Paradox

94 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PARADOXThe prophet was Epimenides. Various poems have beenattributed to Epimenides but none of his philosophical writingshave survived. He is reported to have been born about659 B.C. in Phaestus or perhaps Knossus, the capital city ofCrete. The two most common dates of death reckon him asthe most long-lived of philosophers: 157 years by one account,about 230 years by the other. Diogenes says that whenEpimenides’ father sent him out to search for stray sheep,Epimenides lay down in a cave. He awoke fifty-seven yearslater. Epimenides returned to his fellow citizens with longhair and a flowing beard. He also had acquired superhumanknowledge of medicine and natural history. At his pleasure,his soul could leave his body and he could have intercoursewith the gods—perhaps accounting for his gift of prophecy.His reputation as a seer led the Athenians to request hispresence at rites of purification and propitiation to pave theway for Solon’s legislative reforms. The Cretans paid himdivine honors upon his death. In Crete, there is still animportant street named after him.Epimenides’ remark “The Cretans always lie” wasquoted for centuries because people realized that it is selfdefeatingfor a Cretan to say “The Cretans always lie.” Thereis irony in self-defeat. But irony is not inconsistency. After all,some Cretan has at some time asserted something that wasnot a lie. Epimenides’ “The Cretans always lie” is just false.No paradox yet!Eubulides may have poked through the ashes of Epimenides’remark and discovered a live ember; it would be oddif Epimenides’ “The Cretans always lie” entails that someCretan is not a liar. Sure, it is a historical fact that someCretans sometimes tell the truth. But one should not be ableto deduce this historical fact from logic alone. What if