From the book
Empedocles’ The Testimonia, Volume II
Empedocles of Acragas · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordThe genitive names Parmenides as a proposed teacher or model.
- In this workTheophrastus, as reported by Diogenes, makes Empedocles an emulator of Parmenides and an imitator of his poems, explicitly because both presented an account of nature in epic verse.
- In this editionTranslation into the single English word “pupil” can conceal different claims: admiration, formal imitation, association, and personal instruction.
- A place to readDistinguishes the disputed poetic identification and explicit formal imitation.
Meaning
The genitive names Parmenides as a proposed teacher or model. Zēlōtēs is an emulator or admirer; mimētēs an imitator. These relational terms do not all assert the same historical contact as the verbs for hearing a teacher.
Use in the book
Theophrastus, as reported by Diogenes, makes Empedocles an emulator of Parmenides and an imitator of his poems, explicitly because both presented an account of nature in epic verse. Alcidamas instead supplies a classroom scene in which Empedocles and Zeno hear Parmenides together before separating. The Suda adds an erotic relationship on Porphyry’s authority. Simplicius describes emulation and association but also stronger Pythagorean affiliation. These notices move between demonstrable literary comparison and biographical lineage. The safest use of the testimony is to preserve that distinction: similar verse form supports an ancient comparison even if direct pupilage remains uncertain. The debate over whether the exceptional wise man mentioned in the abbreviated quotation at VIII 54 is Pythagoras or Parmenides shows that even identifying a revered predecessor within Empedocles’ poetry was already contested.
Places to read
- A 1 §§ 53–55 (biography)2Diogenes Laertius VIII 54–55, reporting Timaeus and Theophrastus. Distinguishes the disputed poetic identification and explicit formal imitation.
- A 1 §§ 56–58 (biography)2Diogenes Laertius VIII 56, reporting Alcidamas. Pairs Zeno and Empedocles as hearers of Parmenides.
- A 2 (biography)The Suda, reporting Porphyry, History of Philosophers. Adds pupilage and beloved status.
Translation in this edition
Translation into the single English word “pupil” can conceal different claims: admiration, formal imitation, association, and personal instruction. The apparatus to A 7 also limits confidence about the exact extent of Theophrastus’ wording.