The use of "the ancient" in the context?

Question

In its day it was a very progressive theory, a great weapon against idealism and superstition. The Roman poet Lucretius, for example, explained in his philosophical poem On the Nature of Things that the purpose of the atomistic theory of the Greek philosopher Epicurus was to demonstrate "what are the elements out of which everything is formed, and how every­thing comes to pass without the intervention of the gods".

Thus there was born a materialism which saw the world as consisting of hard, impenetrable material particles, and which understood all change as arising from nothing but the motion and interaction of such particles.

This theory was revived in modern times. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries philosophers and scientists turned to it in their fight against feudal, Catholic philosophy. But this modern materialism proved to be much richer in content than the ancient.

Materialism and the Dialectical Method (Maurice Cornforth)

I don't know the use of "the ancient" in the text above. Does the author mean the ancient materialism or just the ancient time?

Thank you!

Answer 1

The author here is contrasting "modern materialism" with "ancient materialism."