this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2026
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Reading a history book it mentioned a poet called Lucretieus in the 1st century, that wrote about the nature of matter and nailed it, ascribing atoms as the basic blocks of matter, and all reactions like fires just different changes to the combinations of those atoms. I heard there were greeks that figured that well before as I presume this guy is one.
Democritus studied under Leucippus, history is conflicted as to which of the two invented the concept but he was potentially the first (and if not certainly most influential) to carry the idea of atomos.
Wow 5th century bc, I had to learned this before but never committed it to memory. It's amazing what the Greeks figured out, the Romans were fucking Savages in comparison, but the infighting amongst the Greeks ruined to them.