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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

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

Eye Hair Light
The sun comes into being each day from little pieces of fire that are collected.
XENOPHANES

Day Each Fire Pieces
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

Deception Done Men Mind Told
No man knows distinctly anything, and no man ever will.
XENOPHANES

Distinctly Knows Men
For we are all sprung from earth and water
XENOPHANES

Earth Science Water
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

Account Better City Governed
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

Done Happen Honesty Truth
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

Blue Eyes Red Represent
If oxen and horses and lions could draw and paint, they would delineate the gods in their own image.
XENOPHANES

Atheism Horse Oxen
It isn’t right to judge strength as better than good wisdom.
XENOPHANES

Better Judging Right Wisdom
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

Fashion Horse Humility Resemble Themselves
This upper limit, of earth at our feet is visible and touches the air, but below it reaches to infinity
XENOPHANES

Air Feet Science
God is one, greatest of gods and men, not like mortals in body or thought.
XENOPHANES

Body God Men
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.
XENOPHANES

Art Eye Horse Produce

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.

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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.

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Popular Authors

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