or the best and most perfect masters; for they in like manner, as the voices of the wicked declare, prevail by flattery and prayers and incantations, and are allowed to make their gains with impunity.  And this sin, which is termed dishonesty, is an evil of the same kind as what is termed disease in living bodies or pestilence in years or seasons of the year, and in cities and governments has another name, which is injustice.

Cleinias:  Quite true.

Athenian:  What else can he say who declares that the Gods are always lenient to the doers of unjust acts, if they divide the spoil with them?  As if wolves were to toss a portion of their prey to the dogs, and they, mollified by the gift, suffered them to tear the flocks.  Must not he who maintains that the Gods can be propitiated argue thus?

Cleinias:  Precisely so.

Athenian:  And to which of the above-mentioned classes of guardians would any man compare the Gods without absurdity?  Will he say that they are like pilots, who are themselves turned away from their duty by ’libations of wine and the savour of fat,’ and at last overturn both ship and sailors?

Cleinias:  Assuredly not.

Athenian:  And surely they are not like charioteers who are bribed to give up the victory to other chariots?

Cleinias:  That would be a fearful image of the Gods.

Athenian:  Nor are they like generals, or physicians, or husbandmen, or shepherds; and no one would compare them to dogs who have been silenced by wolves.

Cleinias:  A thing not to be spoken of.

Athenian:  And are not all the Gods the chiefest of all guardians, and do they not guard our highest interests?

Cleinias:  Yes; the chiefest.

Athenian:  And shall we say that those who guard our noblest interests, and are the best of guardians, are inferior in virtue to dogs, and to men even of moderate excellence, who would never betray justice for the sake of gifts which unjust men impiously offer them?

Cleinias:  Certainly not; nor is such a notion to be endured, and he who holds this opinion may be fairly singled out and characterized as of all impious men the wickedest and most impious.

Athenian:  Then are the three assertions—­that the Gods exist, and that they take care of men, and that they can never be persuaded to do injustice, now sufficiently demonstrated?  May we say that they are?

Cleinias:  You have our entire assent to your words.

Athenian:  I have spoken with vehemence because I am zealous against evil men; and I will tell you, dear Cleinias, why I am so.  I would not have the wicked think that, having the superiority in argument, they may do as they please and act according to their various imaginations about the Gods; and this zeal has led me to speak too vehemently; but if we have at all succeeded in persuading the men to hate themselves and love their opposites, the prelude of our laws about impiety will not have been spoken in vain.