55 Quotes by Xenophanes

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.

There is one god, greatest among gods and men, who bears no similarity to humans either in shape or thought... but humans believe that the gods are born like themselves, and that the gods wear clothes and have bodies like humans and speak in the same way... but if cows and horses or lions had hands or could draw with the hands and manufacture the things humans can make, then horses would draw the forms of gods like horses, cows like cows, and they would make the gods' bodies resemble those which each kind of animal had itself.

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

If cattle and horses, or lions, had hands...

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

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

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.

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

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