Ath。And，Omostexcellentandbestofmen，doIunderstandyoutomeanthattheyarecarelessbecausetheyareignorant，anddonotknowthattheyoughttotakecare，orthattheyknow，andyetlikethemeanestsortofmen，knowingthebetter，choosetheworsebecausetheyareovercomebypleasuresandpains？
　　Cle。Impossible。
　　Ath。Donotallhumanthingspartakeofthenatureofsoul？Andisnotmanthemostreligiousofallanimals？
　　Cle。Thatisnottobedenied。
　　Ath。AndweacknowledgethatallmortalcreaturesarethepropertyoftheGods，towhomalsothewholeofheavenbelongs？
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。And，therefore，whetherapersonsaysthatthesethingsaretotheGodsgreatorsmall-ineithercaseitwouldnotbenaturalfortheGodswhoownus，andwhoarethemostcarefulandthebestofownerstoneglectus-Thereisalsoafurtherconsideration。
　　Cle。Whatisit？
　　Ath。Sensationandpowerareinaninverseratiotoeachotherinrespecttotheircaseanddifficulty。
　　Cle。Whatdoyoumean？
　　Ath。Imeanthatthereisgreaterdifficultyinseeingandhearingthesmallthanthegreat，butmorefacilityinmovingandcontrollingandtakingcareofandunimportantthingsthanoftheiropposites。
　　Cle。Farmore。
　　Ath。Supposethecaseofaphysicianwhoiswillingandabletocuresomelivingthingasawhole-howwillthewholefareathishandsifhetakescareonlyofthegreaterandneglectsthepartswhicharelesser？
　　Cle。Decidedlynotwell。
　　Ath。Nobetterwouldbetheresultwithpilotsorgenerals，orhouseholdersorstatesmen，oranyothersuchclass，iftheyneglectedthesmallandregardedonlythegreat；-asthebuilderssay，thelargerstonesdonotliewellwithoutthelesser。
　　Cle。Ofcoursenot。
　　Ath。Letusnot，then，deemGodinferiortohumanworkmen，who，inproportiontotheirskill，finishandperfecttheirworks，smallaswellasgreat，byoneandthesameart；orthatGod，thewisestofbeings，whoisbothwillingandabletotakecare，islikealazygood-for-nothing，oracoward，whoturnshisbackuponlabourandgivesnothoughttosmallerandeasiermatters，buttothegreateronly。
　　Cle。Never，Stranger，letusadmitasuppositionabouttheGodswhichisbothimpiousandfalse。
　　Ath。IthinkthatwehavenowarguedenoughwithhimwhodelightstoaccusetheGodsofneglect。
　　Cle。Yes。
　　Ath。Hehasbeenforcedtoacknowledgethatheisinerror，buthestillseemstometoneedsomewordsofconsolation。
　　Cle。Whatconsolationwillyouofferhim？
　　Ath。Letussaytotheyouth：-Theruleroftheuniversehasorderedallthingswithaviewtotheexcellenceandpreservationofthewhole，andeachpart，asfarasmaybe，hasanactionandpassionappropriatetoit。Overthese，downtotheleastfractionofthem，ministershavebeenappointedtopreside，whohavewroughtouttheirperfectionwithinfinitesimalexactness。Andoneoftheseportionsoftheuniverseisthineown，unhappyman，which，howeverlittle，contributestothewhole；andyoudonotseemtobeawarethatthisandeveryothercreationisforthesakeofthewhole，andinorderthatthelifeofthewholemaybeblessed；andthatyouarecreatedforthesakeofthewhole，andnotthewholeforthesakeofyou。Foreveryphysicianandeveryskilledartistdoesallthingsforthesakeofthewhole，directinghisefforttowardsthecommongood，executingthepartforthesakeofthewhole，andnotthewholeforthesakeofthepart。Andyouareannoyedbecauseyouareignoranthowwhatisbestforyouhappenstoyouandtotheuniverse，asfarasthelawsofthecommoncreationadmit。Now，asthesoulcombiningfirstwithonebodyandthenwithanotherundergoesallsortsofchanges，eitherofherself，orthroughtheinfluenceofanothersoul，allthatremainstotheplayerofthegameisthatheshouldshiftthepieces；sendingthebetternaturetothebetterplace，andtheworsetotheworse，andsoassigningtothemtheirproperportion。
　　Cle。Inwhatwaydoyoumean？
　　Ath。InawaywhichmaybesupposedtomakethecareofallthingseasytotheGods。Ifanyoneweretoformorfashionallthingswithoutanyregardtothewhole-if，forexample，heformedalivingelementofwateroutoffire，insteadofformingmanythingsoutofoneoroneoutofmanyinregularorderattainingtoafirstorsecondorthirdbirth，thetransmutationwouldhavebeeninfinite；butnowtheruleroftheworldhasawonderfullyeasytask。
　　Cle。Howso？
　　Ath。Iwillexplain：-Whenthekingsawthatouractionshadlife，andthattherewasmuchvirtueinthemandmuchvice，andthatthesoulandbody，althoughnot，liketheGodsofpopularopinion，eternal，yethavingoncecomeintoexistence，wereindestructibleforifeitherofthemhadbeendestroyed，therewouldhavebeennogenerationoflivingbeings；andwhenheobservedthatthegoodofthesoulwaseverbynaturedesignedtoprofitmen，andtheeviltoharmthem-he，seeingallthis，contrivedsotoplaceeachofthepartsthattheirpositionmightintheeasiestandbestmannerprocurethevictoryofgoodandthedefeatofevilinthewhole。Andhecontrivedageneralplanbywhichathingofacertainnaturefoundacertainseatandroom。Buttheformationofqualitieshelefttothewillsofindividuals。Foreveryoneofusismadeprettymuchwhatheisbythebentofhisdesiresandthenatureofhissoul。
　　Cle。Yes，thatisprobablytrue。
　　Ath。Thenallthingswhichhaveasoulchange，andpossessinthemselvesaprincipleofchange，andinchangingmoveaccordingtolawandtotheorderofdestiny：natureswhichhaveundergonealesserchangemovelessandontheearth’ssurface，butthosewhichhavesufferedmorechangeandhavebecomemorecriminalsinkintotheabyss，thatistosay，intoHadesandotherplacesintheworldbelow，ofwhichtheverynamesterrifymen，andwhichtheypicturetothemselvesasinadream，bothwhilealiveandwhenreleasedfromthebody。Andwheneverthesoulreceivesmoreofgoodorevilfromherownenergyandthestronginfluenceofothers-whenshehascommunionwithdivinevirtueandbecomesdivine，sheiscarriedintoanotherandbetterplace，whichisperfectinholiness；butwhenshehascommunionwithevil，thenshealsochangesthePlaceofherlife。
　　ThisisthejusticeoftheGodswhoinhabitOlympus。
　　Oyouthoryoungman，whofancythatyouareneglectedbytheGods，knowthatifyoubecomeworseyoushallgototheworsesouls，orifbettertothebetter，andineverysuccessionoflifeanddeathyouwilldoandsufferwhatlikemayfitlysufferatthehandsoflike。
　　Thisisthejusticeofheaven，whichneitheryounoranyotherunfortunatewillevergloryinescaping，andwhichtheordainingpowershavespeciallyordained；takegoodheedthereof，foritwillbesuretotakeheedofyou。Ifyousay：-Iamsmallandwillcreepintothedepthsoftheearth，orIamhighandwillflyuptoheaven，youarenotsosmallorsohighbutthatyoushallpaythefittingpenalty，eitherhereorintheworldbeloworinsomestillmoresavageplacewhitheryoushallbeconveyed。Thisisalsotheexplanationofthefateofthosewhomyousaw，whohaddoneunholyandevildeeds，andfromsmallbeginningshadgrowngreat，andyoufanciedthatfrombeingmiserabletheyhadbecomehappy；andintheiractions，asinamirror，youseemedtoseetheuniversalneglectoftheGods，notknowinghowtheymakeallthingsworktogetherandcontributetothegreatwhole。Andthinkestthou，boldman，thatthouneedestnottoknowthis？-hewhoknowsitnotcanneverformanytrueideaofthehappinessorunhappinessoflifeorholdanyrationaldiscourserespectingeither。IfCleiniasandthisourreverendcompanysucceedinbringingtoyouthatyouknownotwhatyousayoftheGods，thenwillGodhelpyou；butshouldyoudesiretohearmore，listentowhatwesaytothethirdopponent，ifyouhaveanyunderstandingwhatsoever。ForIthinkthatwehavesufficientlyprovedtheexistenceoftheGods，andthattheycareformen：-Theothernotionthattheyareappeasedbythewicked，andtakegifts，iswhatwemustnotconcedetoanyone，andwhateverymanshoulddisprovetotheutmostofhispower。
　　Cle。Verygood；letusdoasyousay。
　　Ath。Well，then，bytheGodsthemselvesIconjureyoutotellme-iftheyaretobepropitiated，howaretheytobepropitiated？
　　Whoarethey，andwhatistheirnature？Musttheynotbeatleastrulerswhohavetoorderunceasinglythewholeheaven？
　　Cle。True。
　　Ath。Andtowhatearthlyrulerscantheybecompared，orwhotothem？Howinthelesscanwefindanimageofthegreater？Aretheycharioteersofcontendingpairsofsteeds，orpilotsofvessels？
　　Perhapstheymightbecomparedtothegeneralsofarmies，ortheymightbelikenedtophysiciansprovidingagainstthediseaseswhichmakewaruponthebody，ortohusbandmenobservinganxiouslytheeffectsoftheseasonsonthegrowthofplants；orIperhaps，toshepherdsofflocks。Forasweacknowledgetheworldtobefullofmanygoodsandalsoofevils，andofmoreevilsthangoods，thereis，asweaffirm，animmortalconflictgoingonamongus，whichrequiresmarvellouswatchfulness；andinthatconflicttheGodsanddemigodsareourallies，andwearetheirproperty。Injusticeandinsolenceandfollyarethedestructionofus，andjusticeandtemperanceandwisdomareoursalvation；andtheplaceoftheselatterisinthelifeoftheGods，althoughsomevestigeofthemmayoccasionallybediscernedamongmankind。Butuponthisearthweknowthattheredwellsoulspossessinganunjustspirit，whomaybecomparedtobruteanimals，whichfawnupontheirkeepers，whetherdogsorshepherds，orthebestandmostperfectmasters；fortheyinlikemanner，asthevoicesofthewickeddeclare，prevailbyflatteryandprayersandincantations，andareallowedtomaketheirgainswithimpunity。Andthissin，whichistermeddishonesty，isanevilofthesamekindaswhatistermeddiseaseinlivingbodiesorpestilenceinyearsorseasonsoftheyear，andincitiesandgovernmentshasanothername，whichisinjustice。
　　Cle。Quitetrue。
　　Ath。WhatelsecanhesaywhodeclaresthattheGodsarealwayslenienttothedoersofunjustacts，iftheydividethespoilwiththem？Asifwolvesweretotossaportionoftheirpreytothedogs，andthey，mollifiedbythegift，sufferedthemtoteartheflocks。
　　MustnothewhomaintainsthattheGodscanbepropitiatedarguethus？
　　Cle。Preciselyso。
　　Ath。Andtowhichoftheabove-mentionedclassesofguardianswouldanymancomparetheGodswithoutabsurdity？Willhesaythattheyarelikepilots，whoarethemselvesturnedawayfromtheirdutyby“libationsofwineandthesavouroffat，“andatlastoverturnbothshipandsailors？
　　Cle。Assuredlynot。
　　Ath。Andsurelytheyarenotlikecharioteerswhoarebribedtogiveupthevictorytootherchariots？
　　Cle。ThatwouldbeafearfulimageoftheGods。
　　Ath。Noraretheylikegenerals，orphysicians，orhusbandmen，orshepherds；andnoonewouldcomparethemtodogswhohavesilencedbywolves。
　　Cle。Athingnottobespokenof。
　　Ath。AndarenotalltheGodsthechiefestofallguardians，anddotheynotguardourhighestinterests？
　　Cle。Yes；thechiefest。
　　Ath。Andshallwesaythatthosewhoguardournoblestinterests，andarethebestofguardians，areinferiorinvirtuetodogs，andtomenevenofmoderateexcellence，whowouldneverbetrayjusticeforthesakeofgiftswhichunjustmenimpiouslyofferthem？