THE REPUBLIC OF PLATO - Studyplace

II. 364] JUSTICE VALUED FOR ITS RESULTS 49
them a bad name, and make out that the unjust suffer all those
penalties which Glaucon described as falling upon the good man
who has a bad reputation: they can think of no others. That is
how justice is recommended and injustice denounced.
Besides all this, think of the way in which justice and injustice
are spoken of, not only in ordinary life, but by the poets. All with
one voice reiterate that self-control and justice, admirable as they
may be, are difficult and irksome, whereas vice and injustice are
pleasant and very easily to be had; it is mere convention to regard
them as discreditable. They tell us that dishonesty generally pays
better than honesty. They will cheerfully speak of a bad man as
happy and load him with honours and social esteem, provided he
be rich and otherwise powerful; while they despise and disregard
one who has neither power nor wealth, though all the while they
acknowledge that he is the better man of the two.
Most surprising of all is what they say about the gods and virtue:
that heaven itself often allots misfortunes and a hard life to the
good man, and gives prosperity to the wicked. Mendicant priests
and soothsayers come to the rich man's door with a story of a power
they possess by the gift of heaven to atone for any offence that he
or his ancestors have committed with incantations and sacrifice,
agreeably accompanied by feasting. If he wishes to injure an enemy,
he can, at a trifling expense, do him a hurt with equal ease, whether
he be an honest man or not, by means of certain invocations and
spells which, as they profess, prevail upon the gods to do their
bidding. In support of all these claims they call the: poets to witness.
Some, by way of advertising the easiness of vice, quote the words:
'Unto wickedness men attain easily and in multitudes; smooth is
the way and her dwelling is very near at hand. But the gods have
ordained much sweat upon the path to virtue' 1 and a long road
that is rough and steep.
Others, to show that men can turn the gods from their purpose,
cite Homer: 'Even the gods themselves listen to entreaty. Their
hearts are turned by the entreaties of men with sacrifice and humble
prayers and libation and burnt offering, whensoever anyone
1 Hesiod. Works and Days, 287.