Heraclitus, 22 B 14 DK

Abstract

Abstract The article presents a reconstruction of Heraclitus’ saying in DK 22 B 14, which is generally thought to be two discontinuous statements (B 14a and B 14b), inorganically linked by a commentary by Clement of Alexandria. Although this sentence of Clement’s is almost unanimously rejected as a Christian misinterpretation of the pagan mysteries, the author of the article attempts to demonstrate that the core of the sentence does come almost certainly from Heraclitus. All that Clement did was to change the meaning of the sentence by changing the subjects for the objects. This new reading of the fragment makes it possible to link the two parts of the saying in a meaningful way, and at the same time to shed light on what were probably Heraclitus’ main criticisms of the initiates of the four different mysteries and the initiatory cults (B 14a). This is supported by a detailed historical and religious analysis of the probable meaning of the different designations for the initiates and the possible interconnections between them.