Chapter IX.—Parmenides; His Theory of “Unity;” His Eschatology. For Parmenides 92 likewise supposes the universe to be one, both eternal and unbegotten, and of a spherical form. And neither did he escape the opinion of the great body (of speculators), affirming fire and earth to be the originating principles of the universe—the earth as matter, but the fire as cause, even an efficient one. He asserted that the world would be destroyed, but in what way he does not mention. 93 The same (philosopher), however, affirmed the universe to be eternal, and not generated, and of spherical form and homogeneous, but not having a figure in itself, and immoveable and limited. 92     [ b.c. 500.] 93     The next sentence is regarded by some as not genuine.