An Alleged Originator of the Theory of Atoms

MOCHUS OF SIDON, the alleged precursor of Demokritus, is not so unknown to historians of science as Prof. See seems to think (February 13, p. 345), nor is Strabo the only ancient writer who alludes to him; see, for instance, Josphus, “Antiquities,” 1, 3, 9. But nobody takes him seriously. The book of Mochus is one of the numerous literary forgeries which appeared in Alexandrian times. So far as I can find, it is not mentioned by any of the doxographic writers, so it is probably not much older than the time of Posidonius.