An Introduction To My Family

Question

First attempt at a riddle, so here goes:

My siblings and I came into being long ago, long before our Father, though he was the first to tell of our existence. We have no mother, as far as we can recall.

First came my brother, the eldest; fiercest of us all. He and I do not get on, but when his fury becomes too intense I am the one to calm him down, though I usually lose part of myself in the process.

Next came my sister, the second; sturdiest of us all. When she and I coexist peacefully, under supervision of the eldest, people flock to join us for entertainment; yet when we quarrel, thousands flee in fear for their lives.

Then came my other brother, the third; swiftest of us all. Our relationship is such that we meet for a time only to suddenly part ways again; such is the cycle of life. In his youth, he could have helped me quell the anger of the eldest, but now he only feeds that rage.

And finally came I, the youngest; purest of us all. I am sought out by all, regardless of status or fortune, even though some have never seen my body. Others journey for hours every day simply to find me. Despite this, there are many who fear my embrace.

We are powerful by ourselves, that is true; but when all of us come together in harmony, there is nothing that we cannot forge.

Who is the Father, who are the siblings, and which of them is speaking?

Answer 1

The father is

Empedocles, who is credited for creating the theory of the Classical Elements

You and your siblings are:

You: Water
purest of us all - Water is generally considered pure
I am sought out by all - People need water to live
Some have never seen my body - might refer to ice as the "solid body"; people in hot areas might never have seen ice; or people who don't live next to a "body of water" don't know the sea, or a bigger lake
Others journey for hours every day simply to find me. - People die if they don't find water
Despite this, there are many who fear my embrace - Some people don't know how to swim and are afraid of bodies of water.

Eldest Brother: Fire
First came my brother - When the earth formed, it was a ball of lava
I am the one to calm him down, though I usually lose part of myself in the process. - Water puts out fire but evaporates in the process.

Sister: Earth
You and her create bodies of water (beaches, springs, etc.) that people "flock to"
Under supervision of the eldest, for entertainment - bathing on a hot day
when we quarrel, thousands flee in fear for their lives - Tsunamis are created by earthquakes under large bodies of water.

Other Brother: Air
In his youth, he could have helped me quell the anger of the eldest, but now he only feeds that rage. - Fire is easily put out by blowing on it until it spreads, at which point wind will only help it spread more.
Our relationship is such that we meet for a time only to suddenly part ways again; such is the cycle of life. - Referring to the water cycle