Full Idea
Archelaus wrote that life on Earth began in a primeval slime.
Gist of Idea
Archelaus said life began in a primeval slime
Source
report of Archelaus (fragments/reports [c.450 BCE]) by Malcolm Schofield - Archelaus
Book Reference
'Encyclopedia of Classical Philosophy', ed/tr. Zeyl,Donald J. [Fitzroy Dearborn 1997], p.49
A Reaction
This sounds like a fairly clearcut assertion of the production of life by evolution. Darwin's contribution was to propose the mechanism for achieving it. We should honour the name of Archelaus for this idea.