Anaxarchus Quotes
Anaxarchus of Abdera was a Greek philosopher of the late fourth century BC, a Democritean who accompanied Alexander the Great on his eastern campaigns and the principal teacher of Pyrrho of Elis. The fragments of his work, preserved in Diogenes Laertius and elsewhere, show him reasoning along skeptical and atomistic lines, comparing the world to a stage-painting and arguing for an impassivity of mind in the face of fortune that influenced both Pyrrhonism and the Stoic ideal of apatheia. The quotes below are attributed to Anaxarchus, organized by topic.
Anaxarchus on Freedom
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Attributed to Anaxarchus:
“Pound the bag of Anaxarchus; you do not pound Anaxarchus himself.”
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Attributed to Anaxarchus:
“Fortune cannot harm what does not lend itself to be harmed.”
Anaxarchus on Knowledge
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Attributed to Anaxarchus:
“Nothing is certainly known; the wise man holds his judgments lightly.”
Anaxarchus on Truth
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Attributed to Anaxarchus:
“The world is a stage-painting; what we take for solid form is a play of light and shadow.”
Anaxarchus on Virtue
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Attributed to Anaxarchus:
“Equanimity is the longest reach of philosophy; without it, none of the rest is of use.”