Quote

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

Xenophanes

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Xenophanes
Elegist
Epigrammatist
Philosopher
Poet
Xenophanes of Colophon
Image
Paint
Delineate
Horse
Oxen
Atheism
Horses
Would
Lions
Gods
Draw
Draws

More quotes by Xenophanes

Image
All things that come into being and grow are earth and water.
Xenophanes
Image
If horses had Gods, they would look like horses.
Xenophanes
Image
If oxen and lions had hands and could paint with their hands and produce works of art, as men do, horses would paint the forms of the gods likes horses and oxen like oxen. Each would represent them with bodies according to the bodies of each. So the Ethiopians make their gods black and snub-nosed the Thracians give theirs red hair and blue eyes.
Xenophanes
Image
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
Image
It takes a wise man to recognize a wise man.
Xenophanes
Image
But without effort [God] sets in motion all things by mind and thought.
Xenophanes
Image
For all things come from earth, and all things end by becoming earth.
Xenophanes
Image
All men begin their learning with Homer.
Xenophanes
Image
God is one, greatest of gods and men, not like mortals in body or thought.
Xenophanes
Image
For we are all sprung from earth and water
Xenophanes
Image
Men always makes gods in their own image.
Xenophanes
Image
No man knows distinctly anything, and no man ever will.
Xenophanes
Image
The sea is the source of water and the source of wind for neither would blasts of wind arise in the clouds and blow out from within them, except for the great sea, nor would the streams of rivers nor the rain-water in the sky exist but for the sea but the great sea is the begetter of clouds and winds and rivers.
Xenophanes
Image
Truly the gods have not from the beginning revealed all things to mortals, but by long seeking, mortals discover what is better.
Xenophanes
Image
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
Image
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.
Xenophanes
Image
It isn't right to judge strength as better than good wisdom.
Xenophanes
Image
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
Image
This upper limit, of earth at our feet is visible and touches the air, but below it reaches to infinity
Xenophanes
Image
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.
Xenophanes