The Four Elements


The ancients believed that everything (matter) was made up of combinations of four parts or elements. Those four were fire, air, earth, and water. As an example, the ancients might have said that gold contained 2 parts fire, 1 part earth, and 1 part water. What parts they considered gold to be made of we do not know, but they did believe that everything was made out of four parts. These four elements were life giving to humans, so no wonder they believed in them so heavily. Fire allowed them to cook their food, air allowed them to breathe, earth allowed them to grow their crops, and water quenched their thirst. These forces were so strong that they had no reason to believe that there were other explanations.


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