P. 47. Democritus: Reinhardt in _Hermes_, xlvii (1912), p. 503 In spite of Wilamowitz’s objections (in his _Platon_, ii. p. 214), I still consider it probable that Plato alludes to a philosophical theory.—Protagoras on the original state: _Vorsokr._ 74, B 8_b_. P. 48. Euripides: _Electra, 737_ (Euripides does not believe in the tale that the sun reversed its course on account of Thyestes’s fraud against Atreus, and then adds: “Fables that terrify men are a profit to the worship of the gods”).—Aristotle: _Metaph._ A 8, 1074_b_; see text, p. 85.—Polybius: vi. 56; see text pp. 90 and 114.—Plato’s _Gorgias_, p. 482 and foll. P. 49.—Callicles: see _e.g._ Wilamowitz, _Platon_, i. p. 208. P. 50.—Thrasymachus: Plato, _Rep._ i. pp. 338_c_, 343_a_; comp. also ii. p. 358_b_. His remark on Providence (_Vorsokr._ 78, B 8) runs thus: “The gods do not see the things that are done among men; if they did, they would not overlook the greatest human good, justice. For we find that men do not follow it.” Comp. text, p. 61.—Diagoras as Critias’s source: Nestle, _Jahrbb._, 1903, p. 101. P. 51. Euripides: see W. Nestle, _Euripides_ (Stuttgart, 1901) pp. 51-152. Here, too, the material is set forth exhaustively; the results seem to me inadmissible. Browning’s theory (_The Ring and the Book_, x. 1661 foll.) that Euripides did believe in the existence of the gods, but did not believe them to be perfect, is a possible, perhaps even a probable, explanation of many of his utterances; but it will hardly fit all of them. I have examined the question in an essay, “Browning om Euripides” in my _Udvalgte Afhandlinger_, p. 55. P. 52. Gods identified with the Elements: _Bacch._ 274; fragm. 839. 877, 941 (Nestle, p. 153). P. 53. Polemic against sophists: Nestle, p. 206.—_Bellerophon_: fragm. 286. P. 54. “If the gods——”: fragm. 292, 7. P. 55. _Melanippe_: fragm. 480. The words are said to have given offence at the rehearsal, so that Euripides altered them at the production of the play (Plut. _Amat._ ch. 13).—Aeschylus: _Agam._ 160.—Aristophanes: _Thesmoph._ 450.—In the _Frogs_, 892, Euripides prays to the Ether and other abstractions, not to the gods.—_Clouds_: 1371. P. 56. Plato: _Republ._ viii. p. 568a.—Quotation from _Melanippe_: Plut. _Amat._ 13. P. 57. Aristophanes and Naturalism: see note to p. 30. P. 58. Denial of the gods in the _Clouds_, 247, 367, 380, 423, 627, 817, 825, 1232.—Moral of the piece: 1452-1510.—In Aristophanes’s own travesties of the gods, scholars have found evidence for a weakening of popular belief, but this is certainly wrong; comp. Decharme, p. 109.—Words like “believe” and “belief” do not cover the Greek word νομίζειν, which signifies at once “believe” and “be in the habit,” “use habitually,” so that it covers both belief and worship—an ambiguity that is characteristic of Greek religion.—Xenophon: _Memorab._ i. 1; _Apol. Socr._ 10 and foll. P. 59. Plato: _Apol._ p. 24_b_ (the indictment); 26_b_ (the refutation).