(But since my discourse has come back again to the beginning as I have so long wished, I think it is worth while for me to describe next in order what sort of man a priest ought to be, in order that he may justly be honoured himself and may cause the gods to be honoured. For as for us, we ought not to investigate or enquire as to his conduct, but so long as a man is called a priest we ought to honour and cherish him, but if he prove to be wicked we ought to allow his priestly office to be taken away from him, since he has shown himself unworthy of it. But so long as he sacrifices for us and makes offerings and stands in the presence of the gods, we must regard him with respect and reverence as the most highly honoured chattel(515) of the gods. For it would be absurd for us to pay respect to the very stones of which the altars are made, on account of their being dedicated to the gods, because they have a certain shape and form suited to the ritual for which they have been fashioned, and then not to think that we ought to honour a man who has been dedicated to the gods. Perhaps someone will object—“But suppose he does wrong and often fails to offer to the gods their sacred rites?” Then indeed I answer that we ought to convict a man of that sort, so that he may not by wickedness offend the gods; but that we ought not to dishonour him until he has been convicted. Nor indeed is it reasonable that when we have set our hands to this business, we should take away their honour not only from these offenders but also from those who are worthy to be honoured. Then let every priest, like every magistrate, be treated with respect, since there is also an oracle to that effect from the Didymaean god:(516)) Ὅσσοι ἐς ἀρητῆρας ἀτασθαλίῃσι νόοιο Ἀθανάτων ῥέζουσ᾽ ἀποφώλια, καὶ γεράεσσιν [D] Ἀντία βουλεύουσιν ἀδεισιθέοισι λογισμοῖς, Οὐκέθ᾽ ὅλην βιότοιο διεκπερόωσιν ἀταρπόν, Ὅσσοι περ μακάρεσσιν ἐλωβήσαντο θεοῖσιν, Ὧν κεῖνοι θεόσεπτον ἕλον θεραπηίδα τιμήν, (“As for men who with reckless minds work wickedness against the priests of the deathless gods and plot against their privileges with plans that fear not the gods, never shall such men travel life’s path to the end, men who have sinned against the blessed gods whose honour and holy service those priests have in charge.”(517)) καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλοις ὁ θεός φησι (And again in another oracle the god says:) Πάντας μὲν θεράποντας ἐμοὺς ὀλοῆς κακότητος—, (“All my servants from harmful mischief——;”(518)) καί φησιν ὑπὲρ τούτων δίκην ἐπιθήσειν αὐτοῖς. (and he says that on their behalf he will inflict punishment on the aggressors.)