A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1296 X ENOPHANES. XENOP IA NES.
Athenian Hipparchus. (Plut. de vitioso pudore, instance by the ridicule with which the Colophoniman
p. 530.) On the other hand, his expression re- had expressed himself respecting the doctrines of
specting Simonides (Schol. in Aristoph. Pac. 696; his predecessors. As little can we regard Xenocomp. S. Karsten, p. 81) is very doubtful. In a phanes as the author of parodies, which, according
fragment of his elegies mention is made of the to the testimony of Aristotle (Poet. 2, ib. Interp.)
Median invasion as an event that took place in his were first composed by Hegemon, a contemporary of
time, by which we should probably understand the Epicharmus. Besides, the hexameters which profess
expedition of Harpagus against the Greek cities in to be taken from the parodies of Xenlophanes
Asia (01. 59), not the Persian invasion of Greece (Athen. ii. p. 54, e. fr. xvii.) do not at all bear the
(01. 72 or 75; comp. T/leol. Arithm. p. 40, and character of this species of poetry. Lastly, when
Cousin, Nrouveauxs Fragnens plilosophiques, p. 12, he is called a tragic poet (TpaycToiroLds in Euseb.
&c.). Yet the widely different significations of CL7ron. 1. c., unless we are to read E'Aelo7rotls with
these lines may have given rise to the chronological J. Scaliger, or 7rapT'1oroLos with Rossi) it can only
statements of Apollodoros and Timaeus, the former be in the sense in which elegiac poetry generally
of whom placed his birth (undoubtedly too early), was included under that name. We do not even feel
in the 40th Olympiad, and made him live to the inclined to refer the word, as S. Karsten does
times of Dareius and Cyrus, while the latter made (p. 22, &c.), to chorus-songs, the beginnings of
him a contemporary of Hiero (01. 75. 3) and Epi, tragedy. How much Xenophanes lived in the
charmus (Clem. Alex. Strom. i. p. 361; Sext. Emp. midst of poetry, we see from the statement that he
adv. Math. i. 257). Other statements are still recited his poems in the manner of rhapsodies.
more uncertain (Diog. LaUrt. ix. 18, viii. 56, 20; (Diog. Laert. ix. 18.)
Euseb. C/zron. 01. 60. 2. and 56. 4); but the first Xenophanes was universally regarded by antimentioned references are sufficient to fix the period quity as the originator of the Eleatic doctrine of
when he flourished to between the 60th and 70th the oneness of the universe. (Plat. Sophl. p. 242;
Olympiads. According to the fragments of one of Arist. i1iet. ii. 5.) At the same time, however,
hlis elegies (Diog. Laert. ix. 19), he had left his it is mentioned, in some cases with the quotation
native land at the age of 25, and had already of verses of the Colophonian bearing upon the point,
lived 67 years in Hellas, when, at the age of 92, that he maintained, in the first instance, the unity
lie composed that elegy. He left his native land of the Deity (Arist. lMet. A, 5, p. 986, b, 24;
as a fugitive or exile (icirEo'r v), and betook himself Timon. ap. Sext. Emp. Pyrrh7. IIyp. i. 224, &c.),
to the Ionian colonies in Sicily, Zancle and Catana and denied that the Deity was originated or pe(Diog. Lal/rt. ix. 18). There can be no doubt that rished (Arist. Rhet. ii. 23, p. 1399, b, 5. 1400,
he, the founder of the Eleatic school (Plat. Soph. b, 5, de Xenop7L... et M. c. 3; Stob. Eel. Plhys.
p. 224, d.), lived at least for some time in Elea p. 416; Plut. Plac. ii. 4, &c.); that he strenuously
(Velia, founded by the Phocaeans in 01. 61), the denounced the transference to the deity of the
foundation of which he had sung (comp. Arist. human form, and human sins and weaknesses
Rh!et. ii. 23; Diog. Labrt. ix. 10). Besides this (fr.i.vi.), and inveighed against Homer and Hesiodt
poem, one on the building of Colophon is men- as the originators of godless myths (fr. vii.); and
tioned (ibid.), and a didactic poem, in like manner that he attributed to the Deity undivided activity
composed in the epic metre, which, as usual, was (fr. ii.), and taught regarding it that without weaprobably provided by later writers with the title riness it overcomes every thing by mind (ppevi,
" On Nature" (Stob. Eel. Ph/ys. i. 294; Pollux, fr. iii.), free fr,)m motion in space (fr. iv.). That.vi. 46), and was imitated by Einpedocles (Diog. the Deity was in his view the animating power of
Laert. viii. 56; comp. Plut. de Pyth. Orac. p. 402, the universe, is expressed by Aristotle (1. c.; comp.
e). Of the two historical poems only the titles Timon. op. Sext. Emp. I. c.) in the words, that,
have been preserved; of the didactic poem some not directing his glance on the whole universe, he said,
inconsiderable fragments (in S. Karsten, i.-xvi.), "' God is the One." The outlines of the demonbut unfortunately not such as to display the com- stration of Xenophanes are to be found in the little
pass and foundation of the doctrines peculiar to book which has come down to us, in a corrupted.
him. He stands more clearly before its as an form, among the writings of Aristotle, De Xenoelegiac poet, and we can have no hesitation in phane, Gotyia et Melisso, c. 3, &c.; for we are
placing him side by side with Miinnermus and justified in attributing it to the Colophonian, not
other distinguished cultivators of this species of to Zeino, who is named in the heading of the secpoetry. In his elegies also we see exhibited the tion treating of it, or to some other philosopher
direction of his mitnd towards investigation, and unknown to us, by the testimony of Simplicius,
his earnest view of life. He derides in them the who (in Arist. IPl/ys. f. 6) without any important
Pythagorean doctrine of the migration of souls variation, refers it to him, and speaks of it as taken
(fr. xviii.); makes good the clainis of wisdom in from Theophrastus, whether, as is likely, he had
opposition to the excessive admiration of the bodily the little treatise before him, and regarded it as
strength and activity by which the victory was thle work of Theophrastus, or as derived from a
gained in athletic games (fr. xix.); lashes the effe- work of Theophrastus which has not come down
minate luxury of the lonians, which they had to us. According to this demonstration, the Eximitated from the Lydians (fr. xx.); recommends istent, which Xenophanes sets down as the samle
that at cheerful banquets, moderation and noble with the Deity, cannot have originated either olt
deeds and the praise of virtue should be sung, not of like or out of unlike, whether the latter be
the contests of Titans, giants, and other worthless regarded as stronger or weaker. Further, the
stories (fr. xxi.). Iambics and Silli are also attri- Deity, inasmuch as his essence consists in rtlling,
buted to Xenophanes (Diog. Laert. le.; Strabo, xiv. must be one only, and neither finite nor infinite,
p. 643; Schol. in Aristoph. Equit. 406); the latter neither moved nor unmoved. We are not induced
probably because Timon had introduced him as a to deny these conclusions to be those of Xenospeaker in his Silli, induced probably in the first phanes, as does E. Zeller, who in part follows