Democritus (AyfrixptTos) was a native of Abdera, in Thrace. His 

 birth was fixed by Appolodorus 460 years before Christ. He spent a 

 great inheritance in traveling over the world, to satisfy his extraor- 

 dinary thirst for knowledge. He visited all the distinguished men of 

 science of the times, and his wealth enabled him to purchase the 

 works they had written. His investigations embraced all departments 

 of human knowledge, especially such as related to natural history. He 

 excelled, in the extent of his knowledge, all the earlier Greek philoso- 

 phers, among whom Leucippus, the founder of the atomic theory, is 

 said to have had the greatest influence upon his philosophical studies. 

 It is said that he was on terms of friendship with Hippocrates, and 

 some writers even speak of a correspondence between Democritus and 

 Hippocrates. He was a contemporary of Plato, and may have been 

 acquainted with Socrates, and Plato also, although Plato does not 

 mention him. Aristotle describes him and his views as belonging to 

 the ante-Socratic period; but modern scholars, such as the learned 

 Dutchman, Groen van Prinsterer, assert, that there are symptoms in 

 Plato which show a connection with Democritus ; and the same 

 scholar pretends to discover in Plato's language and style an imita- 

 tion of Democritus. (Persop. Plat. p. 42.) Many anecclotes about 

 Democritus are preserved, especially in Diogenes Laertius, showing 

 that he was a man of the most sterling and honorable character. His 

 diligence was incredible: he lived exclusively for his studies, and his 

 disinterestedness, modesty, and simplicity are attested by many fea- 

 tures which are related of him. Notwithstanding his great property, 

 he seems to have died in poverty, though highly esteemed by his 

 fellow-citizens, not so much on account of his philosophy as because, 

 as Diogenes says, "he had foretold them some things which the event 

 proved to be true." This had probably reference to his knowledge of 

 natural phenomena. His fellow-citizens honored him with presents 

 in money and bronze statues. Even the scoffer Timon, who, in all 

 his silli, spared no one, speaks of Democritus only in praise. He 

 died at an advanced age, (some say that he was 109 years old,) and 

 even the manner in which he died is characteristic of his medical 

 knowledge, which, combined as it was with his knowledge of nature, 

 caused a report, which some persons believed, that he was a sorcerer 

 and a magician. (Plin. H. N., xxiv. 17, xxx. 1.) His death is placed 

 in 01. 105.4, or B.C. 357, in which year Hippocrates also is said to 

 have died. (Clinton, F. H., ad ann. 357.) There was a tradition that 

 he had deprived himself of his sight to be less disturbed in his pur- 

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