Eusebeia for the Gods as a Matter of Justice. Greek Popular Religion and Plato’s Euthyphro

This essay aims to analyse some uses of the word “eusebeia” in Greek classical antiquity, with a special focus on the way in which the corresponding notion helps to shape the goals and argumentative strategies of Plato’s Euthyphro. Rather than indicating sheer formal correctness in matters of religious cult (i.e. an attitude which seems to be better expressed by the adjective “hosios”), Socratic eusebeia represents an invitation to adopt a critical attitude in ethically religious controversies. What is more, eusebeia can be understood as a source of acts of justice and civic respect in the domain of human relationships.