Anaxagoras Stoicus: Mind, Matter, and Cosmos

This paper examines Anaxagoras’ influence on Stoic cosmology and physics. In particular, it emphasizes the importance of the Anaxagorean notion of Mind (Nous) for the early Stoics, who make significant changes and adjustments to it as they integrate it into their philosophical system. In addition, it further analyzes Anaxagoras’ contributions to the Stoic development of the notion of continuity and infinite divisibility of matter. Despite the obvious differences, both theoretical and lexical affinities show that the early Stoics were well aware of Anaxagoras’ book On Nature and were influenced by him perhaps no less than they were by Heraclitus.