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The Greeks used a system of “classical elements” to explain life events, with earth, air, water, fire, and ether. These elements were associated with specific traits and tied to the four humors of health. The system survived in modern culture, including in tarot, astrology, and traditional Chinese medicine. The Greeks believed that disturbances in the balance of the elements caused earthquakes and health problems, and correcting an imbalance was critical to well-being.
The Greeks, along with many other cultures, used an elementary system to explain the nature of life, attributing life events to various fluctuations of “elementary” forces such as wind or fire. Many people refer to the elements of the Greek tradition as the “classical elements”, to differentiate them from the elements of the periodic table. Classical Greek elements date back thousands of years, long before famous philosophers like Plato, and the concept lasted until the Renaissance, when people began to develop a deeper understanding of the natural world.
A version of the classical elements manifests itself in many human societies and, in a sense, the elemental systems survive even in modern culture. Tarot and astrology, for example, both integrate elements, and traditional Chinese medicine also places a lot of importance on the elements. Pagan religions such as Wicca also integrate a version of classical Greek elements into their structure.
According to the Greeks, there were four main elements, earth, air, water and fire, accompanied by a fifth element, ether. The first four classical Greek elements were very temporal in nature, while aether was less connected to the Earth and was considered to be more spiritual in nature. Stars, for example, were believed to be composed of aether, as the Greeks believed that aether does not change or fluctuate over time, unlike the other elements.
Each element was associated with specific traits, such as cold and wet for water and hot and dry for fire. The Classical Greek element system tied in with the idea of the four humors of health, with each “humor” assigned to a specific element. The four humors were integrated into medical practice until the 19th century and, like the classical Greek elements, survive in modern society. Words like “bilious” and “phlegmatic,” for example, are used to describe people with specific temperaments, referring to bile and phlegm, two of the four humors.
Using the classical Greek elements, people tried to explain the nature of the world around them. Many people believed that the elements worked in a way that promoted balance and that disturbances in this balance were the root cause of things like earthquakes and health problems. Correcting an elemental imbalance was considered critical to well-being, and the elements were so intertwined with everything from the seasons to fortune-telling that many people were very familiar with the elements and their characteristics.
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