Alcmaeon

DK 24

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Original textTranslation

Available translations: English

Ἀλκμαίων Κροτωνιήτης τάδε ἔλεξε Πειρίθου υἱὸς Βροτίνωι καὶ Λέοντι καὶ Βαθύλλωι· περὶ τῶν ἀφανέων, περὶ τῶν θνητῶν σαφήνειαν μὲν θεοὶ ἔχοντι, ὡς δὲ ἀνθρώποις τεκμαίρεσθαι.

Alkmaion of Kroton, son of Peirithous, spoke these words to Brotinos and Leon and Bathyllos. As to things invisible and things mortal, the gods have certainty; but, so far as men may infer ...

John Burnet · Early Greek Philosophy, second edition (1908)

How this fragment survives

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading.

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading in the reviewed records. The linked edition remains available below.

Original-text edition
Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 103; historical ancient running text.
Open the historical edition ↗

Notes & source

Burnet, section 96, p. 223. Complete quotation in his published text; the broken ending is retained

All existing modern-language translation text is preserved. The same quoted ancient passage remains paired.

The paired ancient words were checked directly against the historical 1906 scan. Current translation wording is unchanged; abbreviation expansion, punctuation and iota-adscript/subscript are normalized.

Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 103; historical ancient running text. View original source ↗

English: John Burnet · Early Greek Philosophy, second edition (1908) Published translation ↗

Source pages: 1

Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

Available translations & credits

English · John Burnet. Early Greek Philosophy, second edition (1908). Default reading. Published translation ↗ Paired original ↗
Source pages: 1
Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

DK 24 B 1a

Available translations: German

ἄνθρωπον γάρ φησι τῶν ἄλλων διαφέρειν ὅτι μόνον ξυνίησι, τὰ δ’ ἄλλα αἰσθάνεται μέν, οὐ ξυνίησι δέ.

Der Mensch unterscheidet sich von den übrigen Geschöpfen dadurch, daß er allein denkt, während die übrigen zwar wahrnehmen, aber nicht denken.

German · Hermann Diels · Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906)

How this fragment survives

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading.

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading in the reviewed records. The linked edition remains available below.

Original-text edition
Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 103; historical ancient running text.
Open the historical edition ↗

Notes & source

This is Theophrastus’s report, conventionally catalogued as DK B1a. It should not be mistaken for an independently preserved sentence in Alcmaeon’s own wording

All existing modern-language translation text is preserved. The same quoted ancient passage remains paired.

Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 103; historical ancient running text. View original source ↗

Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

German wording transcribed and checked against the printed 1906 edition, p. 103; line-end hyphenation and page breaks are joined. The matching original identifies the portion translated. Consult the cited edition for surrounding source context

German · Hermann Diels · Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906) Published translation ↗

Public domain

Available translations & credits

German · Hermann Diels. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906). Default reading. Published translation ↗ Paired original ↗
Translation: Public domain
Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

DK 24 B 2

Available translations: German

τοὺς ἀνθρώπους φησὶν Ἀλκμαίων διὰ τοῦτο ἀπόλλυσθαι, ὅτι οὐ δύνανται τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶι τέλει προσάψαι.

Die Menschen gehen darum zugrunde, weil sie den Anfang nicht an das Ende anknüpfen können.

German · Hermann Diels · Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906)

How this fragment survives

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading.

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading in the reviewed records. The linked edition remains available below.

Original-text edition
Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 103; historical ancient running text.
Open the historical edition ↗

Notes & source

The reporting phrase “Alcmaeon says” belongs to the transmitting author

All existing modern-language translation text is preserved. The same quoted ancient passage remains paired.

Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 103; historical ancient running text. View original source ↗

Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

German · Hermann Diels · Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906) Published translation ↗

Public domain

Available translations & credits

German · Hermann Diels. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906). Default reading. Published translation ↗ Paired original ↗
Translation: Public domain
Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

DK 24 B 3

Available translations: English · German

Ἀλκμαίων τῶν ἡμιόνων τοὺς μὲν ἄρρενας ἀγόνους παρὰ τὴν λεπτότητα τῆς θορῆς καὶ ψυχρότητα, τὰς δὲ θηλείας παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἀναχάσκειν τὰς μήτρας· οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸς εἴρηκε.

Alcmaeon says, that the barrenness of the male mules ariseth from the thinness of the genital sperm, that is, the seed is too chill; the female mules are barren, for their womb does not open its mouth (as he expresses it).

John Dowel; revised by William W. Goodwin · Plutarch’s Essays and Miscellanies, vol. III (1911), Opinions of Philosophers V.14

How this fragment survives

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading.

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading in the reviewed records. The linked edition remains available below.

Original-text edition
Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 104; historical ancient running text.
Open the historical edition ↗

Notes & source

The complete Alcmaeon notice is taken from the published translation; later opinions of other philosophers are excluded

All existing modern-language translation text is preserved. The same quoted ancient passage remains paired.

Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 104; historical ancient running text. View original source ↗

English: John Dowel; revised by William W. Goodwin · Plutarch’s Essays and Miscellanies, vol. III (1911), Opinions of Philosophers V.14 Published translation ↗

Source pages: 1

Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

Available translations & credits

English · John Dowel; revised by William W. Goodwin. Plutarch’s Essays and Miscellanies, vol. III (1911), Opinions of Philosophers V.14. Default reading. Published translation ↗ Paired original ↗
Source pages: 1
Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.
German · Hermann Diels. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906). Published translation ↗ Paired original ↗
Translation: Public domain
Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

DK 24 B 4

Available translations: English · German

Ἀλκμαίων τῆς μὲν ὑγιείας εἶναι συνεκτικὴν τὴν ἰσονομίαν τῶν δυνάμεων, ὑγροῦ, ξηροῦ, ψυχροῦ, θερμοῦ, πικροῦ, γλυκέος καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν, τὴν δ’ ἐν αὐτοῖς μοναρχίαν νόσου ποιητικήν· φθοροποιὸν γὰρ ἑκατέρου μοναρχίαν. … τὴν δὲ ὑγείαν τὴν σύμμετρον τῶν ποιῶν κρᾶσιν.

Alcmaeon says that the preserver of health is an equal proportion of the qualities of heat, moisture, cold, dryness, bitterness, sweetness, and the other qualities; on the contrary, the prevailing empire of one above the rest is the cause of diseases and author of destruction. … But health is the harmonious commixture of the elements.

John Dowel; revised by William W. Goodwin · Plutarch’s Essays and Miscellanies, vol. III (1911), Opinions of Philosophers V.30

How this fragment survives

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading.

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading in the reviewed records. The linked edition remains available below.

Original-text edition
Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 104; historical ancient running text.
Open the historical edition ↗

Notes & source

The displayed English and Greek give the opening statement and concluding definition of health. The intervening aetiological detail is omitted from both here and is not reproduced with this reading. The published pseudo-Plutarchan translation does not cover all of the composite Aëtian text

All existing modern-language translation text is preserved. The same quoted ancient passage remains paired.

In the longer German option, Diels 1906 has σίτων where the prior Greek had τροφῆς. Both mean food here and agree with the existing German Speise. The English option omits this sentence, as before.

Additional source context is not reproduced here because its complete text has not been checked against the cited historical edition. The paired ancient text and historical translation are retained.

Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 104; historical ancient running text. View original source ↗

English: John Dowel; revised by William W. Goodwin · Plutarch’s Essays and Miscellanies, vol. III (1911), Opinions of Philosophers V.30 Published translation ↗

Source pages: 1

Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

Available translations & credits

English · John Dowel; revised by William W. Goodwin. Plutarch’s Essays and Miscellanies, vol. III (1911), Opinions of Philosophers V.30. Default reading. Published translation ↗ Paired original ↗
Source pages: 1
Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.
German · Hermann Diels. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906). Published translation ↗ Paired original ↗
Translation: Public domain
Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

DK 24 B 5

Available translations: German

ἐχθρὸν ἄνδρα ῥᾶιον φυλάξασθαι ἢ φίλον.

Vor einem Feinde sich zu schützen ist leichter als vor einem Freunde.

German · Hermann Diels · Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906)

How this fragment survives

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading.

A source citation has not yet been identified for this reading in the reviewed records. The linked edition remains available below.

Original-text edition
Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 104; historical ancient running text.
Open the historical edition ↗

Notes & source

Greek: the quotation identified as Alcmaeon’s within Clement’s report. The source’s surrounding comparison with Sophocles is omitted. Attribution of this saying to the medical thinker has been questioned

All existing modern-language translation text is preserved. The same quoted ancient passage remains paired.

Hermann Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2nd edition, volume I (1906), pp. 104; historical ancient running text. View original source ↗

Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

German wording transcribed and checked against the printed 1906 edition, p. 104; line-end hyphenation and page breaks are joined. The matching original identifies the portion translated. Consult the cited edition for surrounding source context

German · Hermann Diels · Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906) Published translation ↗

Public domain

Available translations & credits

German · Hermann Diels. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 2. Auflage, Band I (1906). Default reading. Published translation ↗ Paired original ↗
Translation: Public domain
Original edition: Historical original edition: public domain under the recorded term review.

Alcmaeon

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