From the book
Empedocles’ The Testimonia, Volume II
Empedocles of Acragas · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordPhysiologos denotes one who gives an account of nature; physikos and Latin physicus identify a natural philosopher.
- In this workAristotle’s Poetics contrasts Homer the poet with Empedocles the natural philosopher, holding metre to be their only common feature.
- In this edition“Physicist” would misleadingly suggest a modern scientific profession.
- A place to readUses natural philosopher as the preferable classification to poet.
Meaning
Physiologos denotes one who gives an account of nature; physikos and Latin physicus identify a natural philosopher. These are witness classifications and need not reproduce Empedocles’ own self-description.
Use in the book
Aristotle’s Poetics contrasts Homer the poet with Empedocles the natural philosopher, holding metre to be their only common feature. The label marks subject and activity rather than a verdict that the verse is badly made. In Plutarch’s wind story, “natural philosopher” introduces a practical intervention in the environment; in Pliny it supports Acron’s authority. Cicero exploits the distinction between professional identities while still calling Empedocles’ poem excellent. The Suda can call him both a natural philosopher and an epic poet, whereas Lactantius presents the classification as a genuine puzzle. The lexical range therefore matters: a designation that excludes poetry in one critical argument can coexist with poetry in a catalogue and with medicine in a biographical tradition. The testimonia record ongoing classification, not one agreed ancient job description.
Places to read
- A 22–A 23 (polemical)Aristotle, Poetics. Uses natural philosopher as the preferable classification to poet.
- A 13–A 14 (biography)Plutarch, On Being a Busybody. Introduces the wind-blocking figure as a natural philosopher.
- A 24–A 25 (reception)2Lactantius, Divine Institutes; Cicero, On the Orator. Shows different ways to negotiate the philosopher-poet boundary.
- A 2 (testimony)The Suda. Allows natural philosopher and epic poet to stand together.
Translation in this edition
“Physicist” would misleadingly suggest a modern scientific profession. The argument in the Poetics concerns the category of poetic production, and should not erase other witnesses’ positive judgments of the verse.