, and all-seeing Zeus never decrees cruel war
against them. Neither famine nor disaster ever haunt men who do true
justice; but light-heartedly they tend the fields which are all their
care. The earth bears them victual in plenty, and on the mountains the
oak bears acorns upon the top and bees in the midst. Their woolly sheep
are laden with fleeces; their women bear children like their parents.
They flourish continually with good things, and do not travel on ships,
for the grain-giving earth bears them fruit.

(ll. 238-247) But for those who practise violence and cruel deeds
far-seeing Zeus, the son of Cronos, ordains a punishment. Often even
a whole city suffers for a bad man who sins and devises presumptuous
deeds, and the son of Cronos lays great trouble upon the people, famine
and plague together, so that the men perish away, and their women do not
bear children, and their houses become few, through the contriving of
Olympian Zeus. And again, at another time, the son of Cronos either
destroys their wide army, or their walls, or else makes an end of their
ships on the sea.

(ll. 248-264) You princes, mark well this punishment you also; for the
deathless gods are near among men and mark all those who oppress their
fellows with crooked judgements, and reck not the anger of the gods. For
upon the bounteous earth Zeus has thrice ten thousand spirits, watchers
of mortal men, and these keep watch on judgements and deeds of wrong
as they roam, clothed in mist, all over the earth. And there is virgin
Justice, the daughter of Zeus, who is honoured and reverenced among
the gods who dwell on Olympus, and whenever anyone hurts her with lying
slander, she sits beside her father, Zeus the son of Cronos, and tells
him of men's wicked heart, until the people pay for the mad folly of
their princes who, evilly minded, pervert judgement and give sentence
crookedly. Keep watch against this, you princes, and make straight your
judgements, you who devour bribes; put crooked judgements altogether
from your thoughts.

(ll. 265-266) He does mischief to himself who does mischief to another,
and evil planned harms the plotter most.

(ll. 267-273) The eye of Zeus, seeing all and understanding all, beholds
these things too, if so he will, and fails not to mark what sort of
justice is this that the city keeps within it. Now, therefore, may
neither I myself be righteous among men, nor my son--for then it is
a bad thing to be righteous--if inde