Ath.In a way which may be supposed to make the care of all things easy to the Gods.If any one were to form or fashion all things without any regard to the whole-if,for example,he formed a living element of water out of fire,instead of forming many things out of one or one out of many in regular order attaining to a first or second or third birth,the transmutation would have been infinite;but now the ruler of the world has a wonderfully easy task.
Cle.How so?
Ath.I will explain:-When the king saw that our actions had life,and that there was much virtue in them and much vice,and that the soul and body,although not,like the Gods of popular opinion,eternal,yet having once come into existence,were indestructible (for if either of them had been destroyed,there would have been no generation of living beings);and when he observed that the good of the soul was ever by nature designed to profit men,and the evil to harm them-he,seeing all this,contrived so to place each of the parts that their position might in the easiest and best manner procure the victory of good and the defeat of evil in the whole.And he contrived a general plan by which a thing of a certain nature found a certain seat and room.But the formation of qualities he left to the wills of individuals.For every one of us is made pretty much what he is by the bent of his desires and the nature of his soul.
Cle.Yes,that is probably true.
Ath.Then all things which have a soul change,and possess in themselves a principle of change,and in changing move according to law and to the order of destiny:natures which have undergone a lesser change move less and on the earth's surface,but those which have suffered more change and have become more criminal sink into the abyss,that is to say,into Hades and other places in the world below,of which the very names terrify men,and which they picture to themselves as in a dream,both while alive and when released from the body.And whenever the soul receives more of good or evil from her own energy and the strong influence of others-when she has communion with divine virtue and becomes divine,she is carried into another and better place,which is perfect in holiness;but when she has communion with evil,then she also changes the Place of her life.
This is the justice of the Gods who inhabit Olympus.
O youth or young man,who fancy that you are neglected by the Gods,know that if you become worse you shall go to the worse souls,or if better to the better,and in every succession of life and death you will do and suffer what like may fitly suffer at the hands of like.
This is the justice of heaven,which neither you nor any other unfortunate will ever glory in escaping,and which the ordaining powers have specially ordained;take good heed thereof,for it will be sure to take heed of you.If you say:-I am small and will creep into the depths of the earth,or I am high and will fly up to heaven,you are not so small or so high but that you shall pay the fitting penalty,either here or in the world below or in some still more savage place whither you shall be conveyed.This is also the explanation of the fate of those whom you saw,who had done unholy and evil deeds,and from small beginnings had grown great,and you fancied that from being miserable they had become happy;and in their actions,as in a mirror,you seemed to see the universal neglect of the Gods,not knowing how they make all things work together and contribute to the great whole.And thinkest thou,bold man,that thou needest not to know this?-he who knows it not can never form any true idea of the happiness or unhappiness of life or hold any rational discourse respecting either.If Cleinias and this our reverend company succeed in bringing to you that you know not what you say of the Gods,then will God help you;but should you desire to hear more,listen to what we say to the third opponent,if you have any understanding whatsoever.For I think that we have sufficiently proved the existence of the Gods,and that they care for men:-The other notion that they are appeased by the wicked,and take gifts,is what we must not concede to any one,and what every man should disprove to the utmost of his power.
Cle.Very good;let us do as you say.
Ath.Well,then,by the Gods themselves I conjure you to tell me-if they are to be propitiated,how are they to be propitiated?
Who are they,and what is their nature?Must they not be at least rulers who have to order unceasingly the whole heaven?
Cle.True.
Ath.And to what earthly rulers can they be compared,or who to them?How in the less can we find an image of the greater?Are they charioteers of contending pairs of steeds,or pilots of vessels?