Now I, for my part, think that not only the gods but also their offspring have no share
 in any wickedness but themselves are by nature endowed with all the virtues and have
 become for all mankind guides and teachers of the most honorable conduct. For it is absurd
 that we should attribute to the gods the responsibility for the happy fortunes of our
 children, and yet believe them to be indifferent to those of their own. Nay, if any one of us should obtain the power of regulating human nature, he would not
 allow even his slaves to be vicious; yet we condemn the gods by believing that they
 permitted their own offspring to be so impious and lawless. And you, Polycrates, assume
 that you will make men better even if they are not related to you, provided that they
 become your pupils, yet believe that the gods have no care for the virtue of their own
 children! And yet, according to your own reasoning, the gods are not free from the two most
 disgraceful faults: for if they do not want their children to be virtuous, they are
 inferior in character to human beings; but if, on the other hand, they desire it but are
 at a loss how to effect it, they are more impotent than the sophists! Although the subject admits of many arguments for the amplification of my theme of
 eulogy and defense, I believe it unnecessary to speak at greater length; for my aim in
 this discourse is not to make a display to impress others, but to show for your benefit
 how each of these topics should be treated, since the composition which you wrote may
 justly be considered by anyone to be, not a defense of Busiris, but an admission of all
 the crimes charged against him. For you do not exonerate him from the charges, but only declare that some others have
 done the same things, inventing thus a very easy refuge for all criminals. Why, if it is
 not easy to find a crime which has not yet been committed, and if we should consider that
 those who have been found guilty of one or another of these crimes have done nothing so
 very wrong, whenever others are found to have perpetrated the same offences, should we not
 be providing ready-made pleas in exculpation of all criminals and be granting complete
 licence for those who are bent on villainy?