tice, a heavenly life is promised to me. Since then, as
philosophers prove, appearance tyrannizes over truth and is lord of
happiness, to appearance I must devote myself. I will describe around
me a picture and shadow of virtue to be the vestibule and exterior of
my house; behind I will trail the subtle and crafty fox, as
Archilochus, greatest of sages, recommends. But I hear some one
exclaiming that the concealment of wickedness is often difficult; to
which I answer, Nothing great is easy. Nevertheless, the argument
indicates this, if we would be happy, to be the path along which we
should proceed. With a view to concealment we will establish secret
brotherhoods and political clubs. And there are professors of rhetoric
who teach the art of persuading courts and assemblies; and so, partly
by persuasion and partly by force, I shall make unlawful gains and not
be punished. Still I hear a voice saying that the gods cannot be
deceived, neither can they be compelled. But what if there are no
gods? or, suppose them to have no care of human things--why in either
case should we mind about concealment? And even if there are gods, and
they do care about us, yet we know of them only from tradition and the
genealogies of the poets; and these are the very persons who say that
they may be influenced and turned by 'sacrifices and soothing
entreaties and by offerings.' Let us be consistent then, and believe
both or neither. If the poets speak truly, why then we had better be
unjust, and offer of the fruits of injustice; for if we are just,
although we may escape the vengeance of heaven, we shall lose the gains
of injustice; but, if we are unjust, we shall keep the gains, and by
our sinning and praying, and praying and sinning, the gods will be
propitiated, and we shall not be punished. 'But there is a world below
in which either we or our posterity will suffer for our unjust deeds.'
Yes, my friend, will be the reflection, but there are mysteries and
atoning deities, and these have great power. That is what mighty
cities declare; and the children of the gods, who were their poets and
prophets, bear a like testimony.

On what principle, then, shall we any longer choose justice rather than
the worst injustice? when, if we only unite the latter with a deceitful
regard to appearances, we shall fare to our mind both with gods and
men, in life and after death, as the most numerous and the highest
authorities tell us. Knowing all