The Four Elements

4 elements

A fifth century BCE Greek from Sicily name Empedocles is credited with the discovery of the Four Elements. The theory is that everything is made up of the Elements of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. At that time however they were not referred to as Elements but “roots,” or even “root clumps.” Even in our modern day these Elements embody the four basic states of matter: Fire, the igneous or metamorphic state; Air the gaseous state; Water the liquid state, and Earth the solid state. For Empedocles Earth, Water, Air, and Fire were used to describe more than just the physical and material substances, they “represent[ed] a basic kind of energy and consciousness that operates within everyone” (The Four Elements, 2004-2014). These Four Elements ended up making their way into almost every ancient culture and belief system, and still continue to do so today.

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