THEAETETUS: The difficulties which are dawning upon us prove this; for

one objection connects with another, and they are always involving what

has preceded in a greater and worse perplexity.

STRANGER: We are far from having exhausted the more exact thinkers who

treat of being and not-being. But let us be content to leave them, and

proceed to view those who speak less precisely; and we shall find as

the result of all, that the nature of being is quite as difficult to

comprehend as that of not-being.

THEAETETUS: Then now we will go to the others.

STRANGER: There appears to be a sort of war of Giants and Gods going

on amongst them; they are fighting with one another about the nature of

essence.

THEAETETUS: How is that?

STRANGER: Some of them are dragging down all things from heaven and from

the unseen to earth, and they literally grasp in their hands rocks and

oaks; of these they lay hold, and obstinately maintain, that the things

only which can be touched or handled have being or essence, because they

define being and body as one, and if any one else says that what is not

a body exists they altogether despise him, and will hear of nothing but

body.

Sophist