iterally, destructive considerations) in which he
attacked the belief in the gods.

This looks very plausible, and is interesting in so far as it, if correct,
affords an instance of atheism arising in a layman from actual experience,
not in a philosopher from speculation. If we ask, however, what is known
historically about Diagoras, we are told a different tale. There existed
in Athens, engraved on a bronze tablet and set up on the Acropolis, a
decree of the people offering a reward of one talent to him who should
kill Diagoras of Melos, and of two talents to him who should bring him
alive to Athens. The reason given was that he had scoffed at the
Eleusinian Mysteries and divulged what took place at them. The date of
this decree is given by a historian as 415 B.C.; that this is correct is
seen from a passage in Aristophanes's contemporary drama, _The Birds_.
Furthermore, one of the disciples of Aristotle, the literary historian
Aristoxenus, states that no trace of impiety was to be found in the works
of the dithyrambic poet Diagoras, and that, in fact, they contained
definite opinions to the contrary. A remark to the effect that Diagoras
was instrumental in drawing up the laws of Mantinea is probably due to the
same source. The context shows that the reference is to the earlier
constitution of Mantinea, which was a mixture of aristocracy and
democracy, and is praised for its excellence. It is inconceivable that, in
a Peloponnesian city during the course of, nay, presumably even before the
middle of the fifth century, a notorious atheist should have been invited
to advise on the revision of its constitution. It is more probable that
Aristoxenus adduced this fact as an additional disproof of Diagoras's
atheism, in which he evidently did not believe.

The above information explains the origin of the legend. Two fixed points
were in existence: the pious poet of _c._ 460 and the atheist who was
outlawed in 415; a bridge was constructed between them by the story of the
stolen ode. This disposes of the whole supposition of atheism growing out
of a basis of experience. But, furthermore, it must be admitted that it is
doubtful whether the poet and the atheist are one and the same person. The
interval of time between them is itself suspicious, for the poet,
according to the ancient system of calculation, must have been about forty
years old in 464, consequently between eighty and ninety in 415. (There is
general agreement that t