Page:The works of Plato, A new and literal version, (vol 6) (Burges, 1854).djvu/40

28 [Jupiter];$10$ and after this follows Puroeis, [Mars,]$11$ which has the reddest colour of all. Of these things when a person is speaking, it is not difficult to have a notion; but after learning, it is requisite to think of them, as we have said.

[10.] This however it is necessary for every Greek to have in his thoughts, that we inhabit a spot, Belonging to the Greeks, nearly the best, as regards virtue. But it is proper to say that it deserves praise for being situated in the middle of the natural qualities of summer and winter. But though its nature, as regards summer, falls short of that, which belongs to the region there, as I have stated, it gave subsequently to them the mental perception relating to these gods of the world. Let us then admit that, whatever the Greeks have received from the Barbarians, they work it out to a more beautiful end. And the very same notion we ought to have with respect to what has been said now, that it is difficult to discover all matters of this kind without feeling a doubt. There is however a hope, both much and glorious, that the Greeks will respect all these divinities in a manner more beautiful and more just than the tradition, which has come from the Barbarians, by employing both discipline and the Delphic oracles and every attention according to the laws. Nor let any Greek be afraid of this, that mortals ought not to busy themselves about divine matters; but to think quite the contrary of this, that the deity is not senseless, nor ignorant of human nature; but knows that, where he teaches, (man) will follow, and learn what has been taught; and that he surely knows that he does teach us this very thing, and that we learn both number and to number. For being ignorant of this, he would be the most stupid of all beings. For, according to the saying, he would