Quote

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

Xenophanes

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Xenophanes
Elegist
Epigrammatist
Philosopher
Poet
Xenophanes of Colophon
Made
Would
Men
Think
Figs
Thinking
Sweeter
Honey
Brown
Much

More quotes by 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
If cattle and horses, or lions, had hands...
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
For we are all sprung from earth and water
Xenophanes
Image
The Ethiopians say that their gods are snub-nosed and black the Thracians that theirs have light blue eyes and red hair.
Xenophanes
Image
God is one, greatest of gods and men, not like mortals in body or thought.
Xenophanes
Image
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
Image
No human being will ever know the truth, for even if they happen to say it by chance, they would not even know they had done so.
Xenophanes
Image
Men always makes gods in their own image.
Xenophanes
Image
All things that come into being and grow are earth and water.
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
If horses had Gods, they would look like horses.
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
Image
But without effort [God] sets in motion all things by mind and thought.
Xenophanes
Image
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
Image
The sun comes into being each day from little pieces of fire that are collected.
Xenophanes
Image
Pure truth no man has seen, nor ever shall know.
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
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
For all things come from earth, and all things end by becoming earth.
Xenophanes