The Ionian philosopher Heraclitus, who flourished around 500 B.C., was even in ancient times known for his obscurity and elusiveness. His well-deserved nickname was “The Obscure,” due to the fact that his elliptical sayings could be variously interpreted. Yet this was no impediment to his influence; his renown was considerable, and his fame rested on the strength of one book, On Nature. Time has not preserved it for us intact, but we do have about a hundred short fragments, and these provides us with the rudiments of his thought.
