The Four Elements of Antiquity: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water The Four Elements
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  From deep in antiquity, four elements were thought to be the building blocks of the physical universe. In other cultures, the elements varied by number and detail, but in Greece, and later for the alchemists of western culture, the elements were earth, air, fire, and water. The earliest historical reference associates these elements with a Greek philosopher named Empedocles of Akragas (Agrigentum), Sicily, circa 490 to 430 BCE. It is uncertain if he originated this idea. His original writings have been lost. Our only knowledge of this comes from later writers who referred to his works.

Though earth, air, fire, and water are common enough, they are hardly everywhere. And they are hardly the elements used by modern chemistry. But what if these elements were merely symbols for something more profound? What if the ancients who first used these symbols had something more sophisticated in mind?

Taken literally, it would seem ludicrous to consider living things as a mixture of these four elements: the "earth" that gives our bodies physical form, the "water" that makes the basis of our blood, the "air" that is the breath of life, and the "fire" that gives us the energy to remain animated. These are quaint and somewhat childish ideas in light of our modern science.

If something more profound was intended, then what could have been the real meaning behind these symbols? Let us examine each of these elements more carefully.

EARTH
Rock, sand, soil, and the living things that grow from the ground — each has some aspect of "earth" in it. But let us take a step back and look at the symbolic meaning of "earth." Compared to the other elements, "earth" represents solidity — physical things you can pick up, grasp, or touch.

AIR
The wind has substance, but far less than solid objects. More to the point, air takes up space. Its lack of solidity allows for free movement within it — the clouds, birds, and everything on the surface of the earth.

FIRE
Flame has the power to change things — to cook meat, to convert wood into air (or smoke), and to boil water (making steam, also air). Fire gives off light and heat, and yet it is ephemeral. Like air, it has no solidity. What sets it apart is the energy it gives off.

WATER
Liquid water comes to us in many ways — as rain, falling from the sky, then trickling down the face of any solid object, and flowing into streams and rivers toward lakes and the ocean. While in its liquid form, the most powerful image of this element is that of its incessant flow.

THE MEANING BEHIND THE SYMBOLS
When taken literally, these four elements would not get you very far in chemistry class. Symbolically, though, these elements may represent properties of our universe that scientists use every day.

What if "Earth" were to represent matter or mass? "Air" could easily represent the width, breadth, and depth of space. For "fire" to represent energy is an easy connection to make. Then "water" could represent the perpetual flow of time, and the unending cycle of change. The true meaning behind the four elements of the ancients could be simply the building blocks of modern science: matter, space, energy, and time.
    The Four Elements of Today: Matter, Space, Energy, and Time