FROM THE PHAEDO THE MYTH OF THE TRUE EARTH

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1 FROM THE PHAEDO THE MYTH OF THE TRUE EARTH Th Phao is a ialogu whih wavs togthr traitional myths (suh as th story of Thsus an th Minotaur), Orphi ulti myths (onrning th ismmrmnt of Dionysus), pur ialti rason an philosophial myths (our sujt for tonight). Th rama taks pla aross on ay from awn to usk an in on pla th onmn ll of Sorats its thm is th immortality of th human soul. It is this soul, says Sorats in th Pharus, that taks iffrnt forms at iffrnt tims in its journying of snt an asnt: on of our prolms is our limit viw of th worl in whih our trials tak pla hr is Sorats attmpting to xpan th viw of his frins who hav follow his philosophial xploration of th natur of th soul. 109a SOCRATES: I am prsua, thrfor, in th first pla, that if th arth is in th mil of th havns, an is of a sphrial figur, it has no oasion of air, nor of any othr suh-lik nssity, to prvnt it from falling: ut that th prft similitu of th havns to thmslvs, an th quilirity of th arth, ar suffiint auss of its support. For that whih is qually inlin, whn pla in th mil of a similar natur, annot tn mor or lss to on part than anothr; ut, susisting on all sis similarly afft, it will rmain fr from all inlination. This is th first thing of whih I am prsua. CEBES: An vry proprly so. SOCRATES: But yt furthr, that th arth is proigiously grat; that w who wll in plas xtning from Phasis to th pillars of Hruls, 1 inhait only a rtain small portion of it, aout th Mitrranan sa, lik ants or frogs aout a marsh; an that thr ar many othrs lswhr, who wll in many suhlik plas. For I am prsua, that thr ar vrywhr aout th arth many hollow plas of all-various forms an magnitus; into whih thr is a onflun of watr, mists, an air: ut that th arth itslf, whih is of a pur natur, is situat in th pur havns, in whih th stars ar ontain, an whih most of thos who ar austom to spak aout suh partiulars nominat athr. But th plas whih w inhait ar nothing mor than th rgs of this pur arth, or avitis into whih its rgs ontinually flow. W ar ignorant, thrfor, that w wll in th avitis of this arth, an imagin that w inhait its uppr parts. Just as if somon wlling in th mil ottom of th sa, shoul think that h rsi on its surfa, an, holing th sun an th othr stars through th watr, shoul imagin that th sa is th havns; ut through sloth an stupiity having nvr asn to th top of th sa, nor mrg from its ps into this rgion, has nvr 1 Th rivr Phasis runs into th astrn n of th Blak Sa, whil th pillars of Hruls ar th straits of Giraltr.

2 2 110a priv how muh purr an mor autiful it is than th pla whih h inhaits, nor has riv this information from any othr who has hl this pla of our ao. In th vry sam mannr ar w afft: for, wlling in a rtain hollow of th arth, w think that w rsi on its surfa; an w all th air havn, as if th stars pass through this, as through th havns thmslvs. An this likwis, in th sam mannr as in th aov instan, happns to us through our stupiity an sloth, whih rnr us inapal of asning to th summit of th air. For, othrwis, if anyon oul arriv at its summit, or, oming wing, oul fly thithr, h woul sn mrging from hn; an just as fishs, mrging hithr from th sa, priv what our rgion ontains, in th sam mannr woul h hol th svral partiulars longing to th summit of th arth. An sis this, if his natur was suffiint for suh an lvat survy, h woul know that th havns whih h thr hl wr th tru havns, an that h priv th tru light an th tru arth. For this arth whih w inhait, th stons whih it ontains, an th whol rgion of our ao, ar all orrupt an gnaw, just as things in th sa ar orro y th salt: for nothing worthy of stimation grows in th sa, nor os it ontain any thing prft; ut avrns an san, an immns quantitis of mu an filth, ar foun in it whrvr thr is arth. Nor ar its ontnts to y any mans ompar with th auty of th various partiulars in our pla of ao. But thos uppr rgions of th arth will appar to yt far mor xllnt than ths whih w inhait. For, if it is propr to tll you a autiful fal, it is wll worth haring, Simmias, what kin of plas thos ar on th uppr arth, situat unr th havns. It is rport thn, my frin, in th first pla, that this arth, if any on survys it from on high, appars lik glos ovr with twlv skins, various, an istinguish with olours; a pattrn of whih ar th olours foun among us, an whih our paintrs us. But thr th whol arth is ompos from matrials of this kin, an suh as ar muh mor splni an pur than our rgion ontains: for thy ar partly in purpl, an nu with a wonrful auty; partly of a goln olour; an partly mor whit than plastr or snow; an ar ompos from othr olours in a similar mannr, an thos mor in numr an mor autiful than any w hav vr hl. For th hollow parts of this pur arth, ing fill with watr an air, xhiit a rtain spis of olour, shining among th varity of othr olours in suh a mannr, that on partiular various form of th arth ontinually prsnts itslf to th viw. Hn, whatvr grows in this arth grows analogous to its natur, suh as trs, an flowrs, an fruits: an again, its mountains an stons possss a similar prftion an transparny, an ar rnr autiful through various olours; of whih th stons so muh honour y us in this pla of our ao ar ut small parts, suh as sarin-stons, jasprs, an mrals, an all of this kin. But thr nothing susists whih is not of suh a natur as I hav sri; an thr ar othr things far mor autiful than vn ths. But th rason of this is aus th stons thr ar pur, an not onsum an orrupt, lik ours, through rottnnss an salt, from a onflux of various partiulars, whih in our plas of ao

3 3 111a 112a aus filthinss an isas to th stons an arth, animals an plants, whih ar foun among us. But this pur arth is aorn with all ths, an with gol an silvr, an othr things of a similar natur: for all ths ar naturally apparnt, sin thy ar oth numrous an larg, an ar iffus vrywhr throughout th arth; so that to hol it is th sptal of lss sptators. This arth too ontains many othr animals an mn, som of whom inhait its mil parts; othrs wll aout th air, as w o aout th sa; an othrs rsi in islans whih th air flows roun, an whih ar situat not far from th ontinnt. An in on wor, what watr an th sa ar to us, that air is to thm: ut what air is to us, that athr is to th inhaitants of this pur arth. But th sasons thr ar nu with suh an xllnt tmpramnt, that th inhaitants ar nvr molst with isas, an liv for a muh longr tim than thos who wll in our rgions; an thy surpass us in sight, haring, an prun, an vrything of this kin, as muh as air xls watr in purity - an athr, air. An sis this, thy hav grovs an tmpls of th Gos, in whih th Gos wll in rality; an likwis orals an ivinations, an snsil prptions of th Gos, an suh-lik assoiations with thm. Th sun too, an moon, an stars, ar sn y thm suh as thy rally ar; an in vry othr rspt thir fliity is of a orrsponnt natur. An in this mannr in th whol arth naturally susists, an th parts whih ar situat aout it. But it ontains aout th whol of its amit many plas in its hollows; som of whih ar pr an xtn than th rgion whih w inhait: ut othrs ar pr, in, ut yt hav a lss hasm than th plas of our ao; an thr ar rtain parts whih ar lss p, ut roar than ours. But all ths ar in many plas prforat into on anothr unr th arth, aoring to narrowr an roar avnus, an hav passags of ommuniation through whih a grat quantity of watr flows into th iffrnt hollows of th arth, as into owls; an sis this, thr ar hug vr-flowing rivrs unr th arth, an of hot an ol watrs; likwis a grat quantity of fir, mighty rivrs of fir, an many of moist mir, som of whih ar purr, an othrs mor muy; as in Siily thr ar rivrs of mu, whih flow for a stram of fir, whih is itslf a flaming torrnt. An from ths th svral plas ar fill, into whih ah flows at partiular tims. But all ths ar mov upwars an ownwars, osillations situat in th arth. Ths osillations ar as follows: is on of th hasms of th arth; an this th gratst, an or right through th whol arth. An of this Homr thus spaks: Far, vry far, whr unr arth is foun A gulf, of vry pth, th most profoun: whih h lswhr an many othr pots nominat Tartarus. For into this hasm thr is a onflux of all rivrs, from whih thy again flow upwars. But ah rivs its quality from th arth through whih it flows.

4 4 113a {{hr Sorats sris a omplx systm of rivrs flowing upwars an ownwars through sutrranan watr-ourss, akin to th rushing in an out of our rathing. H ontinus:}} Th othr rivrs, in, ar many, grat, an various: ut among this aunan thr ar rtain strams, four in numr, of whih th gratst, an whih irularly flows roun th arth th outrmost of all, is all th Oan. But that whih flows opposit, an in a ontrary irtion to this, is Ahron; whih, flowing through othr solitary plas, an unr th arth, volvs its watrs into th Ahrusian marsh, into whih many souls of th a pass; an aiing thr for rtain stin spas of tim, som of whih ar mor an othrs lss xtn, thy ar again snt into th gnrations of animals. Th thir rivr of ths hurls itslf forth in th mil, an nar its sour falls into a mighty pla, urning with aunan of fir, an prous a lak gratr than our sa, an hot with watr an mu. But it pros from hn in a irl, turulnt an miry, an, surrouning th arth, arrivs oth lswhr an at th xtrmitis of th Ahrusian marsh, with th watr of whih it os not om mingl; ut, oftn rvolving itslf unr th arth, flows into th mor ownwar parts of Tartarus. An this is th rivr whih thy still nominat Pyriphlgthon; th strams of whih sn forth issvr rivrs to various parts of th arth. But th fourth rivr, whih is opposit to this, first falls as it is sai into a pla raful an wil, an wholly ting with an azur olour, whih thy nominat Styx: an th influxiv strams of this rivr form th Stygian marsh. But falling into this, an riving vhmnt powrs in its watr, it his itslf unr th arth, an, rolling roun, pros ontrary to Pyriphlgthon, an mts with it in th Ahrusian marsh, in a ontrary irtion. Nor is th watr of this rivr mingl with any thing, ut, rvolving in a irl, it hurls itslf into Tartarus, in a ours opposit to Pyriphlgthon. But its nam, aoring to th pots, is Coytus. Ths ing thus naturally onstitut, whn th a arriv at that pla into whih th amon las ah, 2 in th first pla thy ar jug, as wll thos who hav liv in a oming mannr, an piously, an justly, as thos who hav not. An thos who appar to hav pass a mil kin of lif, proing to Ahron, an asning th vhils prpar for thm, arriv in ths at th Ahrusian lak, an wll thr; till ing purifi, an having suffr punishmnt for any injuris thy may hav ommitt, thy ar nlarg; an ah rivs th rwar of his nfin, aoring to his srts. But thos who appar to inural, through th magnitu of thir offns, aus thy hav prptrat ithr many an grat sarilgs, or many unjust slaughtrs, an suh as ar ontrary to law, or othr things of this kin - ths, a stiny aapt to thir guilt hurls into Tartarus, from whih thy will nvr 2 In th myth of Er, in th Rpuli, Sorats sris how ah soul hooss a lif aoring to its own wisom an isposition; an having hosn it is givn a amon a kin of guarian angl who attmpts to la th soul through its slf-hosn lif: its last task in this yl is to la th soul to its jugmnt in orr to omplt th irl it has n allott.

5 5 114a isharg. 3 But thos who ar foun to hav ommitt ural, ut yt mighty rims, suh as thos who hav n guilty through angr of any violn against thir fathr or mothr, an hav liv th rmainr of thir livs pnitnt for th offn, or who hav om homiis in any othr similar mannr; with rspt to ths, it is nssary that thy shoul fall into Tartarus: ut aftr thy hav falln, an hav wlt thr for a yar, th wavs hurl thm out of Tartarus; an th homiis in into Coytus, ut th violators of fathrs an mothrs into Pyriphlgthon. But whn, ing orn along y ths rivrs, thy arriv at th Ahrusian marsh, thy hr llow an invok on part thos whom thy hav slaughtr, an anothr part thos whom thy hav injur. But, invoking ths, thy suppliantly ntrat that thy woul suffr thm to ntr into th lak, an forgiv thm. An if thy prsua thm to o this, thy part, an fin an n to thir malais: ut if thy ar unal to aomplish this, thy ar arri ak again into Tartarus, an from thn again into th rivrs. An thy o not as from suffring this, till thy hav prsua thos thy hav injur to forgivnss. For this punishmnt was orain thm y th jugs. But thos who shall appar to hav liv most xllntly, with rspt to pity - ths ar thy, who, ing lirat an ismiss from ths plas in th arth, as from th aos of a prison, shall arriv at th pur haitation on high, an wll on th athrial arth. An among ths, thos who ar suffiintly purifi y philosophy shall liv without ois, through th whol of th suing tim, an shall arriv at haitations yt mor autiful than ths, whih it is nithr asy to sri, nor is th prsnt tim suffiint for suh an unrtaking. But for th sak of ths partiulars whih w hav rlat, w shoul unrtak vry thing, Simmias, that w may partiipat of virtu an prun in th prsnt lif. For th rwar is autiful, an th hop mighty. To affirm, in, that ths things susist xatly as I hav sri thm, is not th provin of a man nu with intllt. But to assrt that ithr ths or rtain partiulars of this kin tak pla, with rspt to our souls an thir haitations - sin our soul appars to immortal - this is, I think, oth oming, an srvs to hazar y him who livs in its rality. For th angr is autiful; an it is nssary to allur ourslvs 3 Many of th anint ommntators of th Platoni traition point out that Plato has two yls in min whn talking aout th path of th soul: on yl is th movmnt from hoi of lif, through th living of it, thn to th jugmnt of it, an finally to th raping of its rwars for goo or ill aftr whih anothr roun of hoi, lif, jugmnt an rwar gins. But th othr yl is a muh gratr on in th Pharus it is sai symolially to onsist of tn lssr yls in all. This gratr prio (again symolially sai to of a 10,000 yar uration), say th anint ommntators, is th "forvr" whih is rquir in orr to purg th ffts of th truly monstrous rims of th worst tyrants. Nothing, says Prolus, is rat in vain y Go or y Natur, an thrfor an immortal soul is ultimatly ural of vn th worst forms of wiknss. S th nxt paragraph whr thos who hav n purifi through philosophy shall liv for "th whol of th suing tim" without ois maning for th whol of th rst of th grat prio.

6 6 115a with things of this kin, as with inhantmnts: an, on this aount, I prou th fal whih you hav just now har m rlat. But, for th sak of ths, it is propr that th man shoul onfint aout his soul, who in th prsnt lif iing farwll to thos plasurs whih rgar th oy an its ornamnts, as things forign from his natur, has arnstly appli himslf to isiplins, as things of far gratr onsqun; an who having aorn his soul not with a forign ut its own propr ornamnt, viz. with tmpran an justi, fortitu, lirty an truth, xpts a migration to Has, as on who is ray to part whnvr h shall all upon y Fat. You, thrfor, Simmias an Cs, an th rst who ar hr assml, will ah part in som prio of tim postrior to th prsnt; ut M now alling, Fat mans: (as som tragi pot woul say) an it is almost tim that I shoul tak myslf to th ath. For it appars to m ttr to wash myslf for I rink th poison, an not to troul th womn with washing my a oy. Translat y Thomas Taylor with minor amnmnts.