But the other, Timokles, took our
side and fought for us, and excited himself, and
did his best for us, praising our watchful care,
and rehearsing how all things are arranged and
reduced to regularity and order by us. He, too,
had some applause, but he had already been
speaking too long and his utterance was labored,
so that the crowd looked away from him to Damis. Seeing what was at stake, I bade the night
descend and break up the meeting, and so they
went their ways, agreeing to examine the question
completely the next day. I followed along with
the crowd, and heard them praising Damis's arguments among themselves as they walked home,
and already decidedly siding with him. But there
were some, too, who did not think it right to decide beforehand between the rivals, but to wait
and see what Timokles would say on the morrow.

 

These, deities, are my reasons for summoning
you; no slight ones, if you consider that all our
honor, revenue, and prestige come from men.
And if they should be persuaded either that we
do not exist at all or that we have no forethought
for them, we shall have no more sacrifices and
gifts and honor from earth, and we shall sit idly
in heaven oppressed by hunger when we are deprived of those feasts and national holidays and
games and sacrifices and vigils and processions.


 


In such a crisis we all ought certainly to devise
some means of safety by which Timokles may be
victorious and be held to make the truer argument, and Damis may be jeered by the audience.
For I myself have small confidence that Timokles
will win by his own exertions unless he also receives assistance from us. Accordingly, Hermes,
announce in due form that remarks are in order. Hermes Hear ye, silence! Make no disturbance! Who wishes to speak, of those full-grown
divinities whose right it is?
What is this? Does no one rise? They are all
silent, overwhelmed by the importance of the news.