The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers Diogenes Laërtius (first ebook reader .TXT) 📖

That is to say, the harmony between intellect and the senses will not last long. Attagas and Numenius were two notorious brigands. ↩

That is, “trifler,” from κρίνω, to judge; and λῆρος, nonsensical talk. ↩

That is, flattering for gifts; from σαίνω, to wag the tail as a dog, to caress; and δῶρον, a gift. ↩

This sentence is a remark of Diogenes himself. There are several more of his observations in parentheses as we proceed. ↩

This is the argument in its completed form: “We can only form an idea of an atom by analogy, and analogy demonstrates to us that it is not of infinite littleness. In fact, let us compare it to the smallest particles recognisable by sense, and then let us endeavor to form an idea of these last. To do this we must take a term of comparison in complex objects, which are composed of various parts. Abstracting from these all other characteristics but that of extent, we see that these objects have dimensions, some greater and some less, measuring an extent which is greater or less as the case may be. The smallest sensible particle will then have its dimensions; it will measure the smallest possible sensible extent, that is to say, it will not be infinitely small. Applying this analogy to an atom, one comes to conceive it as measuring the smallest extent possible, but not as having no extent at all, which was what Epicurus wished to prove.” —⁠French Translator ↩

This is a quotation from Theognis. ↩

From the Trachiniae of Sophocles, 1784. ↩

There is some hopeless corruption in the text here. Nor has anyone succeeded in making it intelligible. The French translator divides it into two maxims. ↩

There in some great corruption here again. The French translator takes 19, 20, and 21 all as one. ↩

The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
was written in the third century AD by
Diogenes Laërtius.
It was translated from Greek in 1853 by
C. D. Yonge.

This ebook was produced for
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