Creation Read Online Free Page B

nature of the universe.”
    I leave to Democritus the recording of the serious discussion that followed. I note that Callias was predictable; he believes in all the gods, he says. How else was he able to win three times the chariot race at Olympia? But then, he is torchbearer of the mysteries of Demeter at Eleusis.
    Elpinice was skeptical. She likes evidence. That means a well-made argument. For Greeks, the only evidence that matters is words. They are masters of making the fantastic sound plausible.
    As always, Anaxagoras was modest; he speaks as one “who is simply curious.” Although that stone which fell from the sky proved his theory about the nature of the sun, he is more than ever modest, since “there is so much else to know.”
    Democritus asked him about those famous things of his: the things that are everywhere all the time and cannot to be seen.
    “Nothing,” Anaxagoras said, after his third cup of Elpinice’s highly deluted wine, “is either generated or destroyed. It is simply mixed and separated from existing things.”
    “But surely,” I said, “nothing is no thing and so has no existence at all.”
    “The word nothing will not do? Then let us try everything. Think of everything as an infinite number of small seeds that contain everything that there is. Therefore, everything is in everything else.”
    “This is a lot harder to believe than the passion of holy Demeter after her daughter went down into Hades,” said Callias, “taking the spring and the summer with her, an observable fact.” Callias then muttered a prayer, as befitted a high priest of the Eleusinian mysteries.
    “I made no comparison, Callias.” Anaxagoras is always tactful. “But you will admit that a bowl of lentils has no hair in it.”
    “At least we hope not,” said Elpinice.
    “Or fingernail parings? Or bits of bone?”
    “I agree with my wife. I mean, I hope that none of these things gets mixed in with the lentils.”
    “Good. So do I. We also agree that no matter how closely you observe a lentil bean, it does not contain anything but bean. That is, there are no human hairs in it or bones or blood or skin.”
    “Certainly not. Personally, I don’t like beans of any kind.”
    “That’s because Callias is really a Pythagorean,” said Elpinice. Pythagoras forbade members of his sect to eat beans because they contain transmigrating human souls. This is an Indian notion that somehow got taken up by Pythagoras.
    “No, because I am really a victim of flatulence.” Callias thought this amusing.
    Anaxagoras made his point. “On a diet of nothing but lentils and invisible water, a man will grow hair, nails, bone, sinew, blood. Therefore, all the constituents of a human body are somehow present in the bean.”
    Democritus will record for himself but not for me the rest of our dinner party, which was pleasant and instructive.
    Callias and Elpinice left first. Then Anaxagoras came over to my couch and said, “I may not be able to visit you for some time. I know you will understand.”
    “Medism?” This is what Athenians call those Greeks who favor the Persians and their brother-race the Medes.
    “Yes.”
    I was more exasperated than alarmed. “These people are not sane on that subject. If the Great King didn’t want peace, I wouldn’t be ambassador at Athens. I would be military governor.” This was unwise—the wine’s effect.
    “Pericles is popular. I am his friend. I also come from a city that was once subject to the Great King. So, sooner or later, I shall be charged with medism. For Pericles’ sake, I hope it is later.” As a very young man Anaxagoras fought at Marathon on our side. Neither of us has ever alluded to this episode in his life. Unlike me, he has no interest at all in politics. Therefore, he is bound to be used by the conservatives as a means of striking at General Pericles.
    “Let us hope that you are never charged,” I said. “If they find you guilty, they’ll put you to