Editing Water (classical element) (section)

==Greek and Roman tradition==
Water was one of many  ''archai'' proposed by the Pre-socratics, most of whom tried to reduce all things to a single substance. However, [[Empedocles]] of Acragas (c. 495 – c. 435 BC) selected four archai for his four roots: air, fire, water and earth. Empedocles roots became the four classical elements of Greek philosophy. [[Plato]] (427–347 BC) took over the four elements of Empedocles. In the [[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]], his major cosmological dialogue, the [[Platonic solid]] associated with water is the [[icosahedron]] which is formed from twenty equilateral triangles. This makes water the element with the greatest number of sides, which Plato regarded as appropriate because water flows out of one's hand when picked up, as if it is made of tiny little balls.<ref>Plato, ''Timaeus'', chap. 22–23; [[Gregory Vlastos]], ''Plato’s Universe'', pp. 66–82.</ref>

Plato's student [[Aristotle]] (384–322 BC) developed a different explanation for the elements based on pairs of qualities. The four elements were arranged concentrically around the center of the [[Universe]] to form the [[sublunary sphere]].  According to Aristotle, water is both cold and wet and occupies a place between air and earth among the elemental spheres.<ref>[[G. E. R. Lloyd]], ''Aristotle'', chapters 7–8.</ref>

[[File:water symbol (alchemical).svg|thumb|upright|[[Alchemical symbol]] for water]]

In [[Medicine in ancient Greece|ancient Greek medicine]], each of the [[four humours]] became associated with an element. [[Phlegm]] was the humor identified with water, since both were cold and wet. Other things associated with water and phlegm in ancient and [[Medieval medicine of Western Europe|medieval medicine]] included the season of Winter, since it increased the qualities of cold and moisture, the phlegmatic temperament, the [[Femininity|feminine]] and the [[west]]ern point of the compass.

In [[alchemy]], the [[chemical element]] of [[mercury (element)|mercury]] was often associated with water and its [[alchemical symbol]] was a downward-pointing triangle.