Despite all the clarity afforded by the god’s current demonstration of his powers, the herdsman still insists on allowing for the possibility that Oidipous is not who the Corinthian says he is. The herdsman’s speech must be disingenuous—he knows very well who Oidipous is, indeed he thought he knew this when he saw Laios killed at the crossroads and he certainly knew it when he saw Oidipous made Thebes’ ruler. In expressing even a remnant of reserve, then, he declines to acknowledge the god’s manifest power and so denies the god the honor that is his due. In a situation in which he must express tact either towards Oidipous or the god, it should by now be clear that he would do better to honor the god. To do otherwise is clearly impious. [Md] [P] The audience must consider applying the same standards to its own speech; when it may be politic in a public forum such as the Assembly to argue in terms of probabilities, it would be pious and therefore prudent simply to acknowledge the god’s superiority and defer to his decision by submitting a question to the Oracle at Delphi. [Mg] [Mi]