Nebeská sféra v Parmenidově kosmologii

The influence of Parmenides’ thinking is to be seen especially in the field of ontology. This is not so much the case in the field of cosmology, although its concomitant could be the concept of the celestial sphere, which for Aristotle enclosed the universe in the form of a sphere of fixed stars. In Parmenides, we encounter a solid part that surrounded the “wreaths” forming the structure of the universe. Although we are not informed about its nature and shape, elsewhere in Parmenides’ thought the shape of a sphere, in addition to the circular form, does appear. This is primarily connected with true being, which could mean “heaven” in the cosmological sense. Analogously, the spherical shape of the Earth, balanced in the middle of the universe, was related to it. We can also identify in pre-Socratic cosmologies a development that was based on a new concept of space and corresponded to the introduction of the spherical shape of heaven and Earth in the 5th century B.C.E. It can therefore be assumed that it was Parmenides who introduced the concept of the celestial sphere into ancient cosmology.