Elementary: Empedocles and the Secret History of the Elements
Empedocles of Acragas is one of the most important presocratic philosophers, particularly because he is the first known author who speaks of what would become the traditional four elements: fire, earth, air, and water.
Primary Sources
Fragments of Empedocles and Parmenides from the Commentaries of Simplicius
In this groundbreaking 19th-century study, Amedeo Peyron performs a high-stakes rescue mission of ancient Greek thought. By comparing a newly discovered Turin manuscript against the standard Venice edition, Peyron exposes the latter as a fraudulent 'back-translation' from medieval Latin, effectively
The Hermetic Writings, Volume 1
Walter Scott provides a rigorous investigation into the Hermetic writings, treating them as a coherent system of ancient philosophy. He strips away centuries of confusion to reveal a hierarchy where humanity serves as the essential bridge between the material and the divine. You will encounter argum