From the book
Empedocles’ The Testimonia, Volume II
Empedocles of Acragas · Diotimos Editions · 2026
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At a Glance
- The wordKathodos is return, often with political force in a context of exclusion.
- In this workThe Life says descendants of Empedocles’ enemies resisted his return when Acragas was being resettled, so he withdrew to the Peloponnese and died there.
- In this editionThe edition calls Timaeus’ unknown end the real answer.
- A place to readConnects barred return, enemies’ descendants, and departure for the Peloponnese.
Meaning
Kathodos is return, often with political force in a context of exclusion. The phrase “to the Peloponnese” gives a destination, while “did not return” marks the limit of the account. These words do not specify one city or an exact date of death.
Use in the book
The Life says descendants of Empedocles’ enemies resisted his return when Acragas was being resettled, so he withdrew to the Peloponnese and died there. Timaeus later offers a similar withdrawal as the reason the end remained unknown: Empedocles left and never came back. The two notices support an alternative to the Sicilian disappearance legends, but they still leave the final locality and circumstances undetermined. The political exclusion also complicates the image of universal civic admiration supplied by other anecdotes. Popular-minded benefaction and lasting enemies coexist in the tradition. “Exile” is an appropriate lookup term for the blocked return, but the passage does not preserve a decree of banishment or establish the legal status of every departure.
Places to read
- A 1 §§ 67–68 (biography)2Diogenes Laertius VIII 67. Connects barred return, enemies’ descendants, and departure for the Peloponnese.
- A 1 §§ 71–72 (biography)Diogenes Laertius VIII 70–72, reporting Timaeus. Uses permanent withdrawal to explain the obscurity of the death.
Translation in this edition
The edition calls Timaeus’ unknown end the real answer. More precisely, it is a source-critical alternative within the dossier. The text should not be made to supply a definite Peloponnesian city or burial place.