Laert., 3 and 5, p. 99, H??bner), accuses Anaxagoras of
having predicted the fall of a?‘rolites from the
Sun: "Celebrant Gr??ci Anaxagoram Clazomenium Olympiadis septuagesim??
octav?? secundo anno pr??dixisse c??lestium litterarum scientia quibus
diebus saxum casurum esse e sole, idque factum interdia in Thraci?? parte ad
gos flumen. Quod si quis pr??dictum credat, simul fateatur necesse est,
majoris miraculi divinitatem Anaxagor?? fuisse, solvique rerum natur??
intellectum, et confundi omnia, si aut ipse Sol lapis esse aut unquam
lapidem in eo fuisse credatur; decidere tamen crebro non erit dubium." The
fall of a moderate-sized stone, which is preserved in the Gymnasium at
Abydos, is also reported to have been foretold by Anaxagoras. The fall of
a?‘rolites in bright sunshine, and when the Moon's disk was invisible,
probably led to the idea of sun-stones. Moreover, according to one of the
physical dogmas of Anaxagoras, which brought on him the persecution of the
theologians (even as they have attacked the geologists of our own times),
the Sun was regarded as "a molten fiery mass" ([Greed words]). In
accordance with these views of Anaxagoras, we find Euripides, in 'Pha?‘ton',
terming the Sun "a golden mass;" that is to say, a fire-colored,
brightly-shining matter, but not leading to the inference that a?‘rolites
are golden sun-stones.
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