Part XI.

T ARMEN ID ES.
b Plut.plac. 2. %S-
C
quefl.^. d Stob.
e St oh. Phyf, 1.
a Lairt.
b Hcipnof,
ii.
C Lasrt.
( b ) That the Moon is a clofe cotnpaded Cloud ; Ctcero ( c) faith, he held that ihe is habitable, containing many Cities and Moun¬ tains.
( d ) That the Sun is requifite for the gene¬ ration of the World and living Creatures, but the Moon of no ufe thereunto.
( e ) That there are many Suns and many Moons, according to the feveral Climates and Zones of the Earth j and that when the Sun go- eth fometimes to fome part of the Earth un¬ known to us, he feemeth to be eclipfed ; That the Sun goeth forward to infinite, but to us
447
feemeth to move circularly by reafon of the great diftance.
( f ) That the Clouds are a vapour drawn up (laert. by the Sun to the Heavens.
( g) That the Earth was firft founded and g Plat.
rooted as it were in an infinite depth. 3
( h) That the Soul is a Spirit, and that there are many things beneath the mind.
( i ) Cktro faith, that he was the only Philo- > fopher that believed there were Gods, and yet '• denied Divination ; but ( ^ Vlutarch jbyns Epi- ^ cunts with him in this Affertion.
CHAP. 1.
His Life.
PArmcvides (a) was of Ela, fon of Fyrethus ;
he heard Xenophanes : T'heophraflm, in his Epitome, faith, that he heard Anaximander. But tho’ he heard Xenophanes.^ yet he did not follow him. He converfed alfo with AminiaSy and with Diochates the Pythagorean, ( as Sation faith ) a Perfon indigent, but good and honeft, whom he chiefly foflow’d, and when he died, built a Tem¬ ple to him as to an Hero. Varmenides being of a noble family, and rich, he was reduced to privacy of life by Aminiasy not by Xenophanes. /lie flourirtied in the 69th Olympiad.
{b) Atbenans therefore, not without reafon, blames Flato for fuppofing him contemporary with Socrates.
He is alfo faid to have given Laws to his Coun- treymen, as Spujippm faith in his Book of Phi- lofophers.
He wrote Philofophy in verfe, as did alfo He- jion. Xenophanes, and Empedocles.
But Cailimacbm faith, that he wrote not any Poem.
There was another Farmenidesy an Orator, who wrote coflcerning that Art.
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CHAP. II.
His Opinions,
HE(c) alTerted, that Philofophy is twofold, one according to T ruth, the other accord¬ ing to Opinion ; wherefore he fome where faith,
t
- - - All things I -would that tl)ou enquire.
As well the heart that doth fveet truth purfue,
As mens opinicnsy -whofe beliefe'^s untrue;
That Reafon is the Criterie, and that the Sen- fes are not certain ; whence he faith,
not thy f elf into the variosts -wajy Nor thy rajb eyey dr eary or tongue obey j But pcife -ivilh reafon every Argument.
That ( and that it is immovable; that Onejs all, that Pbyf.i^.y. Ens is infinite ; whatfoever is befides Ensy is non Ensy and confequently nothing; butEwrisOne, therefore, whatfoever is befides One, is nothing ; therefore all is One.
( e) That hot and cold are the Principles e Laert. or Elements of things 5 thefe he called Fire and Earth ; one hath the office of Maker, the other of Matter.
That no things are generated and corrupted, but only feem fo to us.
(/’) That the Moon is of equal brightnefs with the Sun, yet borroweth her light from him. 16.
(g) That the Galaxie is a rnixture of denfe o piut. and rare. ♦ piac.^. i.
( h) He firft afferted, that the Earth is round, |, and feated in the midft; and fij firft fet out and j limited the habitable parts of the Earth, be- plac.fn, twixt the cold Zones and the Tropicks.
{k) That the Earth is every way equidiftant, jj and evenly poifed ; fo that there is no reafon fUc. 3.15:. file fliould incline more to one fide than to an¬ other ; yet is fhe fliaken, but not removed.
( / ) That men were generated of (jn) flime, } and confift of hot and “cold, whereof all things m foread. are compounded.
That ( contrary to Empedocles ) men ( n ) n Nat. were firft produced in the Northern parts of the 7*
World, thofe being moft denfe ; the firft woman in the Southern, thofe being moft rare. That (0) Males now are generated on the right fide o plut.pUe. of the Mother ; Females, on the left. ( p)Thnt p p/«,. the Hegemonickis feated in the breaft. plac.^. y,
(jf ) Fhavorinus afcribes to his Invention the q igert. Obfervation, That Vefper and Luther are the fame Star; others attribute this to Fythagoras.
Fhavorinus alfo faith, f r ) he ufed the argu- j Latrt', ment called Acbidesy by otliers afcribed to Zeno,
CHAP.