Editing Democritus (section)

==Legacy==
[[File:Greece donates Democritus Bust (01613420) (50691165646).jpg|thumb|2020 bust of Democritus presented to the [[International Atomic Energy Agency]] by [[Greece]]]]
===Classical antiquity===
Diogenes Laertius claims that Plato disliked Democritus so much that he wished to have all of his [[Book burning|books burned]].{{efn|[[Diogenes Laërtius]], ''[[Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers]]'', ix. 40: "[[Aristoxenus]] in his ''Historical Notes'' affirms that Plato wished to burn all the writings of Democritus that he could collect."}} He was nevertheless well known to his fellow northern-born philosopher [[Aristotle]], and was the teacher of [[Protagoras]].{{efn|[[Diogenes Laertius]], ''Lives of Eminent Philosophers'' Book IX, Chapter 8, Section 50.}} The importance which was attached to the researches of Democritus is evident from the fact, that Aristotle is reported to have written a work in two books on the problems of Democritus.<ref>D. L. 5.26.</ref> His works were composed in the Ionic dialect, though not without some admixture of the local peculiarities of Abdera. <ref>(Philopon. in Aristot. de gener. et corrupt. fol. 7, a.; Simplic. ad Aristot. de Coelo, fol. 150, a.; Suid. s. v. ρνσμός.)</ref> They are nevertheless much praised by Cicero on account of the poetical beauties and the liveliness of their style, and are in this respect compared even with the works of Plato. <ref>(Groen van Prinsterer, l.c.; Cic. de Div. 2.64, de Orat. 1.11, Orat. 20; Dionys. de Compos. verb. 24; Plut. Sympos. 5.7, p. 683.)</ref> [[Pyrrho]] is said to have imitated his style,<ref>(Euseb. Praep. Evang. 14.6)</ref> and even Timon praises it, and calls it περίφρονα καὶ ἀμφίνοον λέσχην. <ref>(D. L. 9.40.)</ref><ref>{{cite DGRBM|title=Democritus|url = https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Ddemocritus-bio-2}}</ref><!--- Epicurus badly needs to be added --->

===Renaissance and early Modern Period===
Democritus is evoked by English writer [[Samuel Johnson]] in his poem, ''[[The Vanity of Human Wishes]]'' (1749), ll. 49–68, and summoned to "arise on earth, /With chearful wisdom and instructive mirth, /See motley life in modern trappings dress'd, /And feed with varied fools th'eternal jest." 

===Modern atomism===
The theory of the atomists appears to be more nearly aligned with that of modern science than any other theory of antiquity. However, the similarity with modern concepts of science can be confusing when trying to understand where the hypothesis came from. Classical atomists could not have had an empirical basis for modern concepts of atoms and molecules. The Democritean atom is an inert solid that excludes other bodies from its volume and interacts with other atoms mechanically. Quantum-mechanical [[atom]]s are similar in that their motion can be described by [[mechanics]] in addition to their electric, magnetic and quantum interactions. They are different in that they can be split into protons, neutrons, and electrons. The [[elementary particle]]s are similar to Democritean atoms in that they are indivisible but their [[collision]]s are governed purely by [[quantum physics]]. [[Fermion]]s observe the [[Pauli exclusion principle]], which is similar to the Democritean principle that atoms exclude other bodies from their volume. However, [[boson]]s do not, with the prime example being the elementary particle [[photon]].