Jowett: godless

god

Socrates   : But if you act unjustly, with your eyes on the godless and dark, the probability is that your acts will resemble these through your ignorance of yourselves. ALCIBIADES I

Soc. There are two patterns eternally set before them ; the one blessed and divine, the other godless and wretched : but they do not see them, or perceive that in their utter folly and infatuation they are growing like the one and unlike the other, by reason of their evil deeds ; and the penalty is, that they lead a life answering to the pattern which they are growing like. And if we tell them, that unless they depart from their cunning, the place of innocence will not receive them after death ; and that here on earth, they will live ever in the likeness of their own evil selves, and with evil friends — when they hear this they in their superior cunning will seem to be listening to the talk of idiots. THEAETETUS  

Ath. One is the argument about the soul, which has been already mentioned — that it is the eldest, and most divine of all things, to which motion attaining generation gives perpetual existence ; the other was an argument from the order of the motion of the stars, and of all things under the dominion of the mind which ordered the universe. If a man look upon the world not lightly or ignorantly, there was never any one so godless who did not experience an effect opposite to that which the many imagine. For they think that those who handle these matters by the help of astronomy, and the accompanying arts of demonstration, may become godless, because they see, as far as they can see, things happening by necessity, and not by an intelligent will accomplishing good. LAWS BOOK XII

Come, now, and let us gently reason with the unjust, who is not intentionally in error. "Sweet sir," we will say to him, "what think you of things esteemed noble and ignoble ? Is not the noble that which subjects the beast to the man, or rather to the god in man ? and the ignoble that which subjects the man to the beast ?" He can hardly avoid saying, Yes — can he, now ? Not if he has any regard for my opinion. But, if he agree so far, we may ask him to answer another question : "Then how would a man profit if he received gold and silver on the condition that he was to enslave the noblest part of him to the worst ? Who can imagine that a man who sold his son or daughter into slavery for money, especially if he sold them into the hands of fierce and evil men, would be the gainer, however large might be the sum which he received ? And will anyone say that he is not a miserable caitiff who remorselessly sells his own divine being to that which is most godless and detestable ? Eriphyle took the necklace as the price of her husband’s life, but he is taking a bribe in order to compass a worse ruin." THE REPUBLIC   BOOK IX