Earth, Air, Water and Fire - Views of the Ancient Greeks

Earth, air, water and fire - ancient Greeks believed everything was made from them. Then ... Democritus (c. 460 BC – c. 370 BC), expanding on the work of his teacher (Leucippus), suggested that the elements were made from smaller, constantly-in-motion particles which he called ... atoms.

When Aristotle disagreed with this view, the idea of atomic particles was not pursued for another 2,000 years.

This video, a clip from an old Disney production called Our Friend the Atom, explains Democritus' thinking (and how his approach, and that of Aristotle, differed).

Begin the clip at 8:07 for the relevant section on earth, air, water and fire.