Xenophanes Quotes

#1. The fire at Lipara, Xenophanes says, ceased once for sixteen years, and came back in the seventeenth. And he says that the lavastream from Aetna is neither of the nature of fire, nor is it continuous, but it appears at intervals of many years.

Aristotle.

#2. Ethiopians imagine their gods as black and snub-nosed; Thracians blue-eyed and red-haired. But if horses or lions had hands, or could draw and fashion works as men do, horses would draw the gods shaped like horses and lions like lions, making the gods resemble themselves. Xenophanes

Christopher Hitchens

#3. It isn't right to judge strength as better than good wisdom.

Xenophanes

#4. If God had not made brown honey, men would think figs much sweeter than they do.

Xenophanes

#5. It takes a wise man to recognize a wise man.

Xenophanes

#6. God is one, greatest of gods and men, not like mortals in body or thought.

Xenophanes

#7. For all things come from earth, and all things end by becoming earth.

Xenophanes

#8. The sun comes into being each day from little pieces of fire that are collected.

Xenophanes

#9. One god there is, in no way like mortal creatures either in bodily form or in the thought of his mind. The whole of him sees, the whole of him thinks, the whole of him hears. He stays always motionless in the same place; it is not fitting that he should move about now this way, now that.

Xenophanes

#10. If cows and horses had hands and could draw, cows would draw gods that look like cows and horses would draw gods that look like horses.

Xenophanes

#11. Pure truth no man has seen, nor ever shall know.

Xenophanes

#12. Even if a man should chance to speak the most complete truth, yet he himself does not know it; all things are wrapped in appearances

Xenophanes

#13. Men create the gods in their own image.

Xenophanes

#14. If an ox could paint a picture, his god would look like an ox.

Xenophanes

#15. For we are all sprung from earth and water

Xenophanes

#16. This upper limit, of earth at our feet is visible and touches the air, but below it reaches to infinity

Xenophanes

#17. All things that come into being and grow are earth and water.

Xenophanes

#18. If oxen and horses and lions could draw and paint, they would delineate the gods in their own image.

Xenophanes

#19. The clear and perfect truth no man has seen, nor will there be anyone who knows about the gods and what I say about all things ... ; for, however perfect what he says may be, yet he does not know it; all things are matters of opinion.

Xenophanes

#20. If horses had Gods, they would look like horses.

Xenophanes

#21. There is one God - supreme among gods and men - who is like mortals in neither body nor mind.

Xenophanes

#22. In the beginning the gods did not at all reveal all things clearly to mortals, but by searching men in the course of time find them out better.

Xenophanes

#23. But without effort [God] sets in motion all things by mind and thought.

Xenophanes

#24. 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.

Xenophanes

#25. 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.

Xenophanes

#26. 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.

Xenophanes

#27. No man knows distinctly anything, and no man ever will.

Xenophanes

#28. The Ethiopians say that their gods are snub-nosed and black the Thracians that theirs have light blue eyes and red hair.

Xenophanes

#29. Men always makes gods in their own image.

Xenophanes

#30. Truly the gods have not from the beginning revealed all things to mortals, but by long seeking, mortals discover what is better.

Xenophanes

#31. One must be a sage to recognize a sage.

Xenophanes

#32. All men begin their learning with Homer.

Xenophanes

#33. Better than the strength of men and horses is our wisdom.

Xenophanes