Leucippus and democritus' theory

(fl. Greece, fifth century B.C.),

Philosophy.

The first of the Greek atomists, Leucippus was probably the founder of the school of Abdera, whose most famous exponent was Democritus. Although at the end of the fourth century B.C. Epicurus denied that there had ever been any such person as Leucippus, the evidence of Aristotle is sufficient to establish that he existed and that he was earlier in date than Democritus. Aristotle treated his theories as providing a logical alternative to those of Parmenides, and a later tradition actually made him a pupil of Zeno, of the school of Parmenides. This, taken with the late chronology for Democritus, has led some scholars to date Leucippus’ activity as late as 430 B.C. But neither the chronology of Democritus nor the relationship of Leuippus to Parmenides is in any way certain. Leucippus probably came from Miletus in Ionia and may have brought knowledge of the physical theories of the Ionians with him to Abdera in Thrace, eith Account summary page!