Socrates: And what is pietyPiety: Religious devotion and reverence to the gods; performing one's religious duties and obligations correctly., and what is impietyImpiety: Lack of reverence for the gods; failing to fulfill religious duties; actions that offend the gods.?
Euthyphro: Piety is doing as I am doing; that is to say, prosecuting anyone who is guilty of murder, sacrilegeSacrilege: The violation or profanation of anything sacred or held sacred; a serious offense against a sacred person, thing, or idea., or of any similar [e] crime-whether he be your father or mother, or whoever he may be-that makes no difference; and not to prosecute them is impiety. And please to consider, Socrates, what a notable proof I will give you of the truth of my words, a proof which I have already given to others:-of the principlePrinciple: A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior; a basic assumption from which a chain of reasoning may be traced., I mean, that the impious, whoever he may be, ought not to go unpunished. For do not men regard ZeusZeus: In Greek mythology, the king of the gods, ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky, thunder and lightning. Son of Cronus (Chronos) and Rhea. as the best [6] and most righteousRighteous: Morally right or justifiable; virtuous. of the gods?-and yet they admit that he bound his father (ChronosChronos (or Cronus): In Greek mythology, the leader of the Titans who overthrew his father Uranus. He later devoured his own children to prevent them from overthrowing him, but was ultimately defeated by his son Zeus.) because he wickedly devoured his sons, and that he too had punished his own father (UranusUranus: In Greek mythology, the primordial god of the sky, father of the Titans including Chronos. According to myth, he was castrated by his son Chronos at the urging of Gaia.) for a similar reason, in a nameless mannerNameless manner: Referring to the castration of Uranus by Chronos, which was considered too terrible or taboo to name directly in conversation.. And yet when I proceed against my father, they are angry with me. So inconsistentInconsistent: Lacking agreement or harmony; self-contradictory; not in keeping with a principle or position previously adopted. are they in their way of talking when the gods are concerned, and when I am concerned.
Socrates: May not this be the reason, Euthyphro, why I am charged with impietyImpiety: In this context, Socrates was charged with impiety for allegedly corrupting the youth and not believing in the city's gods.-that I cannot do away with these stories about the gods? And therefore I suppose that people think
me wrong. But, as you who are well informed about them approve of them, I cannot do better than [b] assentAssent: To express agreement or acceptance of a statement or proposal. to your superior wisdomSuperior wisdom: Socrates is using irony here, a common technique in his dialogues. He pretends to defer to Euthyphro's supposedly greater knowledge while subtly questioning it.. What else can I say, confessing as I do, that I know nothing about them? Tell me, for the love of Zeus, whether you really believe that they are true.
Euthyphro: Yes, Socrates; and things more wonderful still, of which the world is in ignoranceIgnorance: Lack of knowledge or information; the state of being unaware..
Socrates: And do you really believe that the gods, fought with one another, and had dire quarrelsDire quarrels: Terrible or serious disputes; refers to the violent conflicts between gods described in Greek mythology., battles, and the like, as the poetsPoets: Referring primarily to Homer and Hesiod, whose works included many tales of the gods and their conflicts. say, [c] and as you may see represented in the works of great artists? The temples are full of them; and notably the robe of AthenaRobe of Athena: The peplos, a ceremonial robe presented to the statue of Athena during the Panathenaic festival, decorated with scenes from mythological battles., which is carried up to the AcropolisAcropolis: The citadel of ancient Athens, built on a high rocky outcrop containing several ancient buildings including the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena. at the great PanathenaeaPanathenaea: A major religious festival held in Athens in honor of Athena, the patron goddess of the city. It included processions, sacrifices, athletic competitions, and cultural events., is embroidered with them. Are all these tales of the gods true, Euthyphro?
Euthyphro: Yes, Socrates; and, as I was saying, I can tell you, if you would like to hear them, many other things about the gods which would quite amaze you.
Socrates: I dare say; and you shall tell me them at some other time when I have leisure. But just at present I would rather hear from you a [d] more precisePrecise: Exact, accurate, and clearly defined, without vagueness or ambiguity. answer, which you have not as yet given, my friend, to the question, What is "piety"? When asked, you only replied, Doing as you do, charging your father with murder.
Euthyphro: And what I said was true, Socrates.
Socrates: No doubt, Euthyphro; but you would admit that there are many other pious acts?
Euthyphro: There are.
Socrates: Remember that I did not ask you to give me two or three examplesExamples: Particular instances that illustrate a general principle. Socrates is looking for the essence or definition of piety, not just examples of pious actions. of piety, but to explain the general ideaGeneral idea: This reflects Socrates' (and Plato's) concern with finding universal definitions or "forms" – the essential nature that makes all instances of a concept what they are. which makes all pious things to be pious. Do you not recollect that there was one idea which made the impious impious, and the pious pious?
Euthyphro: I remember.
[e] Socrates: Tell me what the natureNature: The fundamental qualities or properties that define something; its essence. of this idea is, and then I shall have a standardStandard: A basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated. to which I may look, and by which I may measureMeasure: To evaluate or assess according to a standard. Socrates seeks a definition that can serve as a reliable criterion for judging actions. actions, whether yours or those of anyone else, and then I shall be able to say that such and such an action is pious, such another impious.
Euthyphro: I will tell you, if you like.
Socrates: I should very much like.
From Plato's "Euthyphro," translated by Benjamin Jowett