Plato, Laws 886b

καὶ ἐπιθυμιῶν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀσεβῆ βίον ὁρμᾶσθαι τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν. τὸ δὲ τί πρὸς τούτοις αἴτιον ἄν, ὦ ξένε, εἴη; σχεδὸν ὃ παντάπασιν ὑμεῖς ἔξω ζῶντες οὐκ ἂν εἰδείητε, ἀλλὰ ὑμᾶς ἂν λανθάνοι. τί δὴ τοῦτο φράζεις τὰ νῦν; ἀμαθία τις μάλα χαλεπή, δοκοῦσα εἶναι μεγίστη φρόνησις. πῶς λέγεις; εἰσὶν ἡμῖν ἐν γράμμασιν λόγοι κείμενοι, οἳ παρʼ ὑμῖν οὐκ εἰσὶν διʼ ἀρετὴν πολιτείας, ὡς ἐγὼ μανθάνω, οἱ μὲν ἔν

that their souls are impelled to that impious life of theirs. What other cause can there be, Stranger, besides this? One which you, who live elsewhere, could hardly have any knowledge of or notice at all. What is this cause you are now speaking of? A very grievous unwisdom which is reputed to be the height of wisdom. What do you mean? We at Athens have accounts preserved in writing (though, I am told, such do not exist in your country, owing to the excellence of your polity),