Chapter XI.—Democritus; His Duality of Principles; His Cosmogony.

And Democritus77    [Died in his hundred and ninth year, b.c. 361.] was an acquaintance of Leucippus. Democritus, son of Damasippus, a native of Abdera,78    Or, “Audera.” conferring with many gymnosophists among the Indians, and with priests in Egypt, and with astrologers and magi in Babylon, (propounded his system).  Now he makes statements similarly with Leucippus concerning elements, viz., plenitude and vacuum, denominating plenitude entity, and vacuum nonentity; and this he asserted, since existing things are continually moved in the vacuum. And he maintained worlds to be infinite, and varying in bulk; and that in some there is neither sun nor moon, while in others that they are larger than with us, and with others more numerous. And that intervals between worlds are unequal; and that in one quarter of space (worlds) are more numerous, and in another less so; and that some of them increase in bulk, but that others attain their full size, while others dwindle away and that in one quarter they are coming into existence, whilst in another they are failing; and that they are destroyed by clashing one with another. And that some worlds are destitute of animals and plants, and every species of moisture. And that the earth of our world was created before that of the stars, and that the moon is underneath; next (to it) the sun; then the fixed stars. And that (neither) the planets nor these (fixed stars) possess an equal elevation. And that the world flourishes, until no longer it can receive anything from without.  This (philosopher) turned all things into ridicule, as if all the concerns of humanity were deserving of laughter.

[13] Δημόκριτος δὲ Λευκίππου γίνεται γνώριμος: Δημόκριτος Δαμασίππου Ἀβδηρίτης, πολλοῖς συμβαλών, γυμνοσοφισταῖς ἐν Ἰνδοῖς καὶ ἱερεῦσιν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ἀστρολόγοις καὶ μάγοις ἐν Βαβυλῶνι. λέγει δὲ ὁμοίως Λευκίππῳ περὶ στοιχείων, πλήρους καὶ κενοῦ, τὸ μὲν πλῆρες λέγων ὄν, τὸ δὲ κενὸν οὐκ ὄν: ἔλεγε δὲ ὡς ἀεὶ κινουμένων τῶν ὄντων ἐν τῷ κενῷ. ἀπείρους δὲ εἶναι κόσμους καὶ μεγέθει διαφέροντας: ἔν τισι δὲ μὴ εἶναι ἥλιον μηδὲ σελήνην, ἔν τισι δὲ μείζω τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ ἔν τισι πλείω. εἶναι δὲ τῶν κόσμων ἄνισα τὰ διαστήματα, καὶ τῇ μὲν πλείους, τῇ δὲ ἐλάττους, καὶ τοὺς μὲν αὔξεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ ἀκμάζειν, τοὺς δὲ φθίνειν, καὶ τῇ μὲν γίνεσθαι, τῇ δὲ [ἐκ]λείπειν: φθείρεσθαι δὲ αὐτοὺς ὑπ' ἀλλήλων προσπίπτοντας. εἶναι δὲ ἐνίους κόσμους ἐρήμους ζῴων καὶ φυτῶν καὶ παντὸς ὑγροῦ. τοῦ δὲ παρ' ἡμῖν κόσμου πρότερον τὴν γῆν τῶν ἄστρων γενέσθαι. εἶναι δὲ τὴν μὲν σελήνην κάτω, ἔπειτα τὸν ἥλιον, εἶτα τοὺς ἀπλανεῖς ἀστέρας: τοὺς δὲ πλάνητας οὐδ' αὐτοὺς ἔχειν ἴσον ὕψος. ἀκμάζειν δὲ κόσμον ἕως ἂν μηκέτι δύνηται ἔξωθέν τι προσλαμβάνειν. οὗτος ἐγέλα πάντα, ὡς γέλωτος ἀξίων [ὄντων] πάντων τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις.