What would you call the ancient Greeks concept of atoms?
They had no way to measure it, test it, whatever. . .was it a theory?
Sure, but not a scientific theory, as we understand that term today.
Greeks were famous for philosophy, which certainly included the study of nature, but they did not have a separate branch of learning, with all the rules and assumption of today's natural-science.
By the age of our Founding Fathers, the study of nature went under the term "natural philosophy", which in time became "natural science", today's "science".
So my best guess is: Greeks would consider their idea of atoms as a metaphysical assertion, certainly not a scientific theory.
Comments?