Ἑρμότιμος ἢ Περὶ Αἱρέσεων

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İngilizce İngilizce Yunanca Yunanca

64–66

HERMOTIMUS

You mean after death. From what you have said no man would live long enough to study everything and observe accurately every detail, and then, after observation, judge, and, after judging, choose, and after choosing practise philosophy; for this is the only way, you say, in which the truth could be discovered.

LYCINUS

I hesitate to tell you, Hermotimus, that even this is not enough. No, I think we deceived ourselves when we thought we had found safety: we have found no safety at all. We are like fishermen who often when they have let down their nets feel something heavy, and so haul in expecting a huge catch of fish; then when they are tired with their pulling they see a stone or a jar packed with sand. I am afraid we have hauled up something like that.

HERMOTIMUS

I don’t know what these nets of yours mean: you have certainly caught me in them.

LYCINUS

Then try to get out. If anybody knows how to swim, you do—thanks to god’s help. Now, even if we go round all the sects making our tests, and eventually complete our enquiry, I don’t think it will even yet be certain whether any one of them has what we are looking for, or whether all alike are ignorant of it.

HERMOTIMUS

What do you mean? Not one of them?

LYCINUS

It is debatable. Do you think it impossible that all are wrong, and that the truth may be something different, something which none of them has yet found? 5

HERMOTIMUS

How could that be possible?