The Epimenides paradox is the self-contradiction inherent in the statement, "All Cretans are liars; one of their own poets has said so."

Epimenides was a Cretan who made one immortal statement: "All Cretans are liars." One of Crete's own prophets has said it: "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." He has surely told the truth. For this reason correct them sternly, that they may be sound in faith instead of paying attention to Jewish fables and to commandments of people who turn their backs on the truth.

formulation date | 550 BC (2574 years ago) formulator | Epimenides status | not necessarily a true paradox additional people involved | Bertrand Russell

Not a true paradox since the poet may have knowledge that at least one Cretan is, in fact, honest, and so is lying when he says that all Cretans are liars. There therefore need be no self-contradiction in what could simply be a false statement by a person who is himself a liar.

ambiguous problem | mathematical paradoxes