Empedocles’ Four Elements (Roots) Empedocles (490-430 B.C) was a Greek philosopher, scientist and healer who lived in Sicily in the fifth century B.C.  Empedocles introduced the idea that everything was made up of four  basic things that he called “roots.” Plato (428-347 B.C.) may have been the first to refer to Empedocles’ roots as elements. […]