Piety

For this very thing is the fairest of the tasks before us, to show you that it was from madness and from this thrice-wretched custom that piety came to be hated.

" When such a witness convicts the folly of men and calls upon God, what else remains for the unbelieving but judgement and condemnation?

but the only universal exhortation, and that for the whole of life, in every season, in every circumstance, straining toward the chief end, life, is piety;

In the first place, then, he tried to make his companions prudent towards the gods.

Therefore it is by coming no whit short of his power in honouring the gods that he is to look with confidence for the greatest blessing.

Yes, and you will realise the truth of what I say if, instead of waiting for the gods to appear to you in bodily presence, you are content to praise and worship them because you see their works.

The first of the forms of justice is that toward the gods, then that toward the lesser divinities, then that toward fatherland and parents, then that toward the departed;

Therefore for all the reasons that I have urged, and above all for the honor of the god whose festival he has been convicted of profaning, punish this man by casting the vote which piety and justice alike demand.

Well then, the qualities which we must possess as a foundation if we are to be happy and prosperous, namely, piety and moderation and justice and virtue in all its phases, I mentioned a moment ago.

On the other hand, they are of all men most afflicted with unreason who concede that justice is a way of life more noble and more pleasing to the gods than injustice but at the same time believe that those who follow it will live in worse case than those who have chosen the way of evil.

For I observe that those who prefer the way of injustice, thinking it the greatest good fortune to seize something that belongs to others, are in like case with animals which are lured by a bait, at the first deriving pleasure from what they seize, but the moment after finding themselves in desperate straits, while those who live a life of piety and justice pass their days in security for the pres …

First of all, then, show devotion to the gods, not merely by doing sacrifice, but also by keeping your vows;

For Zeus, who, as the myths relate and all men believe, was the father of Heracles and Tantalus, made the one immortal because of his virtue, and inflicted on the other the severest punishments because of his evil character.

Fear the gods, honor your parents, respect your friends, obey the laws.

But of this be mindful, when you plunder the land—that you show reverence towards the gods.

but remain here, if that one agrees, until the sailors have readied everything on board, and we have made our prayers to the gods.

It is true that men are compelled to bear the fortunes given by the gods;

But Agesilaus with a beaming face bade the envoys of Tissaphernes inform their master that he was profoundly grateful to him for his perjury, by which he had gained the hostility of the gods for himself and had made them allies of the Greeks.

Agesilaus had such reverence for religion, that even his enemies considered his oaths and his treaties more to be relied on than their own friendship with one another:

For where men reverence the gods, train themselves in warfare and practise obedience, there you surely find high hopes abounding.

rather I am satisfied to make it clear that while Socrates’ whole concern was to keep free from any act of impiety toward the gods or any appearance of wrong-doing toward man, he did not think it meet to beseech the jury to let him escape death;

so you tell us whether you know of any one who under my influence has fallen from piety into impiety, or from sober into wanton conduct, or from moderation in living into extravagance, or from temperate drinking into sottishness, or from strenuousness into effeminacy, or has been overcome of any other base pleasure.

For I have realized that my whole life has been spent in righteousness toward God and man,—a fact that affords the greatest satisfaction;

and he never failed to sing hymns to the gods at daybreak and to sacrifice daily to whatsoever deities the magi directed.

And Cyrus considered that the piety of his friends was a good thing for him, too;

for they believed that they would be more sure of good fortune if they revered the gods just as he did who was their sovereign and the most fortunate of all;

Truly, said Socrates, if it is conduct like this that gives you their friendship, then the gods also, it would seem, take delight in nobility of soul!

and I never wittingly lie in matters wherein I have invoked them to be my witnesses.

But what I should like very much to know is how you serve them to keep them so friendly.