Then, Cebes, said he, it is perfectly certain
that the soul is
immortal and imperishable, and our souls will exist somewhere in another
world.I, said Cebes,
have nothing more to say against that, and I cannot doubt your
conclusions. But if Simmias, or anyone else, has anything to say, he would do
well to speak, for I do not know to what other time than the present he could
defer speaking, if he wishes to say or hear anything about those
matters.But, said
Simmias, I don’t see how I can doubt, either, as to the result of the
discussion; but the subject is so great,
and
I have such a poor opinion of human weakness, that I cannot help having some
doubt in my own mind about what has been said.Not only that, Simmias, said Socrates, but
our first assumptions ought to be more carefully examined, even though they seem
to you to be certain. And if you analyze them completely, you will, I think,
follow and agree with the argument, so far as it is possible for man to do so.
And if this is made clear, you will seek no farther.That is true, he said.But my friends, he said, we ought to bear
in mind,
that, if the soul is immortal, we
must care for it, not only in respect to this time, which we call life, but in
respect to all time, and if we neglect it, the danger now appears to be
terrible. For if death were an escape from everything, it would be a boon to the
wicked, for when they die they would be freed from the body and from their
wickedness together with their souls. But now, since the soul is seen to be
immortal, it cannot escape
from evil or be
saved in any other way than by becoming as good and wise as possible. For the
soul takes with it to the other world nothing but its education and nurture, and
these are said to benefit or injure the departed greatly from the very beginning
of his journey thither. And so it is said that after death, the tutelary genius
of each person, to whom he had been allotted in life, leads him to a place where
the dead are gathered together; then they are judged and depart to the other
world
with the guide whose task it is to
conduct thither those who come from this world; and when they have there
received their due and remained through the time appointed, another guide brings
them back after many long periods of time.
And the journey is not as Telephus
says in the play of Aeschylus;
for he says a simple path leads to the lower world,
but I think the path is neither simple nor single, for if it were, there would
be no need of guides, since no one could miss the way to any place if there were
only one road. But really there seem to be many forks of the road and many
windings; this I infer from the rites and ceremonies practiced here on earth.
Now the orderly and wise soul follows its guide and understands its
circumstances; but the soul that is desirous of the body, as I said before,
flits about it, and in the visible world for a long time,
and after much resistance and many sufferings is led away
with violence and with difficulty by its appointed genius. And when it arrives
at the place where the other souls are, the soul which is impure and has done
wrong, by committing wicked murders or other deeds akin to those and the works
of kindred souls, is avoided and shunned by all, and no one is willing to be its
companion or its guide,
but it wanders about
alone in utter bewilderment, during certain fixed times, after which it is
carried by necessity to its fitting habitation. But the soul that has passed
through life in purity and righteousness, finds gods for companions and guides,
and goes to dwell in its proper dwelling. Now there are many wonderful regions
of the earth, and the earth itself is neither in size nor in other respects such
as it is supposed to be by those who habitually discourse about it, as I believe
on someone’s authority.
And Simmias
said, What do you mean, Socrates? I have heard a good deal about the
earth myself, but not what you believe; so I should like to hear
it.Well Simmias, I do not think
I need the art of Glaucus to tell what it is. But to prove that it is true
would, I think, be too hard for the art of Glaucus, and perhaps I should not be
able to do it; besides, even if I had the skill, I think my life, Simmias, will
end before the discussion could be finished. However, there is nothing to
prevent my telling
what I believe the form
of the earth to be, and the regions in it.Well, said Simmias, that will be enough.