Euthydemus

​SOCRATES: ‘Are these then,’ he said, ‘the things you think are yours, over which you rule and which it is permitted to you to use in whatever way you wish? For example, an ox and a sheep, would you think these are yours, which it would be permitted to you both to sell, and to give, and to sacrifice to whichever of the gods you wished? And those which are not so, are they not yours?’ And I (for I knew that something beautiful would emerge from these questions, and at the same time wishing to hear it as quickly as possible) said, ‘By all means, it is so; only such things are mine.’— ‘What then?’ he said. ‘Do you not call those things animals which have a soul?’ ’Yes,’ I said.— ‘Do you agree, then, that of animals only those are yours, concerning which you have the authority to do all these things that I was just now saying?’ ‘—I agree.’ And he, pausing very ironically as if contemplating something great, said, ‘Tell me, O Socrates, is there a paternal Zeus for you?’ —And I, suspecting that the argument would arrive where it ended, was already seeking some escape route and twisting about as if caught in a net, and said, ‘There is not, O Dionysodorus.’— ‘A wretched man you must be then,’ he said, ‘ and not even an Athenian, to whom there are neither paternal gods, nor sanctuaries, nor any other beautiful and good thing.’ —‘Hush,’ I said, ‘O Dionysodorus, speak auspiciously and do not teach me so harshly. For indeed I have both altars and private and ancestral sanctuaries, and all the other things of that kind which other Athenians have.’— ‘Then,’ he said, ‘is there not a paternal Zeus for the other Athenians?’ —‘There is not,’ I said, ‘this title for any of the Ionians, neither those who have migrated from this city nor for us, but Apollo is our ancestral god on account of the birth of Ion. Zeus is not called ancestral among us, but of the courtyard and of the phratry, and Athena is of the phratry.’— ‘But indeed it is enough,’ Dionysodorus said, ‘for there are for you, as it seems, Apollo, Zeus, and Athena.’ —‘Certainly,’ I said.— ‘Therefore these also would be gods for you?’ he said.—‘Ancestors,’ I said, ‘and masters.’— ‘But at any rate they are yours,’ he said. ‘Or did you not agree that they are yours?’ —‘I agree,’ I said. ‘For what choice do I have?’— ‘Therefore,’ he said, ‘are these gods also animals? For you agreed that whatever things have a soul are animals. Or do these gods not have a soul?’ —‘They have,’ I said.— ‘Therefore are they also animals?’ —‘Animals,’ I said.— ‘And indeed, of animals,’ he said, ‘you agreed that those are yours, which it would be permitted to you both to give and to sell, and indeed to sacrifice to whatever god you wished.’ —‘I agree,’ I said, ‘for there is no backing out for me, O Euthydemus.’