Anaxagoras

(Anaxagoras) (ca. 500 BC, Klazomenai, now-Peters. Turkey - 428 BC, Lampsak, now on territory. Turkey)
Formulated questions of mathematics and astronomy. Nearly thirty years had lived in Athens and was the actual founder of the Athenian school of philosophy. At the end of the 430-ies. was accused of impiety and emigrated; the last years of his life (from 434-433 BC) held in Lampsak. From the works of A. reached us 20 fragments.
Attitudes And. formed under the influence of Milesian school (primarily - Anaximenes) and the teachings of Being Parmenides. His teachings And. formulated in the form of cosmogonic hypothesis that the initial state of the world was a fixed formless mixture of innumerable tiny particles sensually not perceive various substances. At some point in time and in some region of space, this mixture has become a rapid rotary motion, communicated to her by some external to her agent - mind (nusom). Space storm, gradually slowing down, in the future is perceived as the rotation of the sky. Under the influence of speed is separation of the dark, cold and humid air, intending in the middle of the vortex, from bright, hot and dry Ether, rushes to the periphery. The figures in the movement of particles tend to connect with their own kind, forming a more or less homogeneous mass of matter. However, complete separation of these masses can not happen, because "all have a part of all," each the same thing it seems that it dominates. During these transformations the total amount of any kind of matter remains unchanged. These principles are expected to apply not only to the particles qualitatively homogeneous substances (received in the Peripatetic school name gomeomery), but also the contrasts of warm and cold, light and dark, dry and wet.
A. was the first scientist who gave the correct explanation of solar and lunar eclipses, and the first who presented the clear teaching of the phases of the moon. He was interested in natural astrology, ie. cyclic natural phenomena coupled with rhythmic movements of celestial bodies. Anticipating modern science more than 2000 years,. taught that the stars are composed of the same material as our earth and the sun is blazing mass, that the moon - dark mans body which receives its light from the sun, and comets - the wandering stars or bodies.
Antique writer III in. Diogenes Laertsy reported that A. predicted the fall of stones from the sky. On telling him that once, when he came to Olympia, he sat down at the stadium in a leather coat, as if it had to go the rain - as happened. According to Philostratus, A. predicted that a certain house will collapse, and not mistaken. When asked why he was born into the light, A. replied: "For the sake of contemplation of the sun, moon and the sky".
A name. named crater near the north pole of the moon and the minor planet number 4180.