O Desafio de Tales de Mileto contra um Sofista

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                        TALES OF MILETUS

A sophist approached Thales of Miletus

 one of the Seven Sages of Ancient Greece,

and tried to confuse him with the most difficult questions.

But the Sage of Miletus rose to the test because he answered all questions without the slightest hesitation and yet with the greatest accuracy.

1 - What is the oldest thing?

-- God,

because it has always existed.

2 - What is the most beautiful thing?

-- The Universe,

because it is God's work.

3 - What is the greatest of all things?

-- Space,

because it contains all of the Creator.

4 - What is the most constant thing?

-- Hope,

because it remains in man after he has lost everything else.

5 - What is the best of all things?

-- Virtue, 

because without it there is nothing good.

6 - What is the fastest of all things?

-- Thought, 

because in less than a minute you can fly to the end of the Universe.

7 - What is the strongest of all things?

-- Necessity, 

because it makes man face all the dangers of life.

8 - What is the easiest of all things?

-- Give advices.

However, 

when he got to the ninth question, our Sage told a paradox.  

He gave an answer which, 

I am sure, 

was never understood by the worldly interlocutor, 

and which, 

to most people,

will have a superficial meaning.  

The question was this:

9 - What is the most difficult of all things?

And the Sage of Miletus replied:

-- To know yourself.