Democritus was a Greek philosopher of the new Eleatic school. He was born between 470 and 460 BC at Abdera and died in 370 BC. He travelled to Egypt, where he studied geometry, and probably visited other countries, to extend his knowledge of nature. Among the Greek philosophers he enjoyed the instruction of Leuoippus. He afterwards returned to his native city, where he was placed at the head of public affairs. Indignant at the follies of the Abderites, he resigned his office and retired to solitude, to devote himself exclusively to philosophical studies. According to later biographers he was called 'the laughing philosopher,' from his habit of laughing at the follies of mankind.
In his system he developed still further the mechanical or atomical theory of his master Leucippus. Thus he explained the origin of the world by the eternal motion of an infinite number of invisible and indivisible bodies or atoms, which differ from one another in form, position, and arrangement, and which have a primary motion, which brings them into contact, and forms innumerable combinations, the result of which is seen in the productions and phenomena of nature.
In this way the universe was formed, fortuitously, without the interposition of a First Cause. The eternal existence of atoms (of matter in general) he inferred from the consideration that time could be conceived only as eternal and without beginning. He applied his atomical theory, also, to natural philosophy and astronomy. Even the gods he considered to have arisen from atoms, and to be perishable like the rest of things existing. In his ethical philosophy Democritus considered the acquisition of peace of mind as the highest aim of existence. He is said to have written a great deal; but nothing has come to us except a few fragments. Research Democritus
Abderus was a son of Hermes and friend of Hercules. Hercules, loved Abderus and made him his armour-bearer. Hercules left Abderus to look after the man-eating mares of Diomedes, which ate him. Hercules founded the city of Abdera in Thrace in honour and memory of his friend Abderus. Research Abderus
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