The same also in Hippolytus: But the gods do not judge these things rightly. And in the Ion: But what do I care for the daughter of Erechtheus? It is nothing to me. But with golden ewers, going to the lustral basins, I will pour out dew. But Phoebus must be admonished by me. Why does he act so, wedding virgins by force? He betrays the children he begets in secret, he neglects them as they die. Not you; but since you rule, pursue virtue. For, whoever of mortals is wicked, the gods punish. How then is it just that you, who have written the laws for mortals, should yourselves be guilty of injustice? But if you are not present, I will use my argument: you will pay the penalty to men for your violent unions, you and Poseidon and Zeus, who rules heaven, paying for your injustices you will empty your temples. For pursuing pleasures beyond foresight, you do wrong. It is no longer just to call men evil, if we imitate the 'noble' acts of the gods, but rather those who taught these things. And in Archelaus: The gods, O child, trip men up in many ways. And in Bellerophon: If the gods do anything base, they are not gods. And again in the same: Does someone say there are gods in heaven? There are not, there are not; if anyone among men says so, let him not, being a fool, use the old argument. But examine these things for yourselves, not holding an opinion based on my words. I say that tyranny both kills very many and deprives them of their possessions, and transgressing oaths, sacks cities; And those who do these things are more fortunate than those who live piously in peace day by day. And I know of small cities that honour the gods, which are subject to larger, more impious ones, being overcome by a greater number of spears. And I think for you, if any one being idle should pray to the gods and not gather a living with his hand, evil misfortunes build up the divine things. And Menander in Diphilus: Therefore one must always honour only him who is Lord of all and Father to the end, the finder and creator of so many good things. The same in The Fishermen: For that which nourishes me, this I judge to be a god. But that which is accustomed to nourish has no need of that from the one in need

Ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ ἐν Ἱππολύτῳ· Ἀλλ' οὐ γὰρ ὀρθῶς ταῦτα κρίνουσιν θεοί. Καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἴωνι· Ἀτὰρ θυγατρὸς τῆς Ἐρεχθέως τί μοι Μέλει; Προσῆκε μ' οὐθέν. Ἀλλὰ χρυσέαις Πρόχοισιν, ἐλθὼν εἰς ἀποῤῥαντήρια, ∆ρόσον καθήσω. Νουθετητέος δέ μοι Φοῖβος. Τί παρέχει, παρθένους βίᾳ γαμῶν; Προδίδωσι παῖδας ἐκτεκνούμενος λάθρα, Θνήσκοντας ἀμελεῖ. Μὴ σύ γ'· ἀλλ', ἐπεὶ κρατεῖς, Ἀρετὰς δίωκε. Καὶ γάρ, ὅστις ἂν βροτῶν Κακὸς πεφύκῃ, ζημιοῦσιν οἱ θεοί. Πῶς οὖν δίκαιον, τοὺς νόμους ὑμᾶς βροτοῖς Γράψαντας αὐτοὺς ἀδικίας ὀφλισκάνειν; Eἰ δ' οὐ πάρεστε, τῷ λόγῳ κεχρήσομαι· ∆ίκας βιαίων δώσετ' ἀνθρώποις γάμων, Σὺ καὶ Ποσειδῶν Ζεύς θ', ὃς οὐρανοῦ κρατεῖ, Ναοὺς τίνοντες ἀδικίας κενώσετε. Τὰς ἡδονὰς γὰρ τῆς προμηθείας πέραν Σπεύδοντες ἀδικεῖτ'. Oὐκέτ' ἀνθρώπους κακοὺς Λέγειν δίκαιον, εἰ τὰ τῶν θεῶν καλὰ Μιμούμεθ', ἀλλὰ τοὺς διδάξαντας τάδε. Καὶ ἐν Ἀρχελάῳ· Πόλλ', ὦ τέκνον, σφάλλουσιν ἀνθρώπους θεοί. Καὶ ἐν Βελλεροφόντῃ· Eἰ θεοί τι δρῶσι φαῦλον, οὐκ εἰσὶν θεοί. Καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ· Φησίν τις εἶναι δῆτ' ἐν οὐρανῷ θεούς; Oὐκ εἰσίν, οὐκ εἴσ'· εἴ τις ἀνθρώπων λέγει, Μὴ τῷ παλαιῷ μῶρος ὢν χρήσθω λόγῳ. Σκέψασθε δ' αὐτά, μὴ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις Γνώμην ἔχοντες. Φήμ' ἐγὼ τυραννίδα Κτείνειν τε πλείστους κτημάτων τ' ἀποστερεῖν Ὅρκους τε παραβαίνοντας ἐκπορθεῖν πόλεις· Καὶ ταῦτα δρῶντες μᾶλλόν εἰσ' εὐδαίμονες Τῶν εὐσεβούντων ἡσυχῇ καθ' ἡμέραν. Πόλεις τε μικρὰς οἶδα τιμώσας θεούς, Aἳ μειζόνων κλύουσι δυσσεβεστέρων Λόγχης ἀριθμῷ πλείονος κρατούμεναι. Oἶμαι δ' ἂν ὑμᾶς, εἴ τις ἀργὸς ὢν θεοῖς Eὔχοιτο καὶ μὴ χειρὶ συλλέγοι βίον, Τὰ θεῖα πυργοῦσ' αἱ κακαί τε συμφοραί. Καὶ Μένανδρος ἐν ∆ιφίλῳ· ∆ιότι τὸν ὄντα κύριον πάντων ἀεὶ Καὶ πατέρα τοῦτον διὰ τέλους τιμᾶν μόνον, Ἀγαθῶν τοσούτων εὑρετὴν καὶ κτίστορα. Ὁ αὐτὸς ἐν Ἁλιεῦσι· Τὸ γὰρ τρέφον με τοῦτ' ἐγὼ κρίνω θεόν. Τὸ δ' εἰθισμένον τρέφειν οὐ δεῖται τῆς παρὰ τοῦ δεομένου