Soc. But now, he who honours lawfully honours as he ought? (10)
(10) "As he should and must."
Euth. I see no alternative.
Soc. And he who honours as he ought is a pious man?
Euth. Certainly.
Soc. It would appear that he who knows what the law requires with respect to the gods will correctly be defined as a pious man, and that is our definition?
So it appears to me, at any rate (he replied). (11)
(11) "I accept it at any rate as mine." N.B.—in reference to this
definition of Piety, the question is never raised {poion ti esti
nomos}; nor yet {poioi tines eisin oi theoi}; but clearly there is
a growth in {ta nomima}. Cf. the conversation recorded in St. John
iv. 7 foll., and the words (verse 23) {pneuma o Theos kai tous
proskunountas auton en pneumati kai aletheia dei proskunein},
which the philosopher Socrates would perhaps readily have assented
to.
Soc. But now, with regard to human beings; is it allowable to deal with men in any way one pleases? (12)
(12) Or, "may a man deal with his fellow-men arbitrarily according to
his fancy?" See above, II. vii. 8.