tenebricosos:  “not merely dim but darkened.”  There is a reference here to the [Greek:  skotie gnosis] of Democr., by which he meant that knowledge which stops at the superficial appearances of things as shown by sense.  He was, however, by no means a sceptic, for he also held a [Greek:  gnesie gnosis], dealing with the realities of material existence, the atoms and the void, which exist [Greek:  eteei] and not merely [Greek:  nomoi] as appearances do.  See R. and P. 51.

Sec.74. Furere:  cf. 14. Orbat sensibus:  cf. 61, and for the belief of Empedocles about the possibility of [Greek:  episteme] see the remarks of Sextus A.M. VII. 123—­4 qu.  R. and P. 107, who say “patet errare eos qui scepticis adnumerandum Empedoclem putabant.” Sonum fundere:  similar expressions occur in T.D. III. 42, V. 73, D.F. II. 48. Parmenides, Xenophanes:  these are the last men who ought to be charged with scepticism.  They advanced indeed arguments against sense-knowledge, but held that real knowledge was attainable by the reason.  Cf.  Grote, Plato I. 54, Zeller 501, R. and P. on Xenophanes and Parmenides. Minus bonis:  Dav. qu.  Plut. De Audit. 45 A, [Greek:  mempsaito d’ an tis Parmenidou ten stichopoiian]. Quamquam:  on the proper use of quamquam in clauses where the verb is not expressed see M.D.F. V. 68 and cf.  I. 5. Quasi irati:  for the use of quasi = almost cf. In Verr.  Act. I. 22, Orat. 41. Aiebas removendum:  for om. of esse see n. on I. 43. Perscripti sunt:  cf. n. on I. 16. Scire se nihil se scire:  cf.  I. 16, 44.  The words referred to are in Plat. Apol. 21 [Greek:  eoika goun toutou smikroi tini autoi toutoi sophoteros einai, hoti a me oida oude oiomai eidenai], a very different statement from the nihil sciri posse by which Cic. interprets it (cf.  R. and P. 148).  That [Greek:  episteme] in the strict sense is impossible, is a doctrine which Socrates would have left to the Sophists. De Platone:  the doctrine above mentioned is an absurd one to foist upon Plato.  The dialogues of search as they are called, while exposing sham knowledge, all assume that the real [Greek:  episteme] is attainable. Ironiam:  the word was given in its Greek form in 15. Nulla fuit ratio persequi:  n. on 17.

Sec.75. Videorne:  = nonne videor, as videsne = nonne vides. Imitari numquam nisi:  a strange expression for which Manut. conj. imitari? num quem, etc., Halm nullum unquam in place of numquam.  Bait. prints the reading of Man., which I think harsher than that of the MSS. Minutos:  for the word cf. Orat. 94, also De Div. I. 62 minuti philosophi, Brut. 256 minuti imperatores. Stilponem, etc.:  Megarians, see R. and P. 177—­182. [Greek:  sophismata]:  Cic. in the second edition probably