The Complete Works of Plato

...let him remain unchanged until death; appearing unjust throughout his life, yet being just; so that both, having arrived at the extreme—the one of justice, the other of injustice—may be judged as to which of the two is the happier.” “Good heavens, my dear Glaucon,” said I, “how vigorously you polish each of these two men for the judgment, just like a statue.” “As best I can,” he replied. “And being such as these, it is no longer difficult, as I suppose, to follow up in speech what kind of life awaits each one. It must be spoken; and indeed, even if it be stated somewhat crudely, do not think that it is I who am speaking, Socrates, but those who praise injustice above justice. They will say this: that the just man, being so disposed, will be scourged, tortured, bound, have his eyes burned out; and in the end, having suffered every evil, he will be impaled, and will know that one ought not to desire to be just, but to appear so. And that saying of Aeschylus was indeed far more correct to speak against the unjust man. For in truth, by nature, one who adheres to the unjust—since he pursues a matter that is true, as he does not live for reputation, but for truth—does not wish to seem unjust, but rather to be so: ‘reaping a deep furrow in his mind, from which wise counsels sprout.’ First, he holds office in the city by appearing to be just. Then, he marries from wherever he wishes; he gives in marriage to whomsoever he pleases; he enters into contracts and associates with whomsoever he desires; and beyond all this, he benefits by gaining through not shrinking from doing injustice. Therefore, entering into contests, both private and public, he prevails and gets the better of his enemies. By getting the better, he grows rich, and does good to his friends and harm to his enemies. And he offers sacrifices and dedications to the gods sufficiently and magnificently, and both sacrifices and dedications are made; and he serves the gods and such men as he wishes far better than the just man does. So that it is more fitting, from the likelihoods, that he should be dearer to the gods than the just man.”

Thus, they say, Socrates, that for the unjust man, the life is prepared better by gods and men than for the just man. When Glaucon had said these things, I indeed had it in mind to say something in response to them, but his brother Adeimantus said, “Do you still think, Socrates, that there is enough said about the argument?” “But why not?” I said. “The very thing that was not said,” he replied, “which most needed to be said.” “Well then,” said I, “let the brother be present for the man; so you, too, if this one leaves anything out, come to the rescue. Although, for me, even what has been said by him is enough to overthrow me and make it impossible to aid justice.” And he said, “You say nothing. But listen to these things as well. For it is necessary for us to go through the opposing arguments to those which this man spoke—those who praise justice and blame injustice—so that it may be clearer what Glaucon seems to me to intend. Fathers, and all those who are guardians of others, tell and exhort their sons that it is necessary to be just, not praising justice itself, but the good reputations derived from it; so that, to one who appears to be just, there may come, because of that reputation, offices and marriages, and whatever Glaucon just went through, which are the just man’s due from being well-regarded. But these men speak even more on the subject of reputations. For by casting in the good reputations from the gods, they have abundant good things to tell of for the pious, which they say the gods give; just as the noble Hesiod and Homer say. The one says that the gods make the oaks for the just:

"The summits, indeed, bear acorns; the middles, bees;
and the wool-bearing sheep are laden with fleeces;"

and many other good things akin to these. And the other says similar things:

"As of some blameless king, who, god-fearing,
upholds justice; the black earth bears
wheat and barley; the trees are laden with fruit,
the flocks bring forth unshaken, and the sea provides fish."

Musaeus and his son provide even more youthful goods from the gods for the just. For having led them into Hades in their account, and having laid them down, and having prepared a symposium of the pious, they make them spend all their time intoxicated