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| Thales; His Physics and Theology; Founder of Greek Astronomy.
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Chapter I.—Thales; His
Physics and Theology; Founder of Greek Astronomy.
It is said that Thales of Miletus, one of the
seven40
| 40 [These
were: Periander of Corinth, b.c. 585;
Pittacus of Mitylene, b.c. 570; Thales of
Miletus, b.c. 548: Solon of Athens,
b.c. 540; Chilo of Sparta, b.c. 597; Bias of Priene; Cleobulus of Lindus, b.c. 564.] | wise men, first
attempted to frame a system of natural philosophy. This person
said that some such thing as water is the generative principle of the
universe, and its end;—for that out of this, solidified and again
dissolved, all things consist, and that all things are supported on it;
from which also arise both earthquakes and changes of the winds and
atmospheric movements,41
| 41 Or,
“motions of the stars” (Roeper). | and
that all things are both produced42
| 42 Or,
“carried along” (Roeper). |
and are in a state of flux corresponding with the nature of the primary
author of generation;—and that the Deity43
| 43
Or,“ that which is divine.” See Clemens
Alexandrinus, Strom., v. pp. 461, 463 (Heinsius and
Sylburgius’ ed.). Thales, on being asked, “What is
God?” “That,” replied he, “which has neither
beginning nor end.” | is that which has neither beginning nor
end. This person, having been occupied with an hypothesis and
investigation concerning the stars, became the earliest author to the
Greeks of this kind of learning. And he, looking towards heaven,
alleging that he was carefully examining supernal objects, fell into a
well; and a certain maid, by name Thratta, remarked of him derisively,
that while intent on beholding things in heaven, he did not
know44
what was at his
feet. And he lived about the time of
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