Dialogue

 1 Repub|         about offerings due to the gods or debts which he owes to
 2 Repub|         friend, I said, surely the gods are just? ~Granted that
 3 Repub|           will be the enemy of the gods, and the just will be their
 4 Repub|          and dedicate gifts to the gods abundantly and magnificently,
 5 Repub|   magnificently, and can honor the gods or any man whom he wants
 6 Repub|        dearer than they are to the gods. And thus, Socrates, gods
 7 Repub|          gods. And thus, Socrates, gods and men are said to unite
 8 Repub|            the good opinion of the gods, and will tell you of a
 9 Repub|        first of whom says that the gods make the oaks of the just - ~"
10 Repub|      speaking about virtue and the gods: they say that the gods
11 Repub|            gods: they say that the gods apportion calamity and misery
12 Repub|           committed to them by the gods of making an atonement for
13 Repub|        near. But before virtue the gods have set toil," ~and a tedious
14 Repub|        Homer as a witness that the gods may be influenced by men;
15 Repub|            for he also says: ~"The gods, too, may be turned from
16 Repub|         vice, and the way in which gods and men regard them, how
17 Repub|            a voice saying that the gods cannot be deceived, neither
18 Repub|           But what if there are no gods? or, suppose them to have
19 Repub| concealment? And even if there are gods, and they do care about
20 Repub|           praying and sinning, the gods will be propitiated, and
21 Repub|            and the children of the gods, who were their poets and
22 Repub|         fare to our mind both with gods and men, in life and after
23 Repub|          whether seen or unseen by gods and men. ~I had always admired
24 Repub|         hymning the praises of the gods, in happy converse with
25 Repub|           is made of the nature of gods and heroes-as when a painter
26 Repub|       first and greatest among the gods. ~I entirely agree with
27 Repub|         plots and fightings of the gods against one another, for
28 Repub|      innumerable other quarrels of gods and heroes with their friends
29 Repub|         and all the battles of the gods in Homer-these tales must
30 Repub|       strife and contention of the gods were instigated by Themis
31 Repub|          principles concerning the gods, to which our poets and
32 Repub|           poets tell us that ~"The gods, taking the disguise of
33 Repub|          myths-telling how certain gods, as they say, "Go about
34 Repub|        speak blasphemy against the gods. ~Heaven forbid, he said. ~
35 Repub|            said. ~But although the gods are themselves unchangeable,
36 Repub|            be allowed, is hated of gods and men? ~What do you mean?
37 Repub|           is hated not only by the gods, but also by men? ~Yes. ~
38 Repub|           about divine things. The gods are not magicians who transform
39 Repub|            of sentiments about the gods which will arouse our anger;
40 Repub|            true worshippers of the gods and like them. ~I entirely
41 Repub|          we mean them to honor the gods and their parents, and to
42 Repub|         grim and squalid which the gods abhor should be seen both
43 Repub|          Priam, the kinsman of the gods, as praying and beseeching, ~"
44 Repub|        events not to introduce the gods lamenting and saying, ~"
45 Repub|           if he must introduce the gods, at any rate let him not
46 Repub|   misrepresent the greatest of the gods, as to make him say - ~"
47 Repub|    unworthy representations of the gods, instead of laughing at
48 Repub|            a representation of the gods be allowed. ~Still less
49 Repub|        allowed. ~Still less of the gods, as you say, he replied. ~
50 Repub|    expression to be used about the gods as that of Homer when he
51 Repub|            arose among the blessed gods, when they saw Hephaestus
52 Repub|            a lie is useless to the gods, and useful only as a medicine
53 Repub|          of Zeus, who, while other gods and men were asleep and
54 Repub|         them of ~"Gifts persuading gods, and persuading reverend
55 Repub|            overweening contempt of gods and men. ~You are quite
56 Repub|        persuade our youth that the gods are the authors of evil,
57 Repub|          evil cannot come from the gods. ~Assuredly not. And, further,
58 Repub|            by ~"The kindred of the gods, the relatives of Zeus,
59 Repub|            us. The manner in which gods and demigods and heroes
60 Repub|         priest came and prayed the gods on behalf of the Greeks
61 Repub|           and vaunting against the gods in conceit of her happiness,
62 Repub|            sacrifice to the proper gods and prepare their dwellings. ~
63 Repub|         offering sacrifices to the gods on their own account, and
64 Repub|          and the entire service of gods, demigods, and heroes; also
65 Repub|          whether seen or unseen by gods and men. ~Nonsense, said
66 Repub|          whether seen or unseen of gods and men, or to be unjust
67 Repub|         arms at the temples of the gods, least of all the arms of
68 Repub|           fair are children of the gods; and as to the sweet "honey-pale,"
69 Repub|          And which, I said, of the gods in heaven would you say
70 Repub|        from the world below to the gods? ~By all means, he replied. ~
71 Repub|            men who are dear to the gods, and are their best guardians
72 Repub|        over men, but also over the gods? ~That he will. ~And the
73 Repub|          whether seen or unseen by gods and men"? ~Let the words
74 Repub|            the earth; he makes the gods also. ~He must be a wizard
75 Repub|       conviction that hymns to the gods and praises of famous men
76 Repub|           procure to the soul from gods and men, both in life and
77 Repub|        possibly escape the eyes of gods and men, still this admission
78 Repub|            in which she is held by gods and men and which we acknowledge
79 Repub|       unjust is truly known to the gods. ~Granted. ~And if they
80 Repub|         the other the enemy of the gods, as we admitted from the
81 Repub|              And the friend of the gods may be supposed to receive
82 Repub|            life and death; for the gods have a care of anyone whose
83 Repub|         palms of victory which the gods give the just? ~That is
84 Repub|          bestowed upon the just by gods and men in this present
85 Repub|            Of piety and impiety to gods and parents, and of murderers,
86 Repub|          he accused chance and the gods, and everything rather than
87 Repub|          to one another and to the gods, both while remaining here