Book 9
Chapter 1. HERACLITUS
1.1
Heraclitus, son of Bloson or, according to some, of Heracon, was a native of Ephesus. He flourished in the 69th Olympiad.504-500 b.c. He was lofty-minded beyond all other men,The biographers used by our author laid evident stress on this characteristic of the Ephesian, for §§ 1-3 (excepting two fragments cited in § 2) dwell on this single theme. As to the criticism of Pythagoras cf. Clem. Alex. Strom. i. 129 s.f., who, dealing with chronology, says that Heraclitus was later than Pythagoras, for Pythagoras is mentioned by him. and over-weening, as is clear from his book in which he says: Much learning does not teach understanding; else would it have taught Hesiod and Pythagoras, or, again, Xenophanes and Hecataeus.Fr. 40 D., 16 B. For this one thing is wisdom, to understand thought, as that which guides all the world everywhere.Fr. 41 D., 19 B. And he used to say that Homer deserved to be chased out of the lists and beaten with rods, and Archilochus likewise.Fr. 42 D., 119 B.
1.2
Again he would say: There is more need to extinguish insolence than an outbreak of fire,Fr. 43 D., 103 B. and The people must fight for the law as for citywalls.Fr. 44 D., 100 B. He attacks the Ephesians, too, for banishing his friend Hermodorus: he says: The Ephesians would do well to end their lives, every grown man of them, and leave the city to beardless boys, for that they have driven out Hermodorus, the worthiest man among them, saying, We will have none who is worthiest among us; or if there be any such, let him go elsewhere and consort with others.Fr. 121 D., 114 B. And when he was requested by them to make laws, he scorned the request because the state was already in the grip of a bad constitution.
1.3
He would retire to the temple of Artemis and play at knuckle-bones with the boys; and when the Ephesians stood round him and looked on, Why, you rascals, he said, are you astonished? Is it not better to do this than to take part in your civil life?
