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THE GREEK PHILOSOPHY.447Sextus Empiricus defined the state of skepsis tobe " skilfulness in so setting forth appearancesand reflections against each other, 'as to be broughtthrough the equilibrium, of opposn g facts andgrounds in their favour first to a suspension of judg-ment, and then to imperturbable tranquillity."Carneades, whose life occupied the greater partof the second century before Christ, and who isextolled by Cicero as the keenest and most copiousof disputants, was the man in whom this school ofthought reached its highest point. He e hadappeared at Rome among a deputation of philosophersin the year 155 when his eloquence andearnestness made a great impression on his Romanhearers. This scepticism of the younger Academyhowever ran in accordance with the directionwhich the collective philosophy of the Greekst lly t , nd was carried out wit tness d tific ability which make recognisein it an important member of philosophicaldevelopment.32 Carneadesubjected the stoic doctrineas to God in particular to a criticism therange of which went far beyond the dogmas ofthis school, and in fact tended to represent everyconviction as to the existence of the godhead, andevery religious belief, as something impossible anduntenable.33 Thi s, however owever, as Cicero repeatedlyassures us, was not done for the purpose of destroyingbelief 111 in the gods, od but only to point out32 Zeller, vol. Hi. part 1, p. 477. & Dollinger. p. 338.