Compare and contrast the metaphysics of heraclitus and parmenides?

Answer 1

Heraclitus of Efez maintained that everything is constantly changing and becoming something else. Known by the statements "everything flows" (πάντα ῥεῖ - panta rhei), now the most frequently quoted "Thou shall not step into the same river twice." (because water and you will be someone else) or more complex version "We are and we are not, entering and not entering the same water."

Parmenides of Elea maintained that everything is constantly staying the same, because if there is one element (Heraclitus thought that this is fire), it is not possible that it could turn into something, keeping the same.

Many philosophers of ancient greek were trying to solve the problem, for example Empedokles came with the theory of four elements, which are mixing together such us colours are, and Demokritos and his Atomists thought that everything is made out of "unseen", "indestructible" and "everlasting" corpuscles, of which there are many types piling up together into things - they called those atoms and solved the problems of natural philosophy (philosophy trying to find out what is the nature made out of) with them.