First Apology 5

What, then, could this be? In our case, though we promise to do no wrong and not to hold these godless opinions, you do not examine the charges, but, driven by irrational passion and by the whip of evil demons, you punish without trial and without concern. For the truth shall be told: in ancient times evil demons, making appearances, both defiled women and corrupted boys, and showed terrifying sights to people, so that those who did not judge by reason what was happening were struck with terror; and being carried away by fear and not knowing that these were evil demons, they called them gods, and addressed each by the name that each of the demons had given himself. And when Socrates tried by true reason and searching inquiry to bring these things to light and to lead people away from the demons, the demons themselves, through people who delighted in wickedness, brought it about that he was put to death as an atheist and impious, saying that he was introducing new divinities; and in the same way they are doing the same thing in our case. For not only among the Greeks were these things refuted by reason through Socrates, but also among the barbarians by the Word himself, who took form and became man and was called Jesus Christ; and persuaded by him, we say that the demons who did these things are not only not right, but are evil and unholy demons, whose deeds are not even like those of people who long for virtue.