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Aristotle's Theory of the Formation of Metals and Minerals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

D. E. Eichholz
D. E. Eichholz
Affiliation:
University of Bristol
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Extract

The Twofold Exhalation. Aristotle explains in Book I of the Meteorologica (341b6 ff.) that the heat of the sun causes the earth to give off an exhalation (ναθνμασις), which is of two kinds. One kind, derived from the moisture within the earth and on its surface, is a moist vapour (cf. De Sensu 443a26–7), ‘potentially like water’ (340b28–9); the other, which comes from the earth itself, is hot, dry, and smoky, highly combustible ‘like a fuel’ (οἷον ὑπκκανμα 341b18–19), ‘the most inflammable of substances’ (341b16–17), ‘potentially like fire’ (340b29), and compounded of Air and Earth (De Sensu 443a21–2, 27–8).

Type
Research Article
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 43 , Issue 3-4 , July 1949 , pp. 141 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1949

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References

page 141 note 1 Aristotle speaks sometimes of a twofold exhalation, sometimes of two exhalations.

page 141 note 2 This is E. W. Webster's rendering of the term in the Oxford translation and is convenient, however archaic. The distinction between ‘things dug’ τ ρνκτ and ‘things mined’ (τ μεταλλενμενα) seems at first sight arbitrary. Aristotle merely uses the two terms as labels for distinguishing two groups of natural substances. They do not imply a subtle difference between digging and mining as such.

page 141 note 3 The text is that of F. H Fobes, Cambridge, Mass., 1919.

page 141 note 4 Book IV of the Meteorologica expounds the formation and properties of homogeneous substances in general and contains several references to metals and stones which are of value. Where there is no further indication, the references in in this paper are to the Meteorologica.

page 142 note 1 It has often been pointed out that this theory of a common origin of all metals encouraged the alchemists in their efforts to transmute base metals into gold. There is no reason to suppose that such a possibility ever occurred to Aristotle.

page 142 note 2 Comm. in Meteor, ed. Hayduck, , p. 177, 27–33Google Scholar.

page 142 note 3 358a21–2, μεμιγμνης δ' οὓσης, ὣσπερ εἴπομεν, τς τε τμιᾃδονς ναθνμισεως κα τς ξηρς.

page 142 note 4 Because the moist exhalation is potentially a kind of water.

page 143 note 1 Comm. in Meteor. ed. Stüve, , p. 270. 24–5Google Scholar.

page 143 note 2 Thus Alexander (op. cit., p. 177. 15–18) writes τ μν γρ αὐτν ρνκτ εἷναι, ἂ ποιεȋν τν ξηρν τε κα καπνᾃδη ναθυμασιν συνισταμνην, ὃταν πλεονσῃ. Olympiodorus is in substantial agreement (see below). The view was adopted, with modifications, by the Arabs (see Holmyard, E. J. and Mandeville, D. C., Avicennae de Congelatione et Conglutinatione Lapidum, p. 35Google Scholar, footnote), and is restated by Zabarella, Iacobus (De Rebus Naturaltbus, Cologne, 1594, De Naturalis Scientiae Constitutione, chap. 30, p. 85Google Scholarb). Both Zeller, (Aristotle and the Earlier Peripatetics, i, p. 515)Google Scholarand Ross, Aristotle, p. 111)Google Scholarappear to accept the tradition. Thus Ross:‘… These are divided into the metals, which are formed by the moist exhalation, and the “fossiles”, formed by the dry.’ ‘By’ is ambiguous, but the two processes are obviously supposed to be analogous, Capelle, W., who refers to the topic in his article ‘Meteorologie’ (P.W. Suppl. viGoogle Scholar, col. 341), unfortunately does not discuss it. J. L. Ideler in his edition of the Meteorologica allows Alexander and Olympiodorus to speak for Aristotle. Translators have sometimes come nearer to the truth than the commentators.

page 143 note 3 The text, as before, is that of F. H. Fobes.

page 144 note 1 Theophrastus, , De Lapidibus, § 9Google Scholar.

page 144 note 2 Thus Barthélemy Saint–Hilaire translates ἠ ον οὖν ξηρ ναθυμασις κτλ ‘L'exhalaison sèche, en brûlant les matières, produit tous les minéraux, etc’ Similarly E. W. Webster (Oxford translation) has ‘the heat of the dry exhalation is the cause of all “fossiles”’. But neither draws attention to the significance of his rendering.

page 144 note 3 Olympiodorus (op. cit., p. 269. 4) takes κπυρουȗσα as equivalent to κπυρουονη κα πεπυΦρυττομνη, i.e.the dry exhalation forms the ‘fossiles’ ‘by being burnt and parched’. This implies that the dry exhalation is the material cause of the ‘fossiles’ and is an obvious travesty of Aristotle's language. It is just possible, however, that Olympiodorus had not completely made up his mind as to the true solution. Compare an earlier remark of his, ὑπ μν γρ τς καπνᾃδους ναθυμισεως γνετται τ καλοᾁμενα ὑπ 'αριστοτλους 'Ορυκτ (op. cit., p. 266. 5–6), where ὑπ, strictly interpreted, must mean that the dry exhalation is the efficient cause.

page 144 note 4 Generally speaking, regular verbs in –ω are transitive.

page 145 note 1 Realgar, ochre, ruddle, and cinnabar. See Theophr, . De Lap., §§ 50, 51, 58Google Scholar.

page 146 note 1 Olympiodorus (op. cit., p. 314. 18 if.) does not commit himself.

page 146 note 2 Agricola, Geoigius, De Re Metallica, libri xii, Basle, 1657Google Scholar; De Ortu et Causis Subterraneorum, iii, p. 508. Agricola lived 1490–1555.