Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

​Some say that Homer was the founder of this sect, since concerning the same things he expresses himself differently at different times more than anyone else, and dogmatizes nothing definitively regarding his statement. Next, they say that the maxims of the Seven Sages are also skeptical, such as "Nothing in excess" and "Offer a pledge, and ruin is at hand"; for this indicates that ruin attends the one who makes a pledge firmly and with conviction. Moreover, Archilochus and Euripides are said to be skeptically disposed, among whom Archilochus says: "Such is the mind of mortal men, Glaucus, son of Leptines, as the day which Zeus brings upon them." And Euripides: "O Zeus, why then do they say that wretched mortals have wisdom? For we are suspended from thee and do such things as thou happenest to wish."

​Nay, further, Xenophanes, Zeno of Elea, and Democritus are also, according to them, skeptics. Among these Xenophanes says: "And indeed no man has seen, nor will there be anyone who knows, the clear truth." And Zeno does away with motion, saying: "That which moves moves neither in the place in which it is, nor in that in which it is not." And Democritus, rejecting qualities, says: "By convention cold, by convention hot, but in truth atoms and void." And again: "In truth we know nothing; for truth is in the depth." Plato also is said to concede the truth to gods and sons of gods, and to seek the likely account. And Euripides says:

"Who knows if living is dying, and dying is accounted living among mortals?" And Empedocles too: "Thus these things are neither to be seen by men nor to be heard, nor to be grasped by the mind;" and previously: "Persuaded only of that which each has chanced upon." Furthermore, Heraclitus says: "Let us not conjecture at random about the greatest things;" and Hippocrates is said to express himself doubtfully and humanly; and before them Homer: "Pliant is the tongue of mortals, and many tales are within it;" and: "Wide is the range of words hither and thither;" and: "Whatever word thou speakest, such wouldst thou hear in return;" speaking of the equipollence and antithesis of arguments.

​The skeptics, then, continually overturned all the dogmas of the sects, while dogmatically asserting nothing themselves, proceeding only so far as to quote and narrate the views of others without determining anything, not even this very thing. So that they even did away with "not determining," saying, for example, "We determine nothing," since otherwise they would be determining. "We utter these statements," they say, "as an indication of our freedom from rashness, just as if it were possible to show this even by a nod of the head." Through the phrase "We determine nothing," therefore, the condition of non-inclination is indicated; and likewise through "No more" and "To every argument an argument is opposed," and similar expressions.

​The phrase "No more" is also used positively, as when certain things are equal; for example, "The pirate is no more wicked than the liar." But by the skeptics it is used not positively but negatively, as by one who refutes and says, "Scylla existed no more than the Chimaera." And the word "more" itself is sometimes uttered comparatively, as when we say "Honey is sweeter than a raisin"; and sometimes positively and negatively, as when we say "Virtue benefits rather than harms"; for we mean that virtue benefits, but does not harm.