“Water is the change for soul, and death for water;
From water is earth, and what comes from earth is again water,
And from that, soul, which changes the whole ether;”
and Heraclitus, putting together the expressions from these lines, writes thus:
“It is death for souls to become water, and death for water to become earth; and from earth comes water, and from water soul.”
And Athamas the Pythagorean having said, “Thus was produced the beginning of the universe; and there are four roots—fire, water, air, earth: for from these is the origination of what is produced,”—Empedocles of Agrigentum wrote:
“The four roots of all things first do thou hear—
Fire, water, earth, and ether’s boundless height:
For of these all that was, is, shall be, comes.”
And Plato having said, “Wherefore also the gods, knowing men, release sooner from life those they value most,” Menander wrote: