Fragment 66
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Commentary
[ Hide commentary ]Many early scholars interpret this fragment to mean that eventually all things will be consumed by fire, a doctrine called ecpyrosis. The Stoics held this view, and in antiquity many commentators on Heraclitus ascribed the same view to him. Hippolytus (the source for this fragment) saw it as a reference to divine judgement in the fire of hell. Later in this passage, Hippolytus claims that Heraclitus believed in ecpyrosis. Many modern commentators, though, do not think that Heraclitus actually held this view.
Many commentators connect the "thunderbolt" with Zeus (since Zeus was believed to hurl thunderbolts), with fire (for lightning and fire are similar), and with the λόγος (according to which all things come into being). These three concepts seem to be somewhat synonomous in Heraclitus.
Hippolytus (the source for the fragment) comments: "by the thunderbolt, he means the eternal fire" (Barnes 104).
Fragments 64, 65, 66, and 67 all come from the same passage of Hippolytus.