The Complete Works of Claudius Galen, Vol. 18 Pt. 2

Ed. Chart. XII. [587. 588.] Ed. Bas. V. (119. 120.)

[...by] the “more and the less.” For instance, if anyone fails once in twenty predictions, he has indeed missed the mark of consistency, yet he is better than one who has failed twice, and that person better than one who has failed thrice, just as, in turn, that person is better than one who has failed four times, even though all have shared in the common experience of being right for the most part. It is necessary, therefore, to embrace such teachings as those from which one might start out to succeed more often than another, and to turn away from and avoid the overly subtle curiosities regarding the meanings of words, which Prodicus, that great sophist, embraced, thereby becoming burdensome to educated men and being mocked continually by the Socrates found in Plato, even though he was praised in other respects. But perhaps I have done poorly to mention the followers of Herophilus at the beginning, for it is better to set forth the truth as quickly as possible to those who are hastening toward the works of the art, and not to waste their time twice over—on one hand by teaching the trifles of the sophists, and on the other by refuting them. Therefore, it seems better to me...

...for the most part, but rather that which embraces very many things, differing in greater or lesser degrees, and which are manifold. For if anyone offers one single false statement out of twenty predictions, he has not indeed spoken the truth perpetually, yet he is superior to one who has erred twice, and that person to one who has erred three times, just as he who has predicted wrongly four times is far more truthful than one who has erred more often. Nevertheless, they all agree among themselves that the outcome has occurred for the most part just as they had predicted. Therefore, it is appropriate to embrace and treat such precepts as those by which one can predict more accurately than another, but to avoid and flee from that useless and superfluous study regarding the meanings of words, which that great sophist Prodicus, because he embraced it more than was reasonable, brought upon himself the hatred of all learned men and is most often assailed by the jests of Socrates in Plato, though he was otherwise a very famous and praised man. But I might perhaps be worthy of reproach for having made mention of Herophilus right from the start. For it is better to set forth the truth as quickly as possible to those who are hastening to the work of the art, and it does not befit them to spend their time partly by explaining the trifles of the sophists and partly...