ctator," No. 207.

If with scant means he offered but small sacrifices he believed that he
was in no wise inferior to those who make frequent and large sacrifices
from an ampler store. It were ill surely for the very gods themselves,
could they take delight in large sacrifices rather than in small, else
oftentimes must the offerings of bad men be found acceptable rather
than of good; nor from the point of view of men themselves would life
be worth living if the offerings of a villain rather than of a righteous
man found favour in the sight of Heaven. His belief was that the joy of
the gods is greater in proportion to the holiness of the giver, and he
was ever an admirer of that line of Hesiod which says,

According to thine ability do sacrifice to the immortal gods. (4)

(4) Hesiod, "Works and Days," 336. See "Anab." III. ii. 9.

"Yes," he would say, "in our dealings with friends and strangers alike,
and in reference to the demands of life in general, there is no better
motto for a man than that: 'let a man do according to his ability.'"

Or to take another point. If it appeared to him that a sign from
heaven had been given him, nothing would have induced him to go against
heavenly warning: he would as soon have been persuaded to accept the
guidance of a blind man ignorant of the path to lead him on a journey
in place of one who knew the road and could see; and so he denounced the
folly of others who do things contrary to the warnings of God in order
to avoid some disrepute among men. For himself he despised all human
aids by comparison with counsel from above.

The habit and style of living to which he subjected his soul and body
was one which under ordinary circumstances (5) would enable any one
adopting it to look existence cheerily in the face and to pass his days
serenely: it would certainly entail no difficulties as regards expense.
So frugal was it that a man must work little indeed who could not earn
the quantum which contented Socrates. Of food he took just enough
to make eating a pleasure--the appetite he brought to it was sauce
sufficient; while as to drinks, seeing that he only drank when thirsty,
any draught refreshed. (6) If he accepted an invitation to dinner, he
had no difficulty in avoiding the common snare of over-indulgence, and
his advice to people who could not equally control their appetite was to
avoid taking what would allure them to eat if not hungry or to drink if
not thirsty. (7) Suc