# Xenophanes explained — The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

> Chapter companion for The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laërtius.

## What happens

Xenophanes of Colophon, a poet and philosopher, was banished from his homeland and lived in Sicily. He criticized Homer and Hesiod for their depictions of the gods, argued against Thales, Pythagoras, and Epimenides, and taught that there are four elements, infinite unchangeable worlds, and a spherical, non-anthropomorphic god. He lived to nearly a hundred years old and was the first to assert that everything produced is perishable and that the soul is spirit.

## Themes in this chapter

### Natural Philosophy and Cosmology

Xenophanes proposed four elements, infinite unchangeable worlds, and a spherical god that is intellect and wisdom, and explained clouds as vapor from the sun.

### Wisdom vs. Sophistry

Xenophanes criticized Homer and Hesiod for their false tales about the gods, and argued that only a wise man can recognize another wise man.

### Death and Legacy

Xenophanes lived to nearly a hundred years old, buried his own sons, and left a legacy of poems and philosophical doctrines.

## Character check-ins

### Xenophanes

Main subject of the chapter; a poet and philosopher from Colophon who criticized Homer and Hesiod, taught about the elements and god, and lived to extreme old age.

### Anaximander

Mentioned as a contemporary of Xenophanes according to Sotion.

### Thales

Xenophanes argued against the opinions of Thales.

### Pythagoras

Xenophanes attacked the opinions of Pythagoras.

### Epimenides of Crete

Xenophanes also attacked Epimenides.

### Empedocles

Engaged in a dialogue with Xenophanes about the discoverability of the wise man.

## Key lines

> Threescore and seven long years are fully passed, Since first my doctrines spread abroad through Greece: And ’twixt that time and my first view of light Six lustres more must added be to them: If I am right at all about my age, Lacking but eight years of a century.

Xenophanes states that he is 92 years old, having begun teaching at age 25, and is now approaching 100.

_Xenophanes calculates his own age to demonstrate his longevity._

> When Empedocles said to him that the wise man was undiscoverable, he replied: “Very likely; for it takes a wise man to discover a wise man.”

In response to Empedocles' claim that a wise person cannot be found, Xenophanes retorts that only a wise person can recognize another wise person.

_Xenophanes emphasizes the difficulty of recognizing wisdom without possessing it oneself._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/xenophanes
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters