the first of them is to be the common prison in the neighbourhood of the agora for the safe-keeping of the generality of offenders;another is to be in the neighbourhood of the nocturnal council,and is to be called the "House of Reformation";another,to be situated in some wild and desolate region in the centre of the country,shall be called by some name expressive of retribution.Now,men fall into impiety from three causes,which have been already mentioned,and from each of these causes arise two sorts of impiety,in all six,which are worth distinguishing,and should not all have the same punishment.For he who does not believe in Gods,and yet has a righteous nature,hates the wicked and dislikes and refuses to do injustice,and avoids unrighteous men,and loves the righteous.But they who besides believing that the world is devoid of Gods are intemperate,and have at the same time good memories and quick wits,are worse;although both of them are unbelievers,much less injury is done by the one than by the other.The one may talk loosely about the Gods and about sacrifices and oaths,and perhaps by laughing at other men he may make them like himself,if he be not punished.But the other who holds the same opinions and is called a clever man,is full of stratagem and deceit-men of this class deal in prophecy and jugglery of all kinds,and out of their ranks sometimes come tyrants and demagogues and generals and hierophants of private mysteries and the Sophists,as they are termed,with their ingenious devices.There are many kinds of unbelievers,but two only for whom legislation is required;one the hypocritical sort,whose crime is deserving of death many times over,while the other needs only bonds and admonition.In like manner also the notion that the Gods take no thought of men produces two other sorts of crimes,and the notion that they may be propitiated produces two more.Assuming these divisions,let those who have been made what they are only from want of understanding,and not from malice or an evil nature,be placed by the judge in the House of Reformation,and ordered to suffer imprisonment during a period of not less than five years.And in the meantime let them have no intercourse with the other citizens,except with members of the nocturnal council,and with them let them converse with a view to the improvement of their soul's health.And when the time of their imprisonment has expired,if any of them be of sound mind let him be restored to sane company,but if not,and if he be condemned a second time,let him be punished with death.As to that class of monstrous natures who not only believe that there are no Gods,or that they are negligent,or to be propitiated,but in contempt of mankind conjure the souls of the living and say that they can conjure the dead and promise to charm the Gods with sacrifices and prayers,and will utterly overthrow individuals and whole houses and states for the sake of money-let him who is guilty of any of these things be condemned by the court to be bound according to law in the prison which is in the centre of the land,and let no freeman ever approach him,but let him receive the rations of food appointed by the guardians of the law from the hands of the public slaves;and when he is dead let him be cast beyond the borders unburied,and if any freeman assist in burying him,let him pay the penalty of impiety to any one who is willing to bring a suit against him.But if he leaves behind him children who are fit to be citizens,let the guardians of orphans take care of them,just as they would of any other orphans,from the day on which their father is convicted.
In all these cases there should be one law,which will make men in general less liable to transgress in word or deed,and less foolish,because they will not be allowed to practise religious rites contrary to law.And let this be the simple form of the law:-No man shall have sacred rites in a private house.When he would sacrifice,let him go to the temples and hand over his offerings to the priests and priestesses,who see to the sanctity of such things,and let him pray himself,and let any one who pleases join with him in prayer.The reason of this is as follows:-Gods and temples are not easily instituted,and to establish them rightly is the work of a mighty intellect.And women especially,and men too,when they are sick or in danger,or in any sort of difficulty,or again on their receiving any good fortune,have a way of consecrating the occasion,vowing sacrifices,and promising shrines to Gods,demigods,and sons of Gods;and when they are awakened by terrible apparitions and dreams or remember visions,they find in altars and temples the remedies of them,and will fill every house and village with them,placing them in the open air,or wherever they may have had such visions;and with a view to all these cases we should obey the law.The law has also regard to the impious,and would not have them fancy that by the secret performance of these actions-by raising temples and by building altars in private houses,they can propitiate the God secretly with sacrifices and prayers,while they are really multiplying their crimes infinitely,bringing guilt from heaven upon themselves,and also upon those who permit them,and who are better men than they are;and the consequence is that the whole state reaps the fruit of their impiety,which,in a certain sense,is deserved.Assuredly God will not blame the legislator,who will enact the following law:-No one shall possess shrines of the Gods in private houses,and he who is found to possess them,and perform any sacred rites not publicly authorized-supposing the offender to be some man or woman who is not guilty of any other great and impious crime-shall be informed against by him who is acquainted with the fact,which shall be announced by him to the guardians of the law;and let them issue orders that he or she shall carry away their private rites to the public temples,and if they do not persuade them,let them inflict a penalty on them until they comply.And if a person be proven guilty of impiety,not merely from childish levity,but such as grown-up men may be guilty of,whether he have sacrificed publicly or privately to any Gods,let him be punished with death,for his sacrifice is impure.
Whether the deed has been done in earnest,or only from childish levity,let the guardians of the law determine,before they bring the matter into court and prosecute the offender for impiety.