Classical Elements
Classical elements refer to the four fundamental substances—air, earth, fire, and water—believed by ancient Greek philosophers to compose everything in the universe. This concept was first proposed by Empedocles in the fifth century B.C., who suggested that these elements were the foundational components of all matter, with different proportions shaping the characteristics of various entities. Aristotle later refined this idea, introducing a fifth element, aether, which was thought to make up the heavens and represented a perfect, unchanging substance.