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Title: Politics and Belief in Timaeus of Tauromenium
Author(s): SCHEPENS, G.
Journal: Ancient Society
Volume: 25    Date: 1994   
Pages: 249-278
DOI: 10.2143/AS.25.0.2005851

Abstract :
In a well-known passage of his XIIth book the historian Polybius makes the following comment on the work of his predecessor, Timaeus of Tauromenium: «his historical narrative is full of dreams (ἐνύπνια), portents (τέρατα) and fantastic tales (μῦθοι ἀπιθανοι), in one word, full of debased superstition and womanish love of the marvellous (δεισιδαιμονίαϛ ἀγεννοῦς καὶ τερατείαϛ γυναικώδους). Timaeus», he continues, «happens to be in the same position as men, who owing to their ignorance and bad judgement, are at times as it were absent when present and blind with their eyes open».



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