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to　fear　death。



　　He　would；　indeed；　replied　Simmias。



　　And　when　you　see　a　man　who　is　repining　at　the　approach　of　death；



is　not　his　reluctance　a　sufficient　proof　that　he　is　not　a　lover　of



wisdom；　but　a　lover　of　the　body；　and　probably　at　the　same　time　a　lover



of　either　money　or　power；　or　both？



　　That　is　very　true；　he　replied。



　　There　is　a　virtue；　Simmias；　which　is　named　courage。　Is　not　that　a



special　attribute　of　the　philosopher？



　　Certainly。



　　Again；　there　is　temperance。　Is　not　the　calm；　and　control；　and



disdain　of　the　passions　which　even　the　many　call　temperance；　a　quality



belonging　only　to　those　who　despise　the　body　and　live　in　philosophy？



　　That　is　not　to　be　denied。



　　For　the　courage　and　temperance　of　other　men；　if　you　will　consider



them；　are　really　a　contradiction。



　　How　is　that；　Socrates？



　　Well；　he　said；　you　are　aware　that　death　is　regarded　by　men　in



general　as　a　great　evil。



　　That　is　true；　he　said。



　　And　do　not　courageous　men　endure　death　because　they　are　afraid　of



yet　greater　evils？



　　That　is　true。



　　Then　all　but　the　philosophers　are　courageous　only　from　fear；　and



because　they　are　afraid；　and　yet　that　a　man　should　be　courageous



from　fear；　and　because　he　is　a　coward；　is　surely　a　strange　thing。



　　Very　true。



　　And　are　not　the　temperate　exactly　in　the　same　case？　They　are



temperate　because　they　are　intemperate…which　may　seem　to　be　a



contradiction；　but　is　nevertheless　the　sort　of　thing　which　happens



with　this　foolish　temperance。　For　there　are　pleasures　which　they



must　have；　and　are　afraid　of　losing；　and　therefore　they　abstain　from



one　class　of　pleasures　because　they　are　overcome　by　another：　and



whereas　intemperance　is　defined　as　〃being　under　the　dominion　of



pleasure；〃　they　overcome　only　because　they　are　overcome　by　pleasure。



And　that　is　what　I　mean　by　saying　that　they　are　temperate　through



intemperance。



　　That　appears　to　be　true。



　　Yet　the　exchange　of　one　fear　or　pleasure　or　pain　for　another　fear　or



pleasure　or　pain；　which　are　measured　like　coins；　the　greater　with



the　less；　is　not　the　exchange　of　virtue。　O　my　dear　Simmias；　is　there



not　one　true　coin　for　which　all　things　ought　to　exchange？…and　that



is　wisdom；　and　only　in　exchange　for　this；　and　in　company　with　this；　is



anything　truly　bought　or　sold；　whether　courage　or　temperance　or



justice。　And　is　not　all　true　virtue　the　companion　of　wisdom；　no　matter



what　fears　or　pleasures　or　other　similar　goods　or　evils　may　or　may　not



attend　her？　But　the　virtue　which　is　made　up　of　these　goods；　when



they　are　severed　from　wisdom　and　exchanged　with　one　another；　is　a



shadow　of　virtue　only；　nor　is　there　any　freedom　or　health　or　truth



in　her；　but　in　the　true　exchange　there　is　a　purging　away　of　all



these　things；　and　temperance；　and　justice；　and　courage；　and　wisdom



herself　are　a　purgation　of　them。　And　I　conceive　that　the　founders　of



the　mysteries　had　a　real　meaning　and　were　not　mere　triflers　when



they　intimated　in　a　figure　long　ago　that　he　who　passes　unsanctified



and　uninitiated　into　the　world　below　will　live　in　a　slough；　but　that



he　who　arrives　there　after　initiation　and　purification　will　dwell　with



the　gods。　For　〃many；〃　as　they　say　in　the　mysteries；　〃are　the　thyrsus



bearers；　but　few　are　the　mystics；〃…meaning；　as　I　interpret　the



words；　the　true　philosophers。　In　the　number　of　whom　I　have　been



seeking；　according　to　my　ability；　to　find　a　place　during　my　whole



life；　whether　I　have　sought　in　a　right　way　or　not；　and　whether　I



have　succeeded　or　not；　I　shall　truly　know　in　a　little　while；　if　God



will；　when　I　myself　arrive　in　the　other　world：　that　is　my　belief。



And　now；　Simmias　and　Cebes；　I　have　answered　those　who　charge　me　with



not　grieving　or　repining　at　parting　from　you　and　my　masters　in　this



world；　and　I　am　right　in　not　repining；　for　I　believe　that　I　shall　find



other　masters　and　friends　who　are　as　good　in　the　world　below。　But



all　men　cannot　believe　this；　and　I　shall　be　glad　if　my　words　have



any　more　success　with　you　than　with　the　judges　of　the　Athenians。



　　Cebes　answered：　I　agree；　Socrates；　in　the　greater　part　of　what　you



say。　But　in　what　relates　to　the　soul；　men　are　apt　to　be　incredulous；



they　fear　that　when　she　leaves　the　body　her　place　may　be　nowhere；



and　that　on　the　very　day　of　death　she　may　be　destroyed　and



perish…immediately　on　her　release　from　the　body；　issuing　forth　like



smoke　or　air　and　vanishing　away　into　nothingness。　For　if　she　could



only　hold　together　and　be　herself　after　she　was　released　from　the



evils　of　the　body；　there　would　be　good　reason　to　hope；　Socrates；



that　what　you　say　is　true。　But　much　persuasion　and　many　arguments



are　required　in　order　to　prove　that　when　the　man　is　dead　the　soul



yet　exists；　and　has　any　force　of　intelligence。



　　True；　Cebes；　said　Socrates；　and　shall　I　suggest　that　we　talk　a



little　of　the　probabilities　of　these　things？



　　I　am　sure；　said　Cebes；　that　I　should　gready　like　to　know　your



opinion　about　them。



　　I　reckon；　said　Socrates；　that　no　one　who　heard　me　now；　not　even　if



he　were　one　of　my　old　enemies；　the　comic　poets；　could　accuse　me　of



idle　talking　about　matters　in　which　I　have　no　concern。　Let　us；　then；



if　you　please；　proceed　with　the　inquiry。



　　Whether　the　souls　of　men　after　death　are　or　are　not　in　the　world



below；　is　a　question　which　may　be　argued　in　this　manner：　The　ancient



doctrine　of　which　I　have　been　speaking　affirms　that　they　go　from



this　into　the　other　world；　and　return　hither；　and　are　born　from　the



dead。　Now　if　this　be　true；　and　the　living　come　from　the　dead；　then　our



souls　must　be　in　the　other　world；　for　if　not；　how　could　they　be　born



again？　And　this　would　be　conclusive；　if　there　were　any　real　evidence



that　the　living　are　only　born　from　the　dead；　but　if　there　is　no



evidence　of　this；　then　other　arguments　will　have　to　be　adduced。



　　That　is　very　true；　replied　Cebes。



　　Then　let　us　consider　this　question；　not　in　relation　to　man　only；　but



in　relation　to　animals　generally；　and　to　plants；　and　to　everything



of　which　there　is　generation；　and　the　proof　will　be　easier。　Are　not



all　things　which　have　opposites　generated　out　of　their　opposites？　I



mean　such　things　as　good　and　evil；　just　and　unjust…and　there　are



innumerable　other　opposites　which　are　generated　out　of　opposites。



And　I　want　to　show　that　this　holds　universally　of　all　opposites；　I



mean　to　say；　for　example；　that　anything　which　becomes　greater　must



become　greater　after　being　less。



　　True。



　　And　that　which　becomes　less　must　have　been　once　greater　and　then



become　less。



　　Yes。



　　And　the　weaker　is　generated　from　the　stronger；　and　the　swifter



from　the　slower。



　　Very　true。



　　And　the　worse　is　from　the　better；　and　the　more　just　is　from　the　more



unjust。



　　Of　course。



　　And　is　this　true　of　all　opposites？　and　are　we　convinced　that　all



of　them　are　generated　out　of　opposites？



　　Yes。



　　And　in　this　universal　opposition　of　all　things；　are　there　not　also



two　intermediate　processes　which　are　ever　going　on；　from　one　to　the



other；　and　back　again；　where　there　is　a　greater　and　a　less　there　is



also　an　intermediate　process　of　increase　and　diminution；　and　that



which　grows　is　said　to　wax；　and　that　which　decays　to　wane？



　　Yes；　he　said。



　　And　there　are　many　other　processes；　such　as　division　and



composition；　cooling　and　heating；　which　equally　involve　a　passage　into



and　out　of　one　another。　And　this　holds　of　all　opposites；　even　though



not　always　expressed　in　words…they　are　generated　out　of　one　another；



and　there　is　a　passing　or　process　from　one　to　the　other　of　them？



　　Very　true；　he　replied。



　　Well；　and　is　there　not　an　opposite　of　life；　as　sleep　is　the　opposite



of　waking？



　　True；　he　said。



　　And　what　is　that？



　　Death；　he　answered。



　　And　these；　then；　are　generated；　if　they　are　opposites；　the　one



from　the　other；　and　have　there　their　two　intermediate　processes　also？



　　Of　course。



　　Now；　said　Socrates；　I　will　analyze　one　of　the　two　pairs　of　opposites



which　I　have　mentioned　to　you；　and　also　its　intermediate　processes；



and　you　shall　analyze　the　other　to　me。　The　state　of　sleep　is　opposed



to　the　state　of　waking；　and　out　of　sleeping　waking　is　generated；　and



out　of　waking；　sleeping；　and　the　process　of　generation　is　in　the　one



case　falling　asleep；　and　in　the　other　waking　up。　Are　you　agreed



about　that？



　　Quite　agreed。



　　Then　suppose　that　you　analyze　life　and　death　to　me　in　the　same



manner。　Is　not　death　opposed　to　life？



　　Yes。



　　And　they　are　generated　one　from　the　other？



　　Yes。



　　What　is　generated　from　life？



　　Death。



　　And　what　from　death？



　　I　can　only　say　in　answer…life。



　　Then　the　living；　whether　things　or　persons；　Cebes；　are　generated



from　the　dead？



　　That　is　clear；　he　replied。



　　Then　th