Xenophanes
Xenophanes
Xenophanes of Colophon was a Greek philosopher, theologian, poet, and social and religious critic. Xenophanes lived a life of travel, having left Ionia at the age of 25 and continuing to travel throughout the Greek world for another 67 years. Some scholars say he lived in exile in Sicily. Knowledge of his views comes from fragments of his poetry, surviving as quotations by later Greek writers. To judge from these, his elegiac and iambic poetry criticized and satirized a wide...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPhilosopher
bodies cattle draw forms gods horses men produce shape works
If cattle and horses, or lions, had hands, or were able to draw with their feet and produce the works which men do, horses would draw the forms of gods like horses, and cattle like cattle, and they would make the gods' bodies the same shape as their own.
bodies cattle draw forms gods horses lions men work
But if cattle and horses or lions had hands, or were able to draw with their hands and do the work that men can do, horses would draw the forms of the gods like horses, and cattle like cattle, and they would make their bodies such as they each had themselves.
among god gods men mortals neither nor supreme
There is one God - supreme among gods and men - who is like mortals in neither body nor mind.
gods men
Men create the gods in their own image.
horses men strength wisdom
Better than the strength of men and horses is our wisdom.
The gods did not reveal, from the beginning, all things to us.
horse looks ifs
If horses had Gods, they would look like horses.
god effort mind
But without effort [God] sets in motion all things by mind and thought.
judging
It isn't right to judge strength as better than good wisdom.
science water matter
All things that come into being and grow are earth and water.
science water matter
For we are all sprung from earth and water
wisdom horse athlete
...for our wisdom is better than the strength of men or of horses. ... nor is it right to prefer strength to excellent wisdom. For if there should be in the city [any athlete whose skill] is honoured more than strength ... the city would not on that account be any better governed.
men effort mind
God is one, supreme among gods and men, and not like mortals in body or in mind.The whole [of god] sees, the whole perceives, the whole hears. But without effort he sets in motion all things by mind and thought.
men deception done
Homer and Hesiod attributed to the gods all things which are disreputable and worthy of blame when done by men; and they told of them many lawless deeds, stealing, adultery, and deception of each other.