"But if cattle and horses or lions had hands, or were able to draw with their hands and do the work that men can do, horses would draw the forms of the gods like horses, and cattle like cattle, and they would make their bodies such as they each had themselves"

In this quote, Xenophanes is revealing his belief that if animals such as cattle, horses, or lions had the capability to utilize their hands and develop art, they would depict the gods in their own image. He suggests that each animal would draw the gods in a way that reflects their own physical characteristics. For example, horses would draw the gods with horse-like features, and cattle would draw them with bovine features. This highlights the idea that human beings tend to develop gods in their own image, projecting their own qualities and attributes onto divine beings. It also speaks to the restrictions of human understanding and perception when it concerns the divine.