De Xenophane, de Zenone, de Gorgia

Οὐδαμόθεν δὲ συμβαίνει ἐξ ὦν εἴρηκεν, μηδὲν εἶναι. Ἃ γὰρ καὶ ἀποδείκνυσιν, οὕτως διαλέγεται. Εἰ τὸ μὴ ὄν ἐστιν ἢ ἔστιν, ἀπλῶς εἰπεῖν εἴη, καὶ ἔστιν ὅμοιον μὴ ὄν. Τοῦτο δὲ οὔτε φαίνεται οὕτως οὔτε ἀνάγκη, ἀλλ' ὡσπερεὶ δυοῖν, ὄντος, τοῦ δʼ οὐκ ὄντος, τὸ μὲν ἔστι, τὸ δʼ οὐκ ἀληθές, ὅτι ἐστὶ τὸ μὲν μὴ ὄν.

Διότι οὖν οὐκ ἔστιν, οὔτε εἶναι οὔτε μὴ εἶναι τὰ ἄμφω οὔθʼ ἕτερον οὐκ ἔστιν. Οὐδὲν γάρ, φησίν, εἴη ἂν τὸ μὴ εἶναι τοῦ εἶναι, εἴπερ εἴη τι καὶ τὸ μὴ εἶναι. Οὐδείς φησιν εἶναι τὸ μὴ εἶναι οὐδαμῶς. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔστι τὸ μὴ ὂν μὴ ὄν, οὐδʼ οὕτως ὁμοίως ἂν εἴη τὸ μὴ ὂν τῷ ὄντι· τὸ μὲν γάρ ἐστι μὴ ὅν, τὸ δὲ καὶ ἔστιν ἔτι.

Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν ἀληθές, ὡς δὴ θαυμάσιόν τʼ ἂν εἴη τὸ μὴ ὄν ἐστιν. Ἀλλ' εἰ δὴ οὕτω, πότερον μᾶλλον ξυμβαίνει τὰ πάντα εἶναι ἢ μὴ εἶναι; Αὐτὸ γὰρ οὕτῳ γε τοὐναντίον ἔοικε γίνεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ τό τε μὴ ὅν ἐστι καὶ τὸ ὂν ὅν ἐστιν, ἅπαντά ἐστιν. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ ὅντα καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα ἐστίν. Οὐκ ἀνάγκη γάρ, εἰ τὸ μὴ ὅν ἐστι, καὶ τὸ ὄν μὴ εἶναι.

Εἰ δὴ καὶ οὕτω τις ξυγχωρεῖ, καὶ τὸ μὲν μὴ ὄν εἴη, τὸ δὲ ὂν μὴ εἴη, ὅμως οὐδὲν ἧττον εἴη ἄν· τὰ γὰρ μὴ ὄντα εἴη κατὰ τὸν ἐκίνου λόγον. Εἰ δὲ ταὐτόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ εἶναι καὶ τὸ μὴ εἶναι, οὐδʼ οὕτως μᾶλλον οὐκ [εἴη] ἄν τι εἴη. Ὡς γὰρ κἀκεῖνος λέγει, ὅτι εἰ ταὐτὸν μὴ ὂν καὶ ὅν, τό τε ὂν οὐκ ἔστι καὶ τὸ μὴ ὅν.