Editing Classical element (section)

==== Fire, earth, air, and water ====
{{Main|Empedocles#Philosophy}}
The [[Magna Graecia|Greek]] philosopher [[Empedocles]] ({{circa|450 BC}}) was the first to propose the four classical elements as a set: fire, earth, air, and water.{{sfnp|Russell|1991|pp=62, 75}} He called them the four "roots" ({{lang|grc|ῥιζώματα}}, {{transliteration|grc|rhizōmata}}). Empedocles also proved (at least to his own satisfaction) that air was a separate substance by observing that a bucket inverted in water did not become filled with water, a pocket of air remaining trapped inside.{{sfnp|Russell|1991|p=72}}

Fire, earth, air, and water have become the most popular set of classical elements in modern interpretations. One such version was provided by [[Robert Boyle]] in ''[[The Sceptical Chymist]]'', which was published in 1661 in the form of a dialogue between five characters. ''Themistius,'' the [[Aristotelianism|Aristotelian]] of the party, says:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Boyle |first=Robert |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22914/22914-h/22914-h.htm |title=The Sceptical Chymist: or Chymico-Physical Doubts & Paradoxes, Touching the Spagyrist's Principles Commonly call'd Hypostatical; As they are wont to be Propos'd and Defended by the Generality of Alchymists. Whereunto is præmis'd Part of another Discourse relating to the same Subject |publisher=Printed by J. Cadwell for J. Crooke |year=1661 |pages=21–22}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=If You but consider a piece of green-Wood burning in a Chimney, You will readily discern in the disbanded parts of it the four Elements, of which we teach It and other mixt bodies to be compos'd. The fire discovers it self in the flame ... the smoke by ascending to the top of the chimney, and there readily vanishing into air ... manifests to what Element it belongs and gladly returnes. The water ... boyling and hissing at the ends of the burning Wood betrayes it self ... and the ashes by their weight, their firiness, and their dryness, put it past doubt that they belong to the Element of Earth.}}