Dialogue

 1 Craty|          says of the names of the Gods, that we know nothing. Even
 2 Craty|           that in speaking of the Gods we are only speaking of
 3 Craty|  distinguishes the names given by Gods and men to the same things,
 4 Craty|        with Hephaestus, ‘whom the Gods call Xanthus, and men call
 5 Craty|       mentions the bird which the Gods call ‘Chalcis,’ and men ‘
 6 Craty|           call ‘Batieia,’ and the Gods ‘Myrinna’s Tomb.’ Here is
 7 Craty|         important lesson; for the Gods must of course be right
 8 Craty| expressions of a wish; let us try gods and demi-gods. Gods are
 9 Craty|           try gods and demi-gods. Gods are so called, apo tou thein,
10 Craty|           they being the original gods of the Hellenes, as they
11 Craty|        their name is given to all Gods. The demons are the golden
12 Craty|  explanations of the names of the Gods, like that excellent one
13 Craty|           The truest names of the Gods are those which they give
14 Craty|           Oceanus, ‘the origin of Gods;’ and in the verse of Orpheus,
15 Craty|           arratos). Enough of the Gods; for, by the Gods, I am
16 Craty|          of the Gods; for, by the Gods, I am afraid of them; but
17 Craty|         as I was saying about the Gods, that we can only attain
18 Craty|         only that men thought the gods to be the first essences
19 Craty|         the different names which Gods and men give to the same
20 Craty|     correctness of names? For the Gods must clearly be supposed
21 Craty|           Whom,’ as he says, ‘the Gods call Xanthus, and men call
22 Craty|           which, as he says,~‘The Gods call Chalcis, and men Cymindis:’~
23 Craty|          remoter ancestors of the Gods,—then I might have seen
24 Craty|          the consideration of the Gods, and show that they are
25 Craty|       that they are rightly named Gods?~HERMOGENES: Yes, that will
26 Craty|       heaven, which are still the Gods of many barbarians, were
27 Craty|         barbarians, were the only Gods known to the aboriginal
28 Craty|           nature they were called Gods or runners (Theous, Theontas);
29 Craty|         acquainted with the other Gods, they proceeded to apply
30 Craty|   SOCRATES: What shall follow the Gods?~HERMOGENES: Must not demons
31 Craty|  explanations of the names of the Gods, like that which you were
32 Craty|          acknowledge,—that of the Gods we know nothing, either
33 Craty|           to the ancestors of the Gods, agreed pretty much in the
34 Craty|          of~‘Ocean, the origin of Gods, and mother Tethys (Il.—
35 Craty|         move together, both among Gods and among men. And as in
36 Craty|        the facetious one; for the Gods too love a joke. Dionusos
37 Craty|         SOCRATES: And now, by the Gods, let us have no more of
38 Craty|        let us have no more of the Gods, for I am afraid of them;
39 Craty|      which dwells above among the Gods, whereas falsehood dwells
40 Craty|          let us get away from the Gods.~HERMOGENES: From these
41 Craty|    HERMOGENES: From these sort of Gods, by all means, Socrates.
42 Craty|           discuss another kind of Gods—the sun, moon, stars, earth,
43 Craty|           not this be the mind of Gods, or of men, or of both?~
44 Craty|           as I said before of the Gods, that of the truth about
45 Craty|         any perplexity have their gods waiting in the air; and
46 Craty|      fashion, by saying that ‘the Gods gave the first names, and