Epicharmus of Syracuse was in his prime between 485 and 467 B.C.
He wrote comedies, in which philosophical views were occasionally satirised; but these have no value for philosophy, and some of the alleged quotations are obvious forgeries: Frgs. 1-6 are almost certainly forged in support of the allegation that Plato plagiarised from Epicharmus.
1. A But the gods were always there, of course: they never were lacking; and these things (probably, 'that which is divine') always exist in a similar form and through the same causes.
B But still, it is said that Chaos was the first of the gods to be created.
A How can that be? It is impossible for a 'first' thing to come from something and into something.
B Then was there no first thing that came?
A Certainly not! Nor a second either, at any rate of these things (the divine?) of which we are now speaking thus; but they were always there.
8. (Epicharmus says) the gods are winds, water, earth, sun, fire, stars; (but I've come to the conclusion that for us the only useful gods are silver and gold).
9. It was combined and separated, and went back to whence it came, earth to earth, breath upwards. What is difficult in this? Nothing!
10. Then what is the nature of men? Blown up bladders!
11. I don't want to die; but being dead—I don't mind that!
12. Mind sees and Mind hears; everything else is deaf and blind.
13. Keep sober and remember to be mistrustful: these are the joints of the intelligence (i.e. what makes it supple).
14. (It is difficult to speak well on a poor subject): No sooner are the words spoken than the fault appears.
15. (By inference from Aristotle, 'Metaphysics' 1010a): Xenophanes spoke what was unlikely, yet true.
16. That which formerly two men said, I, one man, am sufficiently (gifted?) to say.
36:1 Pun on the two senses of πονηρὸς ('laden with toils' and 'wicked'), and of ἄτη ('disaster' or 'madness'); put into the mouth of Heracles in a play.