth, but because covered by the higher portions of the earth, and on account of the greater distance that he is from us. But that the stars do not emit heat on account of the length of distance; and that the winds are produced when the condensed air, becoming rarified, is borne on; and that when collected and thickened still further, clouds are generated, and thus a change made into water. And that hail is produced when the water borne down from the clouds becomes congealed; and that snow is generated when these very clouds, being more moist, acquire congelation; and that lightning is caused when the clouds are parted by force of the winds; for when these are sundered there is produced a brilliant and fiery flash. And that a rainbow is produced by reason of the rays of the sun falling on the collected air. And that an earthquake takes place when the earth is altered into a larger (bulk) by heat and cold. These indeed, then, were the opinions of Anaximenes. This (philosopher) flourished about the first year of the lviii. Olympiad.62    [b.c. 556.]    Acts viii. 9–24.

[7] Ἀναξιμένης δέ, καὶ αὐτὸς ὢν Μιλήσιος, υἱὸς δὲ Εὐρυστράτου, ἀέρα ἄπειρον ἔφη τὴν ἀρχὴν εἶναι, ἐξ οὗ [τὰ γινόμενα [καὶ] τὰ γεγονότα καὶ τὰ ἐσόμενα καὶ] θεοὺς καὶ θεῖα γίνεσθαι, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ ἐκ τῶν τούτου ἀπογόνων. τὸ δὲ εἶδος τοῦ ἀέρος τοιοῦτον: ὅταν μὲν ὁμαλώτατος ᾖ, ὄψει ἄδηλον, δηλοῦσθαι δὲ τῷ ψυχρῷ καὶ τῷ θερμῷ καὶ τῷ νοτερῷ καὶ τῷ κινουμένῳ. κινεῖσθαι δὲ ἀεί: οὐ γὰρ [ἂν] μεταβάλλειν ὅσα μεταβάλλει, εἰ μὴ κινοῖτο. πυκνούμενον δὲ καὶ ἀραιούμενον διάφορον φαίνεσθαι: ὅταν γὰρ εἰς τὸ ἀραιότερον διαχυθῇ, πῦρ γίνεσθαι: [ἄνεμον] δὲ πάλιν εἶναι ἀέρα μέσως πυκνούμενον: ἐξ ἀέρος [δὲ] νέφος ἀποτελε[ῖ]σθαι κατὰ τὴν πίλησιν: ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον ὕδωρ, ἐπὶ πλεῖον [δὲ] πυκνωθέντα γῆν καὶ εἰς τὸ μάλιστα [πυκνότατον] λίθους. ὥστε τὰ κυριώτατα τῆς γενέσεως ἐναντία εἶναι, θερμόν τε καὶ ψυχρόν. Τὴν δὲ γῆν πλατεῖαν εἶναι, ἐπ' ἀέρος ὀχουμένην: ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἄστρα πάντα [γὰρ] πύρινα ὄντα ἐποχεῖσθαι τῷ ἀέρι διὰ πλάτος. γεγονέναι δὲ τὰ ἄστρα ἐκ γῆς διὰ τὸ τὴν ἰκμάδα ἐκ ταύτης ἀνίστασθαι: ἧς ἀραιουμένης τὸ πῦρ γίνεσθαι, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ πυρὸς μετεωριζομένου τοὺς ἀστέρας συνίστασθαι. εἶναι δὲ καὶ γεώδεις φύσεις ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τῶν ἀστέρων συμ[περι]φερομένας ἐκείνοις. οὐ κινεῖσθαι δὲ ὑπὸ γῆν τὰ ἄστρα λέγει, καθὼς ἕτεροι ὑπειλήφασιν, ἀλλὰ περὶ γῆν, ὡσπερεὶ περὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν κεφαλὴν στρέφεται τὸ πιλίον. κρύπτεσθαι δὲ τὸν ἥλιον οὐχ ὑπὸ γῆν φερόμενον, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς γῆς ὑψηλοτέρων μερῶν σκεπόμενον, καὶ διὰ τὴν πλείονα ἡμῶν αὐτοῦ γενομένην ἀπόστασιν. τὰ δὲ ἄστρα μὴ θερμαίνειν διὰ τὸ μῆκος τῆς ἀποστάσεως. Ἀνέμους δὲ γεννᾶσθαι, ὅταν ἐκ [μέρους] πεπυκνωμένος ὁ ἀὴρ ἀρθεὶς φέρηται: συνελθόντα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖον παχυ[ν]θέντα νέφη γεννᾶσθαι, καὶ οὕτως εἰς ὕδωρ μεταβάλλειν. χάλαζαν δὲ γίνεσθαι, ὅταν ἀπὸ τῶν νεφῶν τὸ ὕδωρ καταφερόμενον παγῇ: χιόνα δέ, ὅταν αὐτὰ ταῦτα ἐνυγρότερα ὄντα πῆξιν λάβῃ: ἀστραπὴν δ', ὅταν τὰ νέφη διϊστῆται βίᾳ πνευμάτων: τούτων γὰρ διϊσταμένων λαμπρὰν καὶ πυρώδη γίνεσθαι τὴν αὐγήν. ἶριν δὲ γεννᾶσθαι τῶν ἡλιακῶν αὐγῶν εἰς ἀέρα συνεστῶτα πιπτουσῶν: σεισμὸν δὲ τῆς γῆς ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἀλλοιουμένης ὑπὸ θερμασίας καὶ ψύξεως. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν Ἀναξιμένης. οὗτος ἤκμασεν περὶ ἔτος πρῶτον τῆς πεντηκοστῆς ὀγδόης ὀλυμπιάδος.