Unlike earlier cosmologists, who saw the
world as arising out of a uniform state of
matter, He ̄rakleitos seems to have rejected
cosmogony: the world always is and was
and will be because of the balance of its
contrary changes (some scholars however
think he believed in periodic conflagra-
tions in which everything turned into fire).
The heavenly bodies are composed of
bowl-like structures which trap fiery
vapors from the Earth. The phases of the
Moon and eclipses of the Sun and Moon
are caused by tilting of the bowls.
He ̄rakleitos is famous for allegedly hav-
ing said that everything flows, so that one
could not step twice into the same river.
He ̄rakleitos’ original statement, however,
implied something rather different: “On
those stepping into rivers staying the same,
other and other waters flow” (fr.12).
Although (and perhaps because) the waters
of a river are constantly changing, the
river remains the same. There is flux in
matter, but there is also regularity and con-
stancy in the world.Ed.: DK 22; M. Marcovich, Heraclitus: Greek text with a short commentary (1967; 2nd ed., 2001);
S.N. Mouraviev, Heraclitea: édition critique complète des témoignages sur la vie et l’oeuvre d’Héraclite d’Éphése et des
vestiges de son livre (1999–).
C. H. Kahn, The Art and Thought of Heraclitus (1979); KRS 181–212.
Daniel W. Graham
He ̄rakleitos of Rhodiapolis (ca 60 – 140 CE)
Physician and author of medical and philosophical works, attested in a single inscription
(TA M II.2.910) accompanying a statue dedicated to him by his hometown, Rhodiapolis
(Lukia), because of his donations. This document tells us that He ̄rakleitos, the H of
medical poetry, for his works received the same honors from Alexandrian, Rhodian and
Athenian citizens and the Areopagos as accrued to Epicurean philosophers.
BNP 6 (2005) 179 (#6), V. Nutton.
Claudio Meliadò
He ̄rakleitos of Sikuo ̄n (250 BCE – 50 CE?)
Wrote an On stones in at least two books. P-P, De fluu. 13.4 (1158A) transmits
a single fragment regarding the stone kruphios. Jacoby considers him fictive.
FHG 4.426; RE 8.1 (1912) 510 (#14), F. Jacoby; De Lazzer (2003) 83.
Eugenio Amato
He ̄rakleitos of Ephesos © Reproduced by
kind permission of the Archaeological Museum of
He ̄rakleion
HE ̄RAKLEITOS OF SIKUO ̄N