The four elements of the Greek were mostly qualitative aspects of matter, not quantitative, as our modern elements are; "...True alchemy never regarded earth, air, water, and fire as corporeal or chemical substances in the present-day sense of the word.
ðə fˈoːɹ ˈɛlɪmənts ʌvðə ɡɹˈiːk wɜː mˈoʊstli kwˈɔlᵻtˌeɪɾɪv ˈæspɛkts ʌv mˈæɾɚ, nˌɑːt kwˈɔntᵻtˌeɪɾɪv, æz ˌaʊɚ mˈɑːdɚn ˈɛlɪmənts ɑːɹ; "...tɹˈuː ˈælkəmi nˈɛvɚ ɹᵻɡˈɑːɹdᵻd ˈɜːθ, ˈɛɹ, wˈɔːɾɚ, ænd fˈaɪɚɹ æz kˈɔːɹpoːɹˌiəl ɔːɹ kˈɛmɪkəl sˈʌbstənsᵻz ɪnðə pɹˈɛzəntdˈeɪ sˈɛns ʌvðə wˈɜːd.