of speaking of illustrious men, who were however friends of the
people. These men do not indeed pursue good objects, but still wish to be
considered to resemble good men; but we say that we hold those opinions,
which you yourselves confess to have been entertained by the most
illustrious philosophers. Anaxagoras said, that snow was black: would you
endure me if I were to say the same? You would not bear even for me to
express a doubt on the subject. But who is this man? is he a Sophist? for
by that name were those men called, who used to philosophize for the sake
of display or of profit. The glory of the gravity and genius of that man
was great. Why should I speak of Democritus? Who is there whom we can
compare with him for the greatness, not merely of his genius, but also of
his spirit? a man who dared to begin thus: "I am going to speak of
everything." He excepts nothing, so as not to profess a knowledge of it.
For indeed, what could there possibly be beyond everything? Who can avoid
placing this philosopher before Cleanthes, or Chrysippus, or all the rest
of his successors? men who, when compared with him, appear to me to be in
the fifth class.

But he does not say this, which we, who do not deny that there is some
truth, declare cannot be perceived: he absolutely denies that there is any
truth. He says that the senses are not merely dim, but utterly dark; for
that is what Metrodorus of Chios, who was one of his greatest admirers,
says of them, at the beginning of his book on Nature. "I deny," says he,
"that we know whether we know anything or whether we know nothing; I say
that we do not even know what is ignorance and knowledge; and that we have
no knowledge whether anything exists or whether nothing does."

Empedocles appears to you to be mad; but to me he seems to utter words
very worthy of the subjects of which he speaks. Does he then blind us, or
deprive us of our senses, if he thinks that there is but little power in
them to judge of those things which are brought under their notice?
Parmenides and Xenophanes blame, as if they were angry with them, though
in no very poetical verses, the arrogance of those people who, though
nothing can be known, venture to say that they know something. And you
said that Socrates and Plato were distinct from these men. Why so? Are
there any men of whom we can speak more certainly? I indeed seem to myself
to have lived with these men; so many of their discourses have been
repor