From the book
Empedocles’ The Testimonia, Volume II
Empedocles of Acragas · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordBasileia means kingship, while the verb denotes declining or refusing.
- In this workDiogenes attributes to Aristotle the portrayal of Empedocles as free and alien to office, adducing his refusal of offered kingship and also citing Xanthus’ account.
- In this editionThe excerpt does not explain who offered kingship, by what procedure, or with what powers.
- A place to readGives the refusal and the interpretation of plain living.
Meaning
Basileia means kingship, while the verb denotes declining or refusing. The broader phrase calls Empedocles a stranger to all office or rule. A reported refusal is distinct from a claim that he had no influence in public affairs.
Use in the book
Diogenes attributes to Aristotle the portrayal of Empedocles as free and alien to office, adducing his refusal of offered kingship and also citing Xanthus’ account. Simplicity is given as the motive. The rest of the Life nevertheless makes him a forceful civic actor, arguing in council, prosecuting officials, dissolving the Thousand, and persuading the people. The distinction is therefore between holding supreme office and exercising public authority, not between politics and withdrawal. The subsequent description of costume as a badge resembling royalty creates another useful tension: someone who rejects kingship may still be represented through royal signs. That tension belongs to the sources’ construction of exceptional status and should not be solved by assuming a known constitutional offer or an established ceremonial office.
Places to read
- A 1 §§ 61–63 (biography)Diogenes Laertius VIII 63, reporting Aristotle and Xanthus. Gives the refusal and the interpretation of plain living.
- A 1 §§ 73–74 (biography)2Diogenes Laertius VIII 72–73. Describes costume as a kind of royal badge approved by citizens.
Translation in this edition
The excerpt does not explain who offered kingship, by what procedure, or with what powers. “Refused a crown” is a vivid shorthand but the Greek names kingship, not an actual coronation object.