After my boundless wisdom and ranks of So many books

Anonymous epitaph for Democritus, the laughing philosopher, in the Greek Anthology 7.56

This was the source of Democritus’ laughter, as he would say immediately:

‘Did I not say, while laughing, that everything is laughter in the end?

For I too, after my boundless wisdom and ranks of

So many books, lie beneath a tomb as a joke.’ 

 

῏Ην ἄρα Δημοκρίτοιο γέλως τόδε, καὶ τάχα λέξει·

„Οὐκ ἔλεγον γελόων· ‚Πάντα πέλουσι γέλως’;

καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ σοφίην μετ’ ἀπείρονα καὶ στίχα βίβλων

τοσσατίων κεῖμαι νέρθε τάφοιο γέλως.”