The Fragments of Empedocles

From the PREFACE. THIS translation was made at the suggestion of my friend, Dr. W. R. Newbold, Professor of Greek Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, in the hope of interesting here and there a student of thought or a lover of poetry. The introduction and notes are intended merely to illustrate the text: they touch only incidentally on the doxographical material and give thus by no means a complete account of all it is possible to know about Empedocles's philosophy. My indebtedness to the critics is frequently attested in the references, but I have in all points tried to exercise an independent judgment. Most citations from works not accessible in English are given in translation.